Manchester is set to become one of the most picturesque places in the UK once again this weekend, as the city gets dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Festival.
Back by popular demand for its sixth year, the four-day festival – which is often dubbed the “most Instagramable event of the year” – will see Manchester bloom to life and be draped from head to toe in magnificent floral displays.
Plants and flowers will be seen 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 extended weekend, from Friday 24 – Monday 27 May 2024.
Manchester will be filled with fresh blooms as annual the Flower Festival returns this summer / Credit: The Manc Group
Just like in previous years when the festival has filled the city centre with colour, organisers are saying we should expect a “fabulous floral spectacle” this time around too.
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Organised annually by Manchester BID and CityCo, the festival usually sees tens of thousands of people flock to the city centre.
And 2024 should be absolutely no different.
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The Manchester Flower Festival map
Manchester Flower Festival always offers both seasoned and aspiring gardeners the chance to showcase their talent, all while helping to create “a unique floriated experience across the city”, so we can look forward to more of that this summer.
Businesses in the city centre are also being encouraged to show their support for the festival, as they are every year, by creating window, building, or in-store displays, and hosting dedicated events and food and drinks specials.
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The annual event gives both seasoned and aspiring gardeners the chance to showcase their talents / Credit: Manchester BID
Volunteers are likely to also be needed to help at this year’s event.
Festival organisers say volunteers will get the chance to “gain valuable experience”, and enjoy being part of the team at one of the city’s annual flagship events.
Find out more about Manchester Flower Festival 2024 here.
Featured Image – Manchester BID
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Central Cee at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ tour
Thomas Melia
Alright. UK rap act Central Cee is bringing his usual charm and witty bars to Co-op Live for a night of rap caviar, fully catered for by the Shepherd’s Bush native.
Cee, a.k.a. ‘Cench’, has been gaining traction since dropping freestyles on social media before eventually releasing his breakout hit ‘Day in the Life’ back in 2020.
This gig will be packed with everything from a stellar setlist to a powerful stage presence from the London MC, you’ll be up on your feet from the first song right through to the encore.
Don’t fret because this guide will have you covered with everything from A to B to make sure your night is nothing less than ‘5 Star’.
Central Cee at Co-op Live gig guide
Credit: Press Shot (supplied)
Central Cee UK tour dates
Fri 18 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sat 19 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Thu 24 April – London, UK – The O2
Sun 27 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Arena
Are there tickets left for Central Cee at Co-op Live in Manchester?
Tickets for this show aren’t ‘Limitless’ but there are still a handful of tickets left for this highly anticipated UK arena tour, including Cench’s Co-op Live date.
Fans can pick from a range of seating and standing options starting at £42.50 and reaching £81.95, so you’re really getting lots of value for your ‘GBP’ – I’ll stop now, I promise…
Anyone looking at grabbing a ticket or two can take a pick from their limited selection HERE.
Central Cee setlist
Limitless
5 Star
Day in the Life
6 For 6
Cold Shoulder
Ruby
Commitment Issues
Loading
St. Patrick’s
Ten
Straight Back To It
Gbp
Obsessed With You
Did It First
Me & You
Mrs
gen z luv
Now We’re Strangers
LET GO
Doja
Truth in the Lies
Overseas
Must Be
CRG
UK Rap
Sprinter
BAND4BAND
No Introduction
What are the stage times for Central Cee in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can get ‘Straight Back To It’ the following day without having to stay up all night to hear the rapper’s huge tunes.
Doors for the event will be open from 6.30pm, with those famous drill beats filling the massive Co-op Live venue from 8pm onwards.
There are currently no confirmed support acts as of yet, but with Cench appearing in the hometown of Manc rapper Aitch, who knows, maybe the pair will work it out on the remix and squash their squabble once and for all?
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.
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.
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.
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:
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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, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
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.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, 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 southwest corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
K-pop boyband ENHYPEN announce HUGE gig in Manchester
Thomas Melia
K-pop boyband ENHYPEN are heading out on a world tour and they’re making a stop in the music capital of the North, Manchester.
This Korean seven-piece act are bringing their statement songs and fashion wear to Manchester at the AO Arena this year and we’re convinced Manchester is ready to ‘Shout Out’.
It’s not just their name that’s bold either, as their songs pull in some seriously impressive numbers too, with more than 10 songs hitting 100 million streams, and nearly 100 over a million streams.
This pop group formed back in 2020 thanks to the survival competition show I-Land which saw 23 individuals training to become a member in a boyband and the result was the genius that is ENHYPEN.
Whether you’re after a performance of tracks like ‘Drunk-Dazed’ or ‘Polaroid Love’, one thing is guaranteed – a stellar night of entertainment.
Expect a show with huge audience support as these boys have achieved billions of streams in just over five years, meaning fans will definitely be singing their hearts out and ready to dance the night away.
These boys may be familiar to you as they’ve just performed at one of music’s biggest events of the year, Coachella, where they strutted their stuff in some seriously swanky cowboy attire.
Alongside making history thanks to their snazzy Southwest-inspired outfits, they also made history for Korean music becoming the fastest K-Pop boy group to play the US festival.
Now they’re trekking across the globe performing their hits from ‘Bite Me’ to ‘Sweet Venom’ and Manchester has received a very special date at Manchester’s equally special music venue AO Arena.
There’s only two chances to catch the boys in action if you’re from the UK with Manchester just managing to secure a date alongside the capital, London.
ENHYPEN are coming to AO Arena in Manchester on 25 August and tickets are on pre-sale from Wednesday 23 April at 10am and general onsale from Friday 23 April at 10am HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
24th May 2024 
