A brand new festival dedicated to celebrating the very best in craft beer is coming to Manchester this summer – with the entire event soundtracked by a star-studded lineup of musicians.
Sour beers, IPAs, and low ABVs will all be on the menu for the occasion – with Mayfield Depot playing host to huge array of breweries including locals (like Manchester Union, Marble, Pomona Island, Track Brewing Co, and Bundobust Brew Pub) and big international names (including Norway’s Lervig, Denmark’s Mikkeller and Netherlands’ Fontaal and Kees).
The festival will also feature a special New York showcase – including Grimm, Barrier, KCBC and Equilibrium breweries. Brew York, Brixton, Northern Monk, Gipsy Hill, Signature, Full Circle, North, Salt, Stone & Wood, The Kernel, Verdant and Vocation have also signed up.
Catering is set to be provided by “some of Manchester’s top foodies”, with the lineup revealed closer to the date.
Craig Charles, Daddy G (Massive Attack) and Django Django will all be spinning tracks throughout.
Co-founder of We are Beer, Greg Wells said: “We’re ecstatic that we can go ahead with the launch of Manchester Craft Beer Festival this year, we’ve wanted to do something epic in the city for ages – it’s got such great breweries and a creative culture and buzz that is second to none.
“Our festival showcases the best of beer from the UK and around the world and is a complete learning and exploration experience, a chance to drink your favourite beers as well as try something completely new.
“But it’s also an amazing night out – the whole experience is elevated by having some sensational DJs spinning the decks and delicious food to eat so there’s definitely something for everyone.”
Manchester Craft Beer Festival will run from Friday 23 – Saturday 24 July.
Each ticket is priced at £49.50 and gives buyers entry to a five-hour session on the Friday or Saturday – covering the cost of all your beers, a special festival glass, and access to the festival’s pop-up kitchens.
A huge Hot Wheels monster truck event is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
A massive Hot Wheels-themed monster truck event is coming to Manchester city centre as part of a brand new UK tour.
You can file this under one for the kids and for the big kids.
Following the success of the brand’s award-winning ‘Glow-N-Fire’ event earlier this year, Hot Wheels is hitting the road once again and bringing the explosive show to yet more domestic audiences.
Whether you’re a monster truck enthusiast, part of the wider motorhead masses, or simply looking for something fun to do with the little ones, you should be all over this.
Credit: Pres shots (supplied)
What is Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire?
Produced by Family Entertainment Live, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live™ sees versions of the genuine collectable toys brought to life on the biggest scale possible.
Remember that old miniature car you had that looked like a shark? Yep, they’ve even got that.
But there’s much more than just colossally large vehicles; as well as the debut of an all-new truck called the ‘Rhinomite’ – the dynamite Rhino-themed truck which charges horn-first into challenges and looks to destroy the competition – the new and improved experience will feature never-before-seen stunts.
Performed not only by the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks drivers, but also by a talented roster of FMX (freestyle motocross), you can expect the likes of no-handed front flips and much more by these impressive professionals.
Returning not only to the capital but now Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds too, more and more Brits are going to be able to see the action for themselves.
Credit: Supplied
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live – UK tour dates
Saturday to Sunday, 3-4 January 2026: AO Arena, Manchester
Sat-Sun, 10-11 January: The O2 Arena, London
Sat-Sun, 28-29 March: First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds
Sat-Sun, 4-5 April: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Sat-Sun, 11-12 April: Utilita Arena, Birmingham
With special children’s pricing, VIP packages and even the chance to participate in the official pre-show party, held two and a half hours prior to every performance, there really is so much value-for-money to be soaked up from this high-octane piece of live entertainment at the AO Arena.
The pre-show party, specifically, gives fans a unique opportunity to access the arena floor where they can get up close and personal with the outrageous Hot Wheels designs and the truly epic size of a minster struck, as well as grab autographs and selfies with their favourites.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks – Manchester tickets
Glow-N-Fire won the most recent Pollstar ‘Family Show of the Year’ award and has sold thousands of tickets this year alone, so it goes without saying that you have every reason to give this one a go.
Tickets for next year’s Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live show at the AO Arena in Manchester go on sale this Friday, 5 September at 10am.
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions to take place inside shipping containers across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester.
DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.
Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.
Renowned for their trademark shipping containers popping up across the UK and internationally, bringing mysterious and exciting experiences across the country, DARKFIELD will present SÉANCE, FLIGHT and ARCADE so crowds can find themselves immersed in the supernatural, boarding a new airline, or navigating a war torn world.
Fresh from sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BFI London Film Festival, and an extended residency at Shoreditch Town Hall, ARCADE will arrive at The Lowry – which is the company’s newest production.
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions inside shipping containers will be happening across Greater Manchester / Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic | Fiona Rita Blyth
Aviva Studios will welcome one of DARKFIELD’s most popular and critically-acclaimed experiences, FLIGHT.
Over 30 minutes in total darkness, FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities, and two possible outcomes to their journey.
And then over at HOME, the company’s first shipping container experience, SÉANCE, will be on show.
The interior of a 24ft container will be transformed into a Victorian séance room, and asks audiences to believe not only what is happening inside the container, but also in what might be conjured up into the room with them.
“We are delighted to be returning to Greater Manchester to present our shows in collaboration with three incredible venues,” commented DARKFIELD, ahead of their arrival in our region.
“We can’t wait to welcome audiences across the region to experience the strange worlds we’ve created.”
The Manc -
16th March 2021 
