If you’ve never been to Manifest before, Manchester’s regular free music festival, then you’re seriously missing out — lucky for you, it’s coming back this winter so you’ve got plenty of time to make it right.
Following a successful season of seven jam-packed events throughout spring and summer, the Manifest live music festival will once again be taking over award-winning bar The Oast House, only this time with a festive twist.
Taking place inside The Oast House’s famous winter hideaway, ‘The Teepee’, which opened for the season earlier this month, the now Manc-favourite event will see bands, solo artists, duos and taking to the stage throughout the day with interludes from resident DJs running into the night.
The first winter Manifest festival will kick off on Saturday, 28 October with a packed roster of musicians playing live from 1pm and well into the small hours — after all, it’s always a party atmosphere around these parts.
Anyone going along can expect a festival atmosphere all day and night with everything from rock, pop, soul, R&B, funk, disco and blues on show.
Then, as night falls, The Teepee — which has become something of a local institution come the winter time — gets into full swing, with guests gathering around roaring fires and underneath twinkling fairy lights as they drink and dance the night away to the live music being played inside the tent itself.
Once again, the best part about this festival is that it’s completely free to attend and there is no pre-booking required; just turn up (we’d recommend as early as possible as this place gets busy) and enjoy yourself along with hundreds of other Mancs.
Securing a seat is of course on a first-come, first-served basis but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of room on the terrace and inside The Teepee where people will spend most of their night on their feet anyway. Manifest is a music festival after all we’re talking about Manchester on a weekend — who’s wasting time sitting down?
Manifest, Manchester’s regular free music festival, is back for winter 2023 (Credit: Supplied)
Of course, to fuel all that singing and dancing, you’ll need to get some scran in you. Fortunately, The Oast House’s street food style menu will be on offer throughout and having enjoyed it many times ourselves, we can vouch for it being the perfect way to line your stomach.
From seasonal signature dishes like northern poutine with bone marrow gravy and Shorrock’s Lancashire cheese, katsu chicken fries, chicken or plant-based gyros; stacked burgers, hot wings, hanging kebabs and more, there’s pretty much something for everyone.
Better still, even if this weekend is too short notice for you and you’ve already made plans, fear not: not only is Manifest returning to The Oast House again on Saturday, 25 November but regardless of whether the festival is one, The Teepee has live Manc musicians playing every single night of the week — again, all completely free to enjoy.
There are plenty of places to enjoy the winter festivities in Manchester during the build-up to Christmas, but The Oast House is well and truly up there with our all-time favourites.
Trust us, even outside The Teepee, the weather won’t put anyone off.
Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Daisy Jackson
An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back.
First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK.
And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores.
There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.
And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop.
The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles.
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in ManchesterBreezer is back, in three new flavours
The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.
Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.
“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”
The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever.
Danny Jones -
27th October 2023 
