Award-winning lantern and light festival Lightopia is hoping to “shine a light on love this winter” with the release of its date night tickets.
After having returned to Heaton Park this year – with an extended stay running through until Sunday 10th January 2021 – the visually-spectacular event is creating its own Christmas love story with tickets that are ideal for late-night explorers and Lightopian lovers to see the light trail.
The dual tickets admit entry for two people to the event from 8pm onwards.
Being one of the city’s only fully COVID-compliant outdoor experiences this festive season, Lightopia showcases unique interactive and immersive lights, lanterns and installations, with a magical illuminated trail designed to maintain social distance from others.
The new route has been designed to create a safe environment where visitors are able to see the sights safely, with wider footpaths to maintain social distancing, a one-way system, three entry points to reduce queuing, and direct access to two car parks.
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As Christmas is very much the theme for this year’s event too, the stunning Grade I-listed Heaton Hall is used as a sparkling backdrop for all festive merriment, and a 10-metre candy-covered illuminated Christmas tree also provides the focal point.
Lightopia will be open to the public until Sunday 10th January (except for Christmas Day), and opening times are between 5pm to 10pm, with last entry 8.30pm daily.
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‘Date Night’ tickets are available from £32, admitting entry for two people from 8pm onwards.
Dates still available to book include 26th December – 10th January.
LightopiaLightopia
Advance pre-booked tickets are priced at £20 for adults (or £22 on the day), £13 for children (or £15 on the day), and £60 for families of two adults and two children (£68 on the day).
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Children under three can go free.
Essential carers of disabled visitors can also attend the event for free, with the disabled visitor paying the normal admission fee.
There are also a limited number of tickets available for key workers – with a 20% discount off the standard ticket price when using code KEY20 – plus, the 20% discount is applied to all tickets in the online basket.
One essential worker ID is required for entry, per party.
You can book your tickets and find more information via the Lightopia website here.
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Manchester’s new £2.5m indoor activity park is offering 50% off tickets over half term
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s newly-opened indoor activity park is offering families the chance to visit for half price this spring holidays.
In case you missed it, Salford was chosen by Oxygen Activeplay as the location for its next venture, an officially opened the doors to its newest state-of-the-art equipment facility above bustling food hall Kargo MKT, inside the former site of I’m a Celebrity Jungle Challenge down at Quayside MediaCity in mid February.
Since opening to the public, Oxygen MediaCity has already been helping lots of local families stay active and have fun at the same time.
Following a £2.5 million investment, the new park features more than 30 trampolines, a mega-air bag, a high ropes course, a ‘Rollglider’ aerial ride which flies over the facility, and Oxygen’s signature illuminated sensory experience ‘Excite Tunnel’, along with even more “epic” activities.
A series of optional games and dance parties are also on offer during each play session, and the new Manchester park also hosts ‘Peaceful Play’ sessions designed for neurodivergent guests, who prefer a calmer and quieter playing environment, as well as there being a ‘Toddler Venture Zone’.
A cafe serving drinks, snacks, and meals also overlooks the park, so once you’re all bounced out, you can recharge with a full feast from the new menu before heading home.
Manchester’s new £2.5m indoor activity park is offering 50% off tickets over half term / Credit: Jamie McPhilimey
And thankfully, once schools are out for the spring holidays in a couple of weeks time, families can get themselves one of Oxygen at MediaCity’s Easter Holiday Pass, which gives pass holders the chance to visit the park on any five days of the two-week break – including on weekends and bank holidays – for 60 minutes of ‘Open Play’.
For a limited time only, you can save some pennies and take advantage of a half price offer and get your hands on an Easter Holidays Pass for only £30.
Little Simz announces biggest-ever Manchester gig ahead of new album
Danny Jones
The queen of British rap, the one and only Little Simz, is coming back to Manchester for what will be her biggest headline show in this city to date.
A whole three years on from her last album No Thank You, the rapper from Islington is heading back out on the road after wrapping up the recording of her sixth studio LP, Lotus.
The first single ‘FREE’ has already dropped, and despite the release date itself being pushed back, news of a new Little Simz tour later this year more than makes up for it, if you ask us.
Little Simz already has two NME Awards to her name for Best British Solo Act and Best British Album, not to mention a BRIT itself for Best New Artist in 2022; oh yeah, and she won the Mercury Prize as well as a BET Hip Hop Award over in the States for ‘Best International Flow’ – all before she turned 30.
With that in mind, you can understand why so many are frothing at the mouth to hear her new record when it does finally drop.
There doesn’t appear to be any problems with the album itself: Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, to use her full name, is simply busier than ever and has just booked a role in a film because, yes, she acts too.
Lotus will now drop on Friday, 6 June, just in time for fans to get learning the lyrics ahead of festival season, which we have no doubt she’ll play a big part in.
You can hear the first taste of the next chapter down below:
Little Simz returns to Manchester for a Co-op Live debut on 16 October with tour supports still yet to be announced.
Pre-sale goes live on Wednesday, 9 April from 10am for official Co-op members and general admission will be available from the same time on the following Friday (11 April).
Emily Sergeant -
18th December 2020 
