Award-winning illuminations event Lightopia is returning to Manchester for a third successive year in 2021 with a new Christmas Fantasy adventure at Heaton Park.
Featuring an illuminated trail with multi-sensory interactive lights, lanterns and installations, Lightopia is described as a “fantasy festive world for family and friends filled with mythical creatures”.
The Grade I-listed Heaton Hall will play host to a Christmas Spectacular – with a 9ft bauble-inspired Christmas tree and immersive stand-alone giant bauble which visitors can walk inside.
Lightopia 2021 will also feature a fantastical Magic Circus display, complete with illusional installations and interactive entertainment as clowns, animals and magicians take charge of the night.
A giant Earth Flower will also be on display, surrounded by 10 musical drums and powering a Field of Love with 50,000 hearts filling the floor.
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A fantastical Magic Circus display is coming to Lightopia this year
A Time Travel zone will contain holographic time portals and a colourful time tunnel complete with digital interactions, whilst an enchanted Fantasy Forest will introduce visitors to mythical creatures hidden in the woodland, including a nine tailed fox and unicorns.
Lightopia 2021 will also be home Dragon’s Land featuring two huge 40m dragons and fabled fairies; Candy Land – a sweet-inspired illuminated dreamland; Fantasy Bees – where iconic insects are brought to life in a fantasy world; and a Wonders of the World display with giant mirrored, glistening crystals and gems.
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There will also be a Lakeside Water Show – a new fantasy production created especially for 2021.
Ian Xiang, Creative Director of Lightopia, says: “We are excited to bring a brand new Lightopia concept to Manchester this winter, a fantasy world that has never been seen before.
“Lightopia 2021 will be a dream world adventure, for families and friends to escape to this Christmas.
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“We want our guests to become part of this new fantasy Lightopia experience, as they interact and engage with the luminescent sculptures that trail through Heaton Park.”
Lightopia 2021 will also be home Dragon’s Land featuring two huge 40m dragons and fabled fairies
Creative Designer for Lightopia, Ava Moradi added: “This year, Lightopia will bring new artistic illuminated displays with unique fantasy themed installations and light shows.
“My main focus as an artist is for this immersive light experience to bring happiness and joy; making this festive day out a go-to place for friends and family to celebrate together through the magical trail.”
Lightopia will be open to the public from Friday 19 November until Monday 3 January.
The event is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except during school holidays. It will also close on Christmas Day.
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Opening times are between 5pm to 10pm, and last entry is 8.30pm daily.
For those looking to plan ahead with friends and family this Christmas, you can sign-up for Lightopia’s pre-sale now with your email online for 20% off the ticket price.
General ticket sales will be available on Wednesday 28 July.
Lightopia is promising a ‘state-of-the-art’ lakeside water show for 2021
Advance tickets are priced at £20.00 for adults (or £22.00 on the day), £13.00 for children (or £15.00 on the day), and £60.00 for families of two adults and two children (£68.00 on the day). Children under three can go free.
Essential carers of disabled visitors can attend for free, the disabled visitor pays the normal admission fee.
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Follow on Instagram and Facebook @lightopiafestival #Lightopia.
The K’s kick off Manchester’s BRITs Week celebrations early with jam-packed intimate gig
The Manc
If you were ‘Hoping Maybe’ to see The K’s at some point this year, this is your sign do it, as the rising indie band did not let the occasion of playing an intimate BRITs-backed gig get to them – they were buoyed by it.
Beloved city centre venue Gorilla was overflowing for The K’s last night, hosting an unreal small-cap set as part of Brits Week ‘26 for a very important cause: War Child.
Perfectly teed up by fellow nearby band, Florentenes from Bolton, The K’s took to a familiar stage many years on from their debut, and instantly had the crowd ready and raring for an hour of pure tunes and some very, very sweaty brows.
Earlestown’s finest certainly carried that Northern charm and energy throughout the whole night; their indie and almost nostalgic lyrical storytelling has you moshing one minute, whilst grasping your mate and ascending into live music heaven the next. There really aren’t many feelings like it.
Sobbing and swaying in the vast ocean of shoulders whilst screaming the lyrics to ‘Helen. Oh I’, I questioned how any compliment will ever compare to launching “thousand ships every time” from a kiss.
The K’s were yearning before Wuthering Heights made it vogue (again).
Musically, the band were seamless and a well-oiled machine, and so were the audience as they wholeheartedly echoed every lyric back at the lads and bounced it off the walls.
The K’s have come a long way since their first visit to Gorilla (Credit: Lucy Wagstaffe)
Every primary school assembly proudly led us to this moment, and it did not disappoint, displaying their increasingly seasoned and successful career, which I can only imagine is going to go from strength to strength this year.
I don’t think we even one more fan could have squeezed one more passionate fan into Gorilla on the night; it was heaving with people and pride; the sweat dripping down the walls indicated things are big for these local lads, and we couldn’t be prouder.
They are another prime example of shining a deserving light on Northern artists! And having the 2026 BRIT Awards up here with us is a testament to that.
Featured Images — Lucy Wagstaffe (supplied via War Child UK)
What's On
Microdot exhibit for BRITs 2026: the artwork of Oasis, Verve and more up in Manchester Piccadilly
Danny Jones
If you’ve passed through Manchester Piccadilly of late, you might have noticed two things: one, it’s really quiet, and two, there’s loads of cool Britpop merch and memorabilia on display, including original Oasis, The Verve, Inspiral Carpets art and more – all courtesy of Microdot.
Set up as part of the city’s own BRITs celebrations, along with a raft of other nationwide festivities, as the annual music award ceremony prepares to make its Manc debut at the Co-op Live this month, the showcase features special edition frames and more, all pride of place in the middle of the train station.
This collection, simply entitled ‘A Microdot Design’, is all done by the legendary Brian Cannon, the graphic designer and art director behind so much recognisable visual material within the genre.
We recently had the honour of speaking to the man himself in person ahead of Piccadilly’s temporary closure; you can see our interview with him right here:
The Wigan-born artist and visionary didn’t just make promotional materials for some of the biggest bands in the 1990s; he’s responsible for what has gone on to become some of the most familiar iconography in British music history.
With this pop-up exhibit available for a limited time only, we strongly urge you to go along and, for once, take your time rather than rushing around the station as you peruse the boards placed right near the main entrance.
Charting his work from circa 1990 up until now, it’s crazy to see just how many of Brian and Microdot’s fingerprints are all over so many different bands and artists.
From native names like Oasis, The Verve and the Inspirals, as mentioned, as well as the likes of Cast, Super Furry Animals, Suede and Ash, plus so many more, this guy has been nothing short of prolific over the past few decades.
Audio North took a little tour of the King Street South unit last year in the lead-up to Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour, and we felt like kids in a Britpop sweetshop.
While this site has sadly since closed, shutting up shop back in July, Brian’s mini, modest, but nevertheless magic Microdot Boutique up in the Lake District is still standing.
Located in the popular North West town and tourist attraction, Kendal, it’s worth a trip there to see more of his portfolio alone.
Currently on display at Manchester Piccadilly ahead of the full 2026 BRITs Week and shindig at Co-op Live, it’s one of the best completely free things you can do in town at the moment – but the exhibition finishes on Sunday, 1 March, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Speaking of the BRIT Awards, if you’re wondering what else is on as 0161 gets ready welcome them for their two-year stint (at least), look no further…
The Manc -
16th July 2021 
