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Lightopia is returning to Heaton Park with a new Christmas-themed ‘immersive experience’ this year

Lightopia 2022 is promising to be a "once-in-a-lifetime adventure" for the all the family to enjoy.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 14th September 2022

Lightopia is all set to make another return to Heaton Park with a new Christmas-themed immersive experience this year.

Getting ready to once again light up Manchester and captivate audiences for the fourth year in a row, award-winning illuminations event Lightopia is promising to bring the magic of Christmas back to the grounds of Heaton Park from this November – with a brand-new immersive experience set to take over the park until January.

Through brand-new and unseen audiovisual displays, this year’s festival is promising to be a “once-in-a-lifetime adventure” for the all the family to enjoy.

This year’s trail follows the story of new beginnings and the circle of life.

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Beginning at the ‘Guardian Gate’, you will be transported into a winter wonderland decorated by a blanket of shooting stars with the ‘Essence of Light’ display, before following the winding mystical path to the ‘Mythical Forrest’ – a Christmas realm that suitably celebrates the festive season with giant baubles, trees, and presents.

Lightopia is returning with a new Christmas-themed ‘immersive experience’ this year / Credit: Lightopia

The ‘Secret Flower Garden’ lights up the natural greenery of the park with a collection of glowing fauna wrapped around the branches above and the grass below, and then, in a display that festival organisers say is curated especially for younger guests called the ‘Book of Rebirth’, little Mancs can unlock their imagination with friendly animated animals.

The kid’s zone will also feature interactive musical tiles for everyone to interact and play with.

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The vibrant ‘Ying Yang’ display and ‘Tranquility Arch’ – which is home to colourful swans and butterflies – are some of the other displays to catch this year.

The Lightopia team say guests should then “prepare your senses” for the ‘Phoenix’ – which is this year’s main event that is new for 2022, and invites you to experience the heart of the festival through sound and light with a five-minute A/V show that will “push the boundaries” of music through the captivating display.

The award-winning illuminations event will bring the magic of Christmas back to the grounds of Heaton Park / Credit: Lightopia

The immersive adventure ends with the grand finale ‘Lakeside Water Show’ – a spectacle of moving creatures and patterns projected across the lake and fountain.  

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Speaking ahead of Lightopia’s return to Manchester for the fifth year, Ian Xiang – Creative Director of Lightopia – said: “We are delighted to share the magic of Lightopia 2022 with families in Manchester and beyond and we hope this immersive experience will bring together friends and loved ones through the power of light and sound.

“Not only have we created a fantastical world, full of happiness, illumination, and charm, we hope by offering families a more affordable experience, they can escape for an evening filled with festive magic at Christmas.”

Lightopia 2022 is promising to be a “once-in-a-lifetime adventure” for the all the family to enjoy / Credit: Lightopia

Lightopia returns from Thursday 24 November 2022 – Monday 2 January 2023.

With tickets set to go on general sale at 9am on Friday 16 September, the public will be able to visit the festival every day – except for when it’s closed on Christmas Day – between 5pm to 10pm, with last entry being 8:30pm.

New for 2022, Lightopia has announced a new ticketing system to help families with rising living costs, with an off-peak option on selected weekdays.

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This year’s trail follows the story of new beginnings and the circle of life / Credit: Lightopia

Advance tickets are priced at £17.50 for adults off-peak and £22.50 at peak times, from £11 – £14.50 for children – with those under three going free – and £49 for families of two adults and two children off-peak and £69 for peak times. Essential carers of disabled visitors can also attend for free when the disabled visitor pays the normal admission fee.

For a limited time, you can also get an exclusive 20% off tickets by registering here.  

Grab tickets to Lightopia 2022 here.

Featured Image – Lightopia

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There’s a coffee subscription service that supports independent Manchester cafes

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

A raft of Manchester’s very best coffee shops are listed on a subscription service with a difference, supporting independents across the city. 

Coffee Club can save caffeine fiends up to £350 a year on their barista-made drinks through discounts at thousands of cafes. 

As well as its 25% discounts, the creators of the app are also about to host a massive giveaway of totally free coffee for Mancs. 

A van will be driven around the city centre on 5 and 6 October – anyone who snaps it and scans the QR code will be able to claim a free drink from any Black Sheep Coffee locations in Manchester.

The Coffee Club van will be driven around Manchester offering free coffee. Credit: Supplied

The freebies will be on a first-come, first-served basis on both Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October – a perfect way to power through to the end of the week. 

A giant Coffee Club-branded coffee cup will also be placed in a mystery location in Manchester. 

Anyone who snaps a photo of the cup and shares it with the hashtag #sipandsavemcr, also following @wearecoffeeclub on Instagram, will be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of coffee vouchers. 

Read more: One of the city’s best coffee shops opens second site in leafy corner of Manchester

Even if you miss out on the giveaways, Coffee Club can get you big savings on your coffee order. 

There are 75 independent businesses around Manchester that are listed on the app, including Ditto Coffee, Foundation Coffee, Bold Street Coffee, Alvarium, Rollers Café, Home Café and Mustard, as well as big-name coffee chains such as Caffe Nero. 

You can get 25% off coffee, seven days a week – and the subscription is just £2.99 a month, with a free 30-day trial. 

You can find out more and download the Coffee Club app at coffeeclub.co.uk/manchester.

Featured image: Supplied

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A new NYC-style pizza bar is opening in Warrington’s Time Square

The Manc The Manc

A new New York-style pizza bar is opening next month in Warrington’s very own £142 million Time Square development.

Called Parlour, it will serve up its NYC-style pizzas by the slice and as huge 22-inch pies from 11.30am every day.

As well as time-honoured favourites like margarita and pepperoni, Parlour’s pizza options will also a range of specials including a bee-themed pizza with chilli honey and a ‘controversial’ option with a Dr Pepper BBQ sauce.

Elsewhere, look out for The Controversial (tomato, mozzarella, pineapple and roast ham finished with rocket, parmesan and a Dr Pepper sauce), the Club Med (tomato, feta, spiced chicken, red onion) and the Vegan Deluxe (tomato, vegan’duja, courgette ribbons, Roquito pepper pearls, red onion, evoo and vegan parmesan.)

The handcrafted pizzas will be complemented by an eclectic menu of small plates ranging from tater tots and sticky sausages to mac n’ cheese alongside a range of delicious salads and healthy options. 

As for drinks, Parlour will stock a range of independently-brewed craft beers and cocktails.

Think craft beers from Manchester favourite Shindigger as well as Liverpool’s Love Lane Brewery and specialty cocktails celebrating a host of locally-made spirits.

You’ll also find classics like the espresso martini and mojito served alongside twists on favourites like the spiced Pornstar, watermelon and black pepper margarita and the Bridge Street zombie, which consists of three rums, balanced with pineapple, orange, guava, passionfruit and lime finished with a drizzle of absinthe.

Elsewhere, weekly ‘Bloody Mary Sundays’ will see Parlour working with the Warrington Market and sourcing different ingredients to create a different Bloody Mary each week. 

Elsewhere, look out for The Controversial (tomato, mozzarella, pineapple, and roast ham, finished with rocket, parmesan and a Dr Pepper bbq sauce; Club Med – Tomato sauce, feta, spiced chicken, tomato, red onion and Vegan Deluxe – Tomato sauce, vegan’duja, courgette ribbons, Roquito pepper pearls, red onion, evoo and vegan parmesan.

James Wrigley, Director of Parlour Bar + Eatery, said “It’s not long now until we open our doors and welcome the Warrington community to Parlour.

“We think it will perfectly complement everything that’s going on at Time Square, adding another layer of buzz to an already thriving destination. We’ve been working hard to ensure that we’ve got the food and drink right – it’s a real labour of love and we can’t wait for guests to come and enjoy it.”

Parlour will open its doors on 7 October at Time Square in Warrington.

Feature image – Supplied

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