It appears roller skating rinks are like buses – you wait years for one, then two come along at once.
Details of a new roller skating rink at Depot Mayfield have been released, spanning a whopping 8,000 sq ft alongside Escape to Freight Island.
Good Life Skates will be inspired by skating scenes around the globe, from underground Berlin to the sidewalks of Brooklyn and LA.
The new concept will open this June as part of the massive Depot Mayfield development, just beside Manchester Piccadilly.
Credit: Escape to Freight Island
It will take over the mezzanine level, giving skaters a bird’s-eye view of the huge street food and entertainment venue – and they’ll be able to order food directly from the traders below.
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The drinks menu will centre around alcohol-free cocktails suitable for all ages , though any drink can be topped up with your chosen spirit for a ‘playful concept perfect for drinkers and non-drinkers alike’.
The Good Life Skates experience will be geared towards skaters of all abilities, from accomplished athletes to wobbly beginners.
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Good Life Skates will open this summer. Credit: Supplied
It will also be available for exclusive hire, including a self-contained room next to the roller-skating rink for kids’ parties and group days out.
Passionate skaters will be able to take home their own Good Life Skates clothing, from hoodies to t-shirts to bucket hats.
It joins another roller skating rink set to open just days before – Paradise Skate World will be an ‘intergalactic’ experience at the Great Northern Warehouse, from some of the team behind Junkyard Golf.
The Good Life Skates pre-sale will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 10 May to those who sign up at goodlifeskates.com. A general sale will be available on Wednesday 11 May from 10am.
Tickets are priced from £8.50 for off-peak hours and £10 for peak hours, which include a 50-minute session per ticket per person, with reduced price for double sessions booked together.
Good Life Skates opening hours, from Wednesday 1 June, are Wednesday and Thursday (from 4pm to 11pm), Friday (from 4pm to 1am), Saturday (from 10am to 1am) and Sunday (from 10am to 8pm).
Featured image: Unsplash
What's On
A hilarious and award-winning Star Wars burlesque show is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In a galaxy not so far away, a smash-hit Star Wars parody and burlesque show is coming to Manchester city centre in the New Year.
You may have heard of the funny Star Wars stripper show or even seen clips of it online, but rumour has it that nothing can quite prepare you for the cheekiness of seeing this romp in the flesh.
In case you’ve been completely immersed in the dark side until now, here’s what you can expect:
Now well over a decade into its success and more than 200 Las Vegas shows, ‘The Empire Strips Back’ made its long-awaited transatlantic debut earlier this year.
Getting away at London’s Riverside Studios from May and enjoying a run until this past August, the comedy-driven twist on the classic Star Wars stories and beloved sci-fi characters was an instant hit with us Brits.
It started in Australia way back in 2011 and has gone not only to tour across Europe, but land a coveted residency at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Nevada.
Fast, funny, feisty and by all accounts, fantastic.
Now set to seek out new padawans and storm-strippers all over the cosmos, and by that we mean the UK, ‘The Empire Strips Back: Burlesque Parody’ is coming to Manchester.
Set to land at Depot Mayfield in the New Year – next spring, specifically, we cannot wait to see how this goes down with Northern crowds.
The Manc leg is scheduled to kick off on 6 March and last until 8 May, 2026, with various dates and times of day available.
It’s also worth noting that this two-hour show, including intermission, is a strictly 18+ only event; if you’re interested, you can find out more info and grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester Open exhibition to return in 2026 with ‘biggest celebration’ of local creative talent
Emily Sergeant
The biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent is making a much-anticipated return next summer.
Taking place every two years and now in its fourth iteration, Manchester Open exhibition sees the HOME Gallery walls filled with hundreds of artworks selected by a panel consisting of art experts and community representatives.
The exhibition is open to all and welcomes entries from people of any level of experience, including established professionals, students, graduates, new and emerging talent, enthusiastic amateurs, and even first-time artists.
Artists are invited to submit work into eight different categories, with the aim of creating an exhibition ‘rich in variety’ for visitors to explore.
Manchester Open exhibition is set to return in 2026 / Credit: Jason Lock Photography
This means you’ll get to explore works of ceramics, digital/moving images, drawings, prints, paintings, photography, sculptures/installations, and textiles.
Several awards will also be up for grabs throughout the exhibition – which is set to run from Saturday 20 June and Sunday 6 September 2026 – including a prestigious new award in honour of philanthropist and business leader, Kate Voke.
Three artists will also be awarded with artist development packages, managed by HOME and Castlefield Gallery.
“Following our 10 year anniversary in 2025, we are looking forward to 2026 and welcoming applications to HOME’s biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s artistic talent,” explained Karen O’Neill, who is the CEO of HOME.
“With a record number of applications to the last Manchester Open, we’re hoping for even more in 2026 and to demonstrate how the city continues to grow as a place where artists and creativity can thrive.”
Manchester Open exhibition is taking place in 2026 from Saturday 20 June and Sunday 6 September, and the application and submission process is now live – with all submissions being reviewed by the selection panel who make the final selection of work to be included in the exhibition.
Artists will only be able to submit one artwork, and the selection panel members will be announced in spring 2026.
Featured Image – Jason Lock Photography (Supplied)
Daisy Jackson -
6th May 2022 
