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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.

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.

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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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The incredible Manchester apartments where your rent includes a Jaguar

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

One of Manchester’s most beautiful places to live has just got even more desirable, with Moda, Angel Gardens adding a pair of luxury Jaguar cars to its list of resident perks. 

Residents at the city centre apartment neighbourhood will now be able to have on-demand access to fully electric Jaguar I-PACE cars. 

They can easily book out a car through their MyModa app, then take them out for a spin for up to 48 hours at a time. 

It means that city centre-dwellers will easily be able to explore all that Greater Manchester has to offer, from the market towns on the region’s outskirts to the countryside that surrounds the city centre. 

And it also means that Moda residents can have access to a car without the little stresses like finding a parking space. 

The new private car-sharing pilot has launched at Moda neighbourhoods in both Manchester and Leeds this week. 

One of the Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs that Moda, Angel Gardens residents can book. Credit: The Manc Group
One of the Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs that Moda, Angel Gardens residents can book. Credit: The Manc Group
Moda, Angel Gardens residents can book their Jaguar through the MyModa app
Moda, Angel Gardens residents can book their Jaguar through the MyModa app. Credit: The Manc Group
The interior of the luxury Jaguar I-PACE
The interior of the luxury Jaguar I-PACE. Credit: The Manc Group

Each Jaguar I-PACE booking includes concierge handover, charging, valeting, insurance, and vehicle ownership costs, as people embrace the sharing economy. 

It’s part of Jaguar’s transition to become a leading provider of luxury experiences. 

Since its debut, the Jaguar I-PACE – an all-electric SUV – has won more than 90 global awards, including the unprecedented treble at the 2019 World Car of the Year Awards. It won World Car Design of the Year, World Green Car AND World Car of the Year.

Oscar Brooks, executive director at Moda Living, said: “At Moda we are committed to sustainability and leading the industry transition to a low-carbon future, with the aim of achieving operational net zero carbon by 2030. 

“This partnership with Jaguar offers our residents easy on-site access to an all-electric car, allowing them flexibility while being mindful of their carbon emissions, something which is another important step on that journey. 

“Our longer-term aspiration is to provide access to sustainable transport to our growing 24,000 home pipeline.”  

An apartment at Moda, Angel Gardens. Credit: The Manc Group
An apartment at Moda, Angel Gardens. Credit: The Manc Group
Facilities at Moda, Angel Gardens include a gym and a rooftop sports pitch
Facilities at Moda, Angel Gardens include a gym and a rooftop sports pitch. Credit: The Manc Group
Facilities at Moda, Angel Gardens include a gym and a rooftop sports pitch
Facilities at Moda, Angel Gardens include a gym and a rooftop sports pitch
An apartment at Moda, Angel Gardens
An apartment at Moda, Angel Gardens. Credit: The Manc Group

Rawdon Glover, managing director at Jaguar, said: “At Jaguar, we are carefully considering every aspect of our client journey as we progress to an all-electric luxury car company from 2025. 

“As we explore alternatives to direct car ownership, this scheme provides a client centred mobility solution with on-demand concierge access to the all-electric I-PACE. 

“Future Jaguar clients are continually looking for alternatives to car purchasing and we will closely monitor the success of this initiative and consider expanding across major cities around the world.”

Other amenities at Moda, Angel Gardens include a cinema room, rooftop sports pitch, a gym, co-working spaces and private dining rooms. 

It’s also on the doorstep of Manchester’s vibrant city centre, with Pot Kettle Black coffee shop on its ground floor, and cultural hotspots like Band on the Wall, Mackie Mayor, and Ramona just across the road. 

To find out more about life at Moda, Angel Gardens, visit modaliving.com/locations/manchester/angel-gardens.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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The complete guide to the restaurant and bars at Kampus, Manchester’s greenest neighbourhood and foodie hotspot

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The food and drink guide to the restaurants and bars at Kampus in Manchester

In what feels like the blink of an eye, Kampus has become one of Manchester’s most exciting hubs for restaurants and bars. 

After work, at weekends, at lunchtimes and for breakfast, the various businesses who have popped up around its central garden are packed, with people travelling from all over the city centre (and beyond) to visit the canal-side neighbourhood. 

What started as some abandoned university buildings and a couple of warehouses has soon shaped up into some of the city centre’s best accommodation. 

And then the trees around the garden began to flourish, and with it so did the collection of food and drink operators opening at Kampus. 

For those who have chosen Kampus as their home, they’re blessed with having Manchester’s best independent restaurants and bars quite literally on their doorstep. 

But for the rest of us, we can make do with the very easy walk from Piccadilly. 

Over the last few years, we’ve seen some familiar names move in, joined by some exciting new faces. 

Local favourites like Pollen Bakery and Nell’s (created by the team behind the institution that is Common) were the first to announce they’d be moving into the Kampus neighbourhood. 

Then they were joined by the likes of Seven Brothers Brewery, and Great North Pie Co. 

Then businesses started making the move over from neighbouring cities, like Madre, who chose Kampus for their first proper Manchester restaurant. 

Now, this is a neighbourhood where you can grab a slice and a pint in your gym kit, where you can bask in the very last of the summer sun on a terrace with a cheeseboard, and where you can dress up to the nines to drink exceptional cocktails – without ever having to cross a street. 

Here’s our ultimate guide to the restaurants, bars and cafes of Kampus in Manchester.

Nell’s

Nell's New York pizza at Kampus in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Nell’s New York pizza at Kampus in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Nell's New York pizza at Kampus in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Nell’s New York pizza at Kampus in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

Massive 22-inch pizzas (or 11-inch slices if you’re not feeling quite that ravenous), happy hour margaritas, a photobooth and great beers. That’s the vibe at Nell’s. 

This huge site has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Kampus garden and canal, perfect for people-watching and soaking in the sun. 

Beeswing

Food at Beeswing. Credit: The Manc Group
Food at Beeswing. Credit: The Manc Group
Beeswing, a wine bar at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Beeswing, a wine bar at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group

Head on up the stairs from the garden and you’ll find a little slice of paradise, especially if you, like us, are a wine drinker. 

Beeswing has a great selection of small plates and cheese boards, plus plugs outside on the terrace so you can take your laptop and fire out emails while firing olives into your mouth. 

Yum Cha

Yum Cha, Kampus
Yum Cha, Kampus
Yum Cha, Kampus
Yum Cha, Kampus

Colourful, fresh stacks of dim sum and some truly enormous portions of Chinese food that are great value for money are the order of the day at Yum Cha. 

This neon-soaked restaurant serves fiery dishes like Singapore vermicelli and king prawn or char siu firecracker, alongside the likes of sweet and sour chicken, dan dan noodles and grilled chicken satay.

Pollen

Pollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Pollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Pollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Pollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group

We probably don’t need to tell you about Pollen Bakery, it’s such a local institution. 

But in case you’re unfamiliar, this place is renowned for its pastries – freshly-baked croissants, cookies, cruffins and more – and its loaves of bread and excellent coffee. 

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It’s all served in its sunny garden-side cafe space where you can watch the kitchens in action behind more huge glass windows. 

Great North Pie Co.

Great North Pie Co at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Great North Pie Co at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Great North Pie Co at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Great North Pie Co at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group

Us northerners love a pie and you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than Great North Pie Co.’s.

This cosy pie and mash cafe prides itself on using quality ingredients from the north west, like classic Lancashire cheese and onion pie, made with Dewlay’s tasty Lancashire cheese and caramelised onion, and 14-hour braised beef and ale pie, with Manchester Union Lager and redcurrant jelly.

Red Light

Red Light bar at Kampus
Red Light bar at Kampus
Red Light bar at Kampus
Red Light bar at Kampus

Already establishing itself as one of Manchester’s best bars is Red Light, a queer cocktail bar just off the cobbled Little David Street. 

The brainchild of Deana Ferguson, it’s all about refined cocktails, natural wines and locally-brewed ales, soundtracked by disco beats.

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Seven Brothers

Seven Brothers. Credit: The Manc Group
Seven Brothers. Credit: The Manc Group
Seven Brothers. Credit: The Manc Group
Seven Brothers. Credit: The Manc Group

This well-known local brewery has taken up a Kampus unit that fronts out onto the Kampus garden, and it’s got to be one of Manchester’s best-looking beer gardens. 

You know the drill here – Seven Brother’s huge range of beers, with occasional live music and lots of great vibes. 

Madre

The newest kid on the Kampus block is Madre, but it’s familiar to a lot of us already – it’s been spoiling Liverpool with its incredible Mexican fare for years. 

It’s got a menu of mouth-watering tacos, wood-grilled seafood and steaks, fresh oysters and ceviche, not to mention ice-cold margaritas.

To find out more about Kampus, head here.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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