Manchester Rum Festival is back once again next week, and it’s all looking set to be the event’s “biggest and best” year yet.
Known for bringing a massive selection of rare rums and from all over the world to Manchester each year, the beloved festival is back in a few days time, and organisers are gearing up to transform one city centre hotel into the tropics.
As always, visitors to the beloved festival can not only expect to get to sample some of the best rum brands and buy bottles of their favourites to take home, but they’ll also get to taste some limited-edition drink collaborations, and tuck into delicious Caribbean street food from some of the region‘s best traders.
For the first time ever, anyone who grabs a ticket to this year’s event will get the chance to buy a limited-edition bottle of the official Manchester Rum Festival rum – which is a collaboration with Outlier Distilling Company of the Isle of Man.
Other brands making their much-anticipated debut at this year’s festival include Rhum JM from Martinique in the Caribbean, Takamaka – which is the the first ever rum from the Seychelles – two rums from the Portuguese island of Madeira, 970 and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and Ron Piet from Panama.
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Tilambic from Mauritius, Eminente from Cuba, Paranubes from the mountainous Oaxaca region in Mexico, Bone Idyll from closer to home in Kingston-upon-Thames will also be making their Manchester debuts.
Manchester Rum Festival for its “biggest and best” event yet next week / Credit: Supplied
Organisers are, quite rightly, calling it a “truly global representation of rum”.
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Also for the very first time, MONIN will be at this year’s festival with the official cocktail bar for all those who fancy sipping on a Pina Colada, Mojito, or Daiquiri while they make their way around the event, with festival sponsors Stratford Sodas also set to serve up the perfect rum mixers.
And to top it all off, there’s even set to be a handful of local DJs spinning calypso-inspired sets all throughout the day to really bring those “tiki vibes”.
Visitors will get to sample some of the rarest rums from all over the world / Credit: Manchester Rum Festival
“The 2023 festival is set to be the biggest and best yet, with rum brands from all over the planet descending on Manchester for what has become a must-have diary date for rum lovers,” Manchester Rum Festival founder, Dave Marsland, said ahead of this year’s event.
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“It really is a fantastic day out, and has cemented itself as a brilliant annual event for rum fans across the UK and beyond.”
Manchester Rum Festival 2023 is taking over the Mercure Manchester hotel in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday 8 July from 12pm right through to 7pm – with tickets already on sale and setting you back £25 each.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
What's On
Massive student night returns to Trafford Centre next month with up to 50% off on big brands
Emily Sergeant
Students can get themselves up to 50% off on food, activities, and loads of big-name brands at the Trafford Centre next month.
With thousands of new and returning students starting to arrive for the new academic year at Greater Manchester‘s universities, one of the region’s biggest student nights will be making a long-awaited comeback for one night only next month – and there’ll be loads of exclusive offers and free entertainment to make the most of across the evening.
Taking over the Trafford Centre in early October, the popular one-off student night is happening in partnership with Student Beans, and gives cash-strapped students the chance to shop a variety of incredible discounts all under one roof.
Just some of the big brands offering big discounts include 25% off at Levi’s and Boux Avenue, 20% off at Gymshark, Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch, and 15% off at KIKO, Rituals, and Sephora.
It’s not just retail brands you’ll be able to save some pennies on either, as many of the Trafford Centre’s restaurants and cafes will also be offering discounts and freebies on the night too.
Alongside the offers, students can expect plenty of live entertainment and in-store experiences throughout the evening, including a DJ set and drinks at Calvin Klein, in-store fitness challenges and at Gymshark, an exclusive piercing event at Lovisa, and a Beauty Hub takeover at Sephora.
There’ll also be ‘spin-to-win’ opportunities at places like schuh, River Island, and YO! Sushi.
Massive student night returns to Trafford Centre next month with up to 50% off on big brands / Credit: Supplied
“Student Night is one of the highlights of our autumn calendar, and we’re excited to welcome students for an evening of brilliant offers and feel-good experiences,” explained Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at the Trafford Centre.
“Whether they are updating their wardrobe, stocking up on beauty favourites, grabbing a bite to eat or enjoying the atmosphere with friends, there is plenty to discover across the centre.
“With simple transport links from Manchester city centre and across the region, Trafford Centre is the perfect place for a student night out.”
The Trafford Centre’s Student Night is happening on Thursday 1 October from 6-10pm, and students can now reserve themselves a spot by registering online HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
28th June 2023 
