Hundreds more tickets for The Big Night of Musicals have just been been released ahead of the show here in Manchester later this month.
And the best bit? They’re all FREE and up for grabs tomorrow.
In case you haven’t heard, the huge event will be taking to the stage at the AO Arena in the heart of Manchester city centre in just a couple of weeks time – with families and musical theatre fans of all ages set to be treated to a lineup of jaw-dropping performances from the biggest West End and touring musicals.
The cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, A Chorus Line, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Guys & Dolls, and the UK and Ireland tour of GREASE are just a handful of the superstars on the lineup.
Taking place on Monday 22 January, the National Lottery’s massive musical theatre celebration will be hosted by local comedian Jason Manford for the third year running, alongside special guest presenter, West End legend Beverley Knight.
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Hundreds more free tickets to The Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena have been released / Credit: Supplied
Manford and Knight are gearing up to guide the audience through a whistle-stop tour of an impressive selection of “the most mesmerising shows”.
“I’m thrilled to be back hosting The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals,” Jason Manford commented.
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“[The show] once again has an incredible lineup of smash hit shows for the Manchester Arena audience to enjoy, and is a huge thank you to National Lottery players who have helped keep the magic of theatre alive across the UK.”
If some the already-announced musicals on the lineup aren’t enough to get you all excited as it is, just today, the show’s organisers have revealed that Hamilton, Disney’s Aladdin, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Mrs Doubtfire have all been announced to perform at the musical extravaganza too.
Echoing Manford’s commented, Beverly Knight added: “It’s great to be coming back to be part of this incredible show, as the support National Lottery players make to the theatre industry is crucial to the performers and myriad of people, both at large and small venues, who help make a night at the theatre so special.
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The highly-anticipated show will be hosted by Jason Manford and Beverly Knight / Credit: Supplied
“I can’t wait to see this astonishing lineup of talent all under one roof.”
And, following the first ticket release for the hugely-anticipated event selling out in less than 24 hours, The National Lottery is offering fans one last chance to be a part of the musical spectacle by releasing hundreds more free tickets.
They’ll be up for grabs tomorrow morning (4 January).
All National Lottery players need to do is head on over to The Big Night of Musicals website here at 10am to be in the running for grabbing one of the final tickets.
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals returns on Monday 22 January at the AO Arena, and is also set to be aired on BBC One, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds at a later date too.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Manchester’s biggest comedy festival announces jam-packed lineup as affordable tickets go on sale
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s most popular comedy festival is back later this year, and there’s some massive names on the lineup set to bring the laughs.
After proving to be a smash-hit success in its inaugural year back in 2022, and several other successful runs in the years following, Laughterama is back in Manchester in early September, and will once again be taking over the iconic Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre for five days of fun.
Thousands of comedy lovers attend Laughterama each year to enjoy countless sell-out stand-up sets, and this year will be no different, as festivalgoers are in for an ‘explosive series of shows‘ from some of the hottest names on the comedy circuit.
Jack Dee, Nick Mohammed, Sara Pascoe, Fern Brady, and Chris McCausland are just some of the famous names on this year’s jam-packed lineup.
They’ll be joined by other big names like Michelle De Swarte, Stewart Lee, Nina Conti, Ivo Graham, Ellis James, and Harriett Kemsley when they all take to the Castlefield Bowl stage over the five-day festival from Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September.
Some of the other names you can expect are BAFTA nominee Rose Matafeo, stand-up marvel Sarah Keyworth, Plebs and Friday Night Dinner star Tom Rosenthal, and podcast hero John Robbins.
Laughterama returns to Manchester later this year / Credit: Matt Eachus | Supplied
It wouldn’t be Laughterama without some newcomers and breakthrough stars, of course, and on the lineup this year are viral sensation Vittorio Angelone, fast-rising talents Kiran Saggu and Jen Nolan, and BBC New Comedy Award finalist Evaldas Karosas.
And aside from the comedy, as always, you can expect the very-best eats from Manchester’s street food scene will also be on site to tuck into, as well as an exciting selection of bars serving signature beers, cocktails, and more.
Laughterama 2026 is landing at Castlefield Bowl from Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September, with tickets now on sale at £29 per person.
You can grab yours on the Laughterama website before they sell out here.
What's On
A Greater Manchester run club is taking on a 24-hour ‘Everest’ memorial and charity challenge
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester run club is set to take on an impressive 24-hour feat of endurance dubbed the ‘Everest’ challenge later this week, and it’s all for charity.
Yes, running on behalf of not only a nearby organisation but also in memory of a beloved native, this deeply moving event will see the group of Trafford runners going up and down hills for a whole day.
We’ve seen the huge growth of the flagship Manchester 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness over the past half a decade – which has now spread to multiple other cities – and it’s great to see similar formats springing up across the region.
Set up by Batch Running Club, who are based in Altrincham, the Everest challenge gets underway this coming Friday and will run (pun very much intended) into the weekend.
Sharing a lengthy post on social media, they wrote: “On Friday, 5th June at 6pm, our amazing running club will begin a 24-hour challenge running backwards and forwards over Moss Lane Bridge near Tesco in Altrincham.
“Our goal? To cover the equivalent elevation of climbing Mount Everest — at least once, maybe even more! We’re taking on this challenge to raise much-needed funds for Trafford Carers Centre in memory of the wonderful Jim Edward Parsons.
“A couple of years ago, as a running club, we chose to support Trafford Carers because of a personal connection within the Batch family. Bards, owner of Batch Bottlestore, saw first-hand the incredible support Trafford Carers gave his mum, Kirsty, while she cared full-time for his stepdad Jim.
“Their help made a huge difference during an incredibly difficult time and ensured Kirsty never felt alone in her role as a carer.”
Unfortunately, Jim sadly passed away last December, and so in an effort to honour his life and support the crucial care network that has not only aided local families but touched so many other lives in the process, they’ll be taking on the ‘Big Tesco Hill’ for 24 hours straight. WOW.
As the poster would suggest, it runs right past the main Alty Tesco. (Credit: David Dixon via Geograph)
Having been lucky enough to enjoy the downhill version of that very same hill as part of the Manchester Marathon, we can only imagine how difficult it is running back up it in the other direction…
Encouraging people to come along and join, or even just come along and support as volunteers and/or cheer on from the sidelines, they’re hoping to complete as many laps as time will allow and, more importantly, raise as much vital funding as possible.
They signed off by adding: “This charity is incredibly close to our hearts, and Jim will always remain at the centre of why we continue supporting Trafford Carers.”
We hope 2026 is just the first of what will become a worthwhile annual fitness fundraiser; you can donate to the charity run HERE.
Counselling with Trafford Carers Centre
Counselling is an opportunity for you to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe, supportive and confidential setting. Our trainee counsellors are here to help you through this process without judgement or giving advice. pic.twitter.com/AkaaAROaO4
Emily Sergeant -
3rd January 2024 
