Manchester’s famous Caribbean Carnival is going to be very different this weekend
Instead of parading the streets and filling Alexandra Park, the Carnival will be hosted via screens - broadcasting a mixture of live and pre-recorded displays of culture and heritage.
Manchester’s popular Caribbean Carnival is adopting a whole new format for 2020 – with the festival moved entirely online due to complications surrounding mass gatherings.
Instead of parading the streets and filling Alexandra Park, the Carnival will be hosted via screens this year – broadcasting a mixture of live and pre-recorded displays of culture and heritage.
This will include dance and steel band performances, food demonstrations, community talks, and ‘island sounds’ of Soca, Reggae and Calypso.
The online Carnival will be available to view for free online on August 8 and 9, between midday and 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Mcr Caribbean Carnival live streaming 8th and 9th August. New committee. Unique sounds. SOCA, reggae, calypso and more – noon til 8pm. Join us. pic.twitter.com/hqsdbKazZH
— Caribbean Carnival of Manchester (@McrCarnival) August 4, 2020
News of the Carnival’s initial cancellation was confirmed back in June, with the pandemic putting a temporary end to festivals and events all over the world.
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Councillor Lutfhur Rahman, Executive Member for Culture, Skills and Leisure, said: “It is wonderful to see so many different ways people can get involved in this year’s carnival, all while staying safe at home.
“It would have been wonderful to see the streets lined with all the flair and carnival celebration the annual event brings. Unfortunately we have known for a while in advance that this would not be possible.”
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The Councillor also said that it was “vitally important that everyone plays their part” in keeping the community safe, and that this “can only be ensured by not attending any mass gatherings.”
Despite the restrictions in place for 2020, Mr. Rahman explained he was still optimistic for the success of the festival.
“… I am confident that this year’s online carnival will not leave anyone wanting or feeling too disappointed,” he added.
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“The amount of time and effort organisers have put into it guarantees that it will be a brilliant day for all.”
Visit the Caribbean Carnival website to watch online.
What's On
You can ride a wizard-themed steam train through Greater Manchester countryside next week
Emily Sergeant
The hugely popular wizard-themed steam train will be travelling through Greater Manchester once again next week.
February half term is right around the corner, and that means East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is back with a whole host of immersive events that give curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on one of the historic Pullman-style steam train carriages through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaur, Peppa Pig, and seasonal themed train rides are just a few of the events that have been entertaining families in the region over the last few years.
By far one of the most popular experiences on the lineup, however, has to be the chance to go on a ‘wizarding adventure’, where little Mancs can come together for a magical day of sharing spells and getting stuck into lots of magic-themed fun.
You can ride a wizard-themed steam train through Greater Manchester next week / Credit: ELR
Aspiring witches and wizards of all ages are invited to enrol in the spellbinding school of sorcery this February half term, as they take a ‘wacky and wonderful’ whistle stop tour through the ‘Irwell Valley of wonders’.
Little Mancs will get to learn powerful incantations and perfect their wand-waving skills, all while using their imagination and learning how to soar through the skies on a broomstick.
They’ll also get to discover the proper way to greet mystical creatures, and take care of a ‘real’ dragon egg too.
The Wizarding Adventure is an “enchanting experience for all the family” / Credit: ELR
Aside from wizard-themed tasks, there’ll also be plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
Aside from wizard-themed tasks, there’ll also be plenty of photo opportunities along the way, and food and drink will be available to tuck into from the café on Platform 3/4 at Bury Bolton Street Station, and from the Rawtenstall Buffet too, making it a truly ‘enchanting’ experience for the whole family.
The Wizarding Adventure is back this half term, with several special journeys lined-up next month on Thursday 19 February, and tickets still available to get your hands on from £18 each for children and £20.50 for adults.
Swedish pop icon Robyn to play huge Manchester gig on European tour this summer
Emily Sergeant
Generational Swedish pop icon Robyn is heading out on a big European tour this summer, and she’ll be stopping off in Manchester.
This is Robyn’s first major tour since 2019, and it will feature 20 dates as well as her biggest ever headline shows – including London’s 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, and three consecutive hometown nights at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena.
And, of course, a night at Europe’s largest indoor arena – Co-op Live, here in Manchester.
Having provided some of the biggest moments in pop culture over the last three decades, Robyn is currently in the eye of one of the year’s most celebrated musical returns, as 2026 has seen her announce her ninth studio album, and her first since 2018, titled Sexistential, produced with longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund, and reuniting her with Max Martin for their first co-writes since 2010.
It’s said to be the ‘most ecstatic’ record Robyn has ever made, and is tipped to be the sound of one of contemporary music’s most influential artists ‘coming home’.
This upcoming tour will feature an exciting lineup of special guest openers across the UK and Europe dates – with 808 State and Zhala on the bill for Manchester‘s gig, bringing together a mix of boundary-pushing artists who are either friends of Robyn or among the voices that inspire her.
Robyn – The Sexistential Tour UK & EU 2026
Wednesday 24 June – 3Arena, Dublin
Friday 26 June – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Saturday 27 June – Co-op Live, Manchester
Tuesday 30 June – ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium
Wednesday 1 July – Adidas Arena, Paris, France
Friday 3 July – The O2, London
Wednesday 8 July – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
Saturday 11 July – Unity Arena, Oslo, Norway
Tuesday 14 July – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
Thursday 16 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Friday 17 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Saturday 18 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Following on from the UK and European tour, Robyn will then head over to the US and Australia for another run of huge dates in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mexico City, before the tour draws to a close in Melbourne in Australia on 24 November.
Robyn will bring The Sexistential Tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 27 June 2026, and tickets officially go on sale this week.
There are two separate pre-sales happening this week before tickets then go on general sale this Friday 13 February – there’s the Co-op Presale, which starts tomorrow (Tuesday 10 February) at 10am, and then the Spotify Presale, which starts on Thursday 12 February at 10am.
You can get tickets when they go live on general sale this Friday at 10am here.
The Manc -
7th August 2020 
