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Manc icons to be turned into trail of stunning floral installations lining city centre streets

Manchester will soon bloom into life.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 6th May 2024

Caroline Aherne and Emmeline Pankhurst are among the ‘Manchester Icons’ set to turned into floral installations for a new trail that’ll line the city centre streets.

In case you missed it, it was announced back in January that Manchester is all set to become one of the most picturesque places in the UK once again this summer, and that’s because the city will be getting dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Festival – which is back by popular demand for its seventh year.

The four-day festival – which is organised annually by Manchester BID and CityCo, and is often dubbed the “most Instagramable event of the year” – always sees Manchester bloom to life, with plants and flowers covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues, fountains, and more right across the city centre.

This year’s Festival will take place over the late May bank holiday weekend from Friday 24 – Monday 27 May 2024.

And now, the theme for this year’s floral trail has now been revealed by the Festival’s organisers.

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‘Manchester Icons’ is the name and theme of this year’s trail – which is always one of the most popular events at the Festival each year – and visitors are being told they can expect to see 10 glorious displays inspired by Manchester-born figures, music icons, and even legendary buildings.

All the installations in the trail are created by local artists, gardeners, and flower enthusiasts.

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The late Manc actress Caroline Aherne, Manchester suffragette icon Emmeline Pankhurst, Girls Aloud and Stockport-raised band member, the late Sarah Harding, and local singing legend Rowetta are among the ‘icons’ who will be turned into floral art pieces, alongside other famous sites such as Gnome Island, the Hacienda, and Boddington’s brewery.

Manchester will be filled with fresh blooms as annual the Flower Festival returns this summer / Credit: Carl Sukonik & Fabio De Paola | The Manc Group

King Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, the Corn Exchange, and Manchester Arndale are just a few of the sites the installations will call home in a couple of weeks time.

The names and locations of the 10 installations are:

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  1. ‘What first attracted you to the comedian Caroline Aherne?’ – New Cathedral Street
  2. ‘The Girls Aloud Tribute Garden’ – St Ann’s Square
  3. ‘Emmeline’s Town Hall’ – On the corner of King Street and Cross Street
  4. ‘Queen Bee Rowetta’ – The Royal Exchange
  5. ‘Gnome Island’ – King Street
  6. ‘The Second Summer of Love’ – Manchester Arndale
  7. ‘Boddingtons Blooms’ – Corn Exchange
  8. ‘The Iconic Hive’ – New Cathedral Street
  9. ‘This is Manchester’ – St Ann’s Square
  10. ‘The Hacienda Gardens’ – On the corner of King Street and Deansgate

Alongside the headline floral trail, organisers say this year’a Manchester Flower Festival is also set to bring “fun and frivolity” to the city’s streets – with a cocktail trail, al-fresco dining, live music, lots of family entertainment, floral workshops, arts and crafts markets, and so much more.

Read more:

Manchester Flower Festival 2024 is free for all to attend from Friday 24 – Monday 27 May, and you can find out more about the floral trail and everything else happening across the four days here.

Featured Image – Carl Sudonik (via Manchester BID)

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Burna Boy at Co-op Live – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘I Told Them…’ tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Nigerian superstar Burna Boy is heading to Manchester for one night only, performing all the hits right here at the lovely Co-op Live.

Burna Boy, a.k.a Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, has been steadily making a name for himself in the music industry for just over a decade, thanks to the release of his debut LP L.I.F.E back in 2013.

During his time as an artist, he has seen periods of quick-fire growth, with many standout tracks like ‘Last Last’ and ‘We Pray’, as well as a feature on UK rapper Dave’s tune ‘Location’, just to name a few.

Ogulu is a lover of collaborations too. His list of featured tracks is stacked with a roster of UK talents, including R’n’B favourites Jorja Smith and Mahalia, right through to pop powerhouse Ed Sheeran.

His prolific discography – littered with fellow artists and singers known for pushing the envelope – makes perfect sense, as this Nigerian star doesn’t stick to just one genre; instead, his particular brand of music has been dubbed ‘Afro-fusion’.

The contemporary West African icon not only utilises elements of Afrobeats, but he also makes sure to blend R’n’B, hip-hop, dancehall and lots more.

Safe to say we and millions of others around the globe are big fans.

With that in mind, Burna Boy’s latest visit, not just to Manchester but for a Co-op Live debut, is a highly anticipated one. For those of you who are heading to the arena, here’s everything you need to know.

Burna Boy at Co-op Live – all the important info

burna boy co-op live
Credit: Publicity Image (supplied)

Burna Boy UK tour dates

  • Mon 21 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Fri 11 to Sun 13 July – London, UK – Finsbury Park (Wireless Festival)

That’s right, we’re the lucky ones, as not only is Burna Boy’s Manchester gig just one of two UK shows, but it’s also the only headline date this year, as the 33-year-old will be playing Wireless Fest 2025 this summer down in the capital.

Burna Boy tickets for Co-op Live gig

You’ll be glad to hear that the show isn’t quite sold out just yet. Those who are interested in attending Burna Boy’s only UK arena stop on his ‘I Told Them…’ tour can choose from a range of tickets.

The star has options for standing, lower seating and upper seating all on offer ahead of his exclusive arena gig at Co-op Live, starting from £82.05.

Grab your coveted tickets before it’s too late and see for yourself whether you ‘Want It All’ on the front row or prefer ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ – HERE.

In case you need any more convincing, these were the scenes over Paris way…

Burna Boy setlist

There’s no official setlist published, however, these tracks are based on his performance at the Stade de France in the suburb of Saint-Denis last week, as per Setlist-fm:

  • 7 Seconds
  • (Youssou N’Dour cover)
  • Level Up (Twice as Tall)
  • Tested, Approved & Trusted
  • For My Hand
  • On the Low
  • Cheat on Me
  • Big 7
  • On Form
  • Alone
  • Talibans II
  • Location (Dave track)
  • 4 kampé II featuring with Joé Dwèt Filé
  • Laboratoire (WeRenoi cover)
  • Laho featuring Shallipopi)
  • Kilometre
  • City Boys
  • Bundle By Bundle
  • It’s Plenty
  • Update
  • Ye
  • Last Last
You can expect to hear his most recent single for sure.

What are the stage times for Burna Boy in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you’ll be able to stay right to the ‘Last Last’ song of the night without welcoming in the next day.

Doors for the ‘I Told Them…’ tour are scheduled for 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 8pm with no confirmed support act, however, DJ Shayne Given will be taking over the arena’s exclusive ‘Backstage Club’ after the show (tickets are required).

You can purchase both after-party tickets and early access HERE.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

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Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

co-op live gigs 2025
Credit: Audio North

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.

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The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live; be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

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Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

burna boy manchester gig info
Credit: Supplied

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group

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Taemin at AO Arena: Take the K-pop world’s ‘Advice’ – you need to watch him live

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

This time last month, South Korean star, SHINee and SuperM boyband member, Taemin showed Manchester the real meaning of ‘The Rizzness’. It was our first K-pop gig and won’t be our last.

Normally, if you ask me what I’m getting up to on a Tuesday night, I’d respond with the usual: “Nothing.” Ask me this random but eye-opening night back in March 2025, and I’d say, “Watching the ‘Ephemeral Glaze’ tour”.

Opening with a song labelled ‘Déjà vu’, ironically, felt from the truth, as the minute the performer stepped onto the stage, the whole crowd was watching what felt like an all-new spectacle come to life – even for some of the already inducted K-pop fans inside the AO Arena.

Following up with ‘Guilty’, I’d be lying if I told you we didn’t love this performance. It wasn’t overshadowed by that unbelievable grand opening either – if anything, it was even better.

A majestic pose from Taemin at AO Arena in Manchester, performing to a lively crowd.
A majestic pose from Taemin at AO Arena in Manchester, performing to a lively crowd.
Credit: Audio North

This was a setlist that just keeps on giving: after this, ‘Advice’ greets our ears and fans erupt in various screams and cries, to which Taemin, 31, certainly appreciated.

It’s high energy through and through, as the next song, ‘Idea’, felt like the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle for those of us not so used to this kind of music, well and truly captivating the Manc crowd.

Closing what was merely his opening segment with this song was definitely a good ‘Idea’… (sorry).

Its title may draw from a comedic viral term used to describe someone with great flirting skills, a.k.a. ‘rizz’, but ‘The Rizzness’ is no laughing matter.

Fans caught on quickly, and as soon as the first note was pumped out into the arena, the atmosphere reached whole new heights and those familiar screams at an other-worldly pitch returned.

I never thought I’d see the day where AO Arena screamed, “You know I got the rizz, the rizzness”, but there’s a first time for everything, I guess.

Taemin live at AO Arena in Manchester.
Taemin and his dancers were electric at AO Arena.
Credit: The Manc Group

Being from Korea, 31-year-old Taemin tried his best to communicate with the crowd throughout the night, taking breaks after back-to-back performances to gauge the audience’s reactions.

The South Korean superstar didn’t take long to warm up to the crowd and showed off his cheeky side, telling the arena, “Only 4 more songs” before finishing the sentence with “I lied”.

‘Criminal’ had me and the rest of Manchester weak in the knees; the choreography was flawless throughout, but this was a true highlight. Ending with ‘Say Less’, Taemin knew exactly what he was doing, putting a song that catchy right at the end, as this was all that replayed in my head on the train home.

Put it this way, we may still be relative newbies to the world of Korean pop music, but with another big name heading to Manchester, we’re definitely keen to find out more.

K-pop boyband ENHYPEN announce HUGE gig in Manchester

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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