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Manchester venue to show Glastonbury live on big screens across full festival weekend

There'll also be loads of street food, tap takeovers, live DJs, workshops, and more.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 24th May 2023

Missed out on Glastonbury tickets this year? Don’t worry – one of Manchester’s best-loved venues is showing the festival live on big screens all weekend instead.

As the UK’s biggest festival, and one of the longest-running in the world, there’s absolutely no denying that Glastonbury is an icon of music and contemporary arts culture – but there’s also no denying that tickets to the festival are some of the hardest there is to secure.

Every summer, around 200,000 lucky people make their way to the Somerset countryside for the biggest music event of the year – which takes place over five days at Worthy Farm in June – but every summer, there are hundreds of thousands more who are desperate to attend, but weren’t able to get hold of tickets.

And this is why one popular Manchester city centre venue is offering up “the next best thing” for people still keen to “bask in the festival atmosphere” around dozens of others.

Manchester’s largest street food fair and social events hub, GRUB, is gearing up to host the aptly-named ‘GRUBstonbury’ in just a few weeks time.

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Of course running over Glastonbury weekend, not only will there be several big screens set up throughout the hugely-popular venue – which is currently based down at the Red Bank Project in Cheetham Hill – but ‘festivalgoers’ can also expect a whole weekend of street food, live DJ sets, a glitter bar, tap takeovers, and so much more.

There’ll even be a family-friendly party courtesy of ‘Born To Be Wild Child’, a dedicated garden rum bar, a series of different activity workshops, and film screenings inside the venue’s cinema Cultplex.

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The weekend “packed full of festival fun” kicks off on Friday 23 June with a ‘Glastonbury Bangers’ special edition of GRUB’s ever-popular Disco Bingo event, and continues right through until the festival’s closing day on Sunday.

GRUB promises “fun and games” scattered all throughout the weekend.

Manchester venue to show Glastonbury live on big screens across full festival weekend / Credit: GRUB

And of course, it wouldn’t be a GRUB party without some of the best independent street food traders thd city has to offer serving up a feast fit for any festival – with food coming from the likes of Gatto Pizza, Desert Island Dumplings, Korean Grub Club, Spicy Baby, Tiny Beast, Bakes, and Mary’s Cakery Makery.

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North Brewing Co are on the lined-up for a tap takeover, while Sparkle Creations will be offering up a festival ‘Glitter Bar’, and Witch Kings are hosting their very-own Rum Garden Bar takeover.

There’ll also be flower crown and macrame workshops to get involved in.

Read more:

GRUBstonbury is taking place from Friday 23 – Sunday 25 June, with tickets to each event available to get your hands on now.

Grab yours here.

Featured Image – GRUB

What's On

The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.

The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.

With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.

With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.

The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.

Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.

This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?

In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.

With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.

Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.

Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin Compston
Vicky McClure leading the dance routines

This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.

The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.

This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.

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So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?

Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.

Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!

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

Featured Images — Publicity Picture via Supplied

What's On

Manchester’s popular Winter Beer Festival is back next month to kick off 2025

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Once the hustle and bustle of the festive season has died down, there’s often not a great deal to look forward to in January.

But luckily, Manchester’s very-own GRUB has got you covered.

The now-legendary Winter Beer Festival is back by popular demand for 2025, and tickets are already on sale if you’re keen to kick off your new year with a pint or two.

The Green Quarter-based social hub is known for being home to a wide range of rotating food and drink vendor pop-ups all year round, but next month is perfect excuse to pay a visit, as this year’s Winter Beer Festival will take place across three days.

GRUB’s Winter Beer Festival gives beer lovers the chance can sip creations from some of the best local breweries.

Running from Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 January 2025, you can expect there to be plenty of local brews to taste test over the course of the three-day festival – with loads of pop-up brewery bars and more than 30 guest taps too.

If you’re not a big beer lover though, you can also expect a street food market, mulled wine pop-up, beeroke and quiz events, and so much more over the extended weekend.

Manchester’s popular Winter Beer Festival is back to kick off 2025 / Credit: GRUB

Fancy it then? Tickets for the GRUB Winter Beer Festival 2025 are now on sale.

They will set you back just £4 on Thursday and Friday, with a limited number of early bird tickets at £3, and then Saturday tickets will be £5 with a limited number of tickets available of the door on the days for £6 each.

Tickets include entry to the festival, access to the full range of beers – including all the brewery bars and guest taps – a branded WBF glass to take home with you afterwards, and FREE optional entry to any of the entertainment events taking place during your session too.

Read more:

You can grab tickets from the GRUB website here.

Featured Image – GRUB

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