NHS staff are to be given free tickets to the opening night of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty at Manchester Opera House this Christmas.
As a thank you to healthcare staff for all their hard work during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic this year, the arts venue has announced NHS staff will be entitled to enter a ballot to win tickets for the first night of the pantomime.
The opening night for Sleeping Beauty is Saturday 12th December.
This year’s production – which has been created especially for Manchester Opera House in this unprecedented year – will be “a riotously funny, one-act celebration of pantomime” and it’s set to be packed full of comedy and laughter to allow audience members the opportunity to come safely together and enjoy the magic of the much-loved and unique art form this festive season.
Funding from The National Lottery has helped panto return to the Opera House Manchester this year.
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Sleeping Beauty stars Salford-born Jason Manford as Muddles, with comic legend Billy Pearce as King Billy, musical theatre leading lady Jodie Prenger as the Enchantress, and Eric Potts as the Queen in this year’s “unmissable family production”.
We're so proud to announce we are gifting all tickets to the opening night of our 2020 pantomime Sleeping Beauty to NHS workers and their families!
Announcing the well-deserved perk for NHS staff, Sheena Wrigley – Theatre Director at Manchester Palace and Opera House, said: “We are thrilled at the prospect of working with Qdos Pantomimes and reopening the historic Manchester Opera House with this festive family show.
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“It’s especially important that we can play our part in keeping one of the city’s great Christmas traditions alive after what has been an especially challenging time for communities in Greater Manchester.
“Our wonderful NHS staff can enter a ballot for free tickets for their families – our way of saying a huge ‘thank you’ for everything they’ve done this year.”
Opera House Manchester
Sleeping Beauty is running at the Opera House Manchester from 12th December 2020 – 3rd January 2021, with a relaxed performance on Thursday 31st December, and NHS workers will need to head to healthservicediscounts.com to register for the ballot between now and 29th November.
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Just type ATG/Sleeping Beauty/Opera House in the search bar, and winners will be notified by 7th December.
Ticket prices otherwise start from £13, and can be booked in bubbles of up to six.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Opera House Manchester’s capacity is being reduced by 50%, there’ll be staggered arrival times and one way systems in place, with sanitising stations placed around the venue, and deep cleaning taking place between every performance.
An over-30s club night with an early bedtime returns to Manchester this week
Daisy Jackson
Sod your 18-30 holidays – we’re all about the new 30+ club night that’s taking the UK by storm, and returns to Manchester in July.
Day Fever will be bringing its hugely popular daytime disco back to New Century on 6 July for a big old knees-up (even if your knees are a bit creaky).
The events usually sell out way in advance, but at the time of writing there are still a handful of tickets available for this next event.
There’s overwhelming demand for Day Fever events here in Manchester, the city where our over-30s were the ones at the forefront the Hacienda heyday – aka, people who know how to party.
Created by Line of Duty and This Is England star Vicky McClure, Day Fever comes with a strict age limit and promises to have you in bed by your normal time.
It’s also co-founded by Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure (no relation), who you’ll often spot behind the DJ decks.
It’s described as ‘the daytime disco that doesn’t ruin your Sunday.’
Unlike most club nights, where you’re not even walking in until 10pm and bracing yourself to throw your usual sleep routine out the window, this one kicks off at 3pm. How civilised!
It also wraps up by 8pm, so you have a plethora of post-clubbing meals on your doorstep instead of being lumped with a late-night kebab.
Since its launch, Day Fever has been selling out in cities across the UK, including here in Manchester over the past weekend.
There are nostalgic TV shows, films and adverts shown on a big screen during the events.
Tickets for Day Fever’s Manchester event on 6 July are on sale now priced at £12.06 – you can get yours through Dice.
Liberty X, Chesney Hawkes, and more to play ‘throwback’ festival in Stockport this summer
Emily Sergeant
Liberty X, Chesney Hawkes, and D:Rream are just a few of the famous names set to play at a “throwback” festival over in Stockport this summer.
Fancy a bit of a blast from the past? One of Greater Manchester‘s favourite retro music festivals, Hits On The Pitch, is back in a couple of weeks time, and organisers are promising it’ll be “bigger and better than ever” this year.
The epic one-day throwback festival will be happening at Stockport Rugby Club, in the Stockport suburb of Bramhall, on Saturday 13 July.
Music lovers from across the region can expect a “celebration” of the “golden age” of music.
Hits On The Pitch is back in Stockport with a “blast from the past” this summer (Credit: Supplied/Hits On The Pitch via Facebook)
Hits On The Pitch’s star-studded lineup is tipped to be a stand-out in the North’s 2024 summer festival season – with massive chart-topping icons such as D:Ream (yeah, the one Brian Cox was in), Damage, The Fizz, and Toyah taking to the stage.
The legendary Leroy Lurve will be bursting back onto the pitch to get the crowd pumped up for performances from the 80s, 90s and 2000s, and will be introducing the likes of Liberty X, Sweet Female Attitude, and Baby D, as well as the much-anticipated return of Haircut One Hundred, who’ll be performing for the first time in over 40 years, after their UK arena tour sold out in under 20 minutes.
Festivalgoers can take a breather from the music and make the most of the multiple on-site bars and street food traders across the venue – with something to satisfy every craving on offer.
Plus, for those looking to add an extra touch of luxury to their day, there are two indulgent VIP packages available this year that come complete with fast-track entry and indulgent extras to give you the ultimate premium festival experience.
Speaking ahead of the festival’s return next month, Simon Taylor from Strawberry Radio, who is one of the organisers of Hits On The Pitch, commented: “It’s time to dust off your neon leg warmers, flannel shirts, and low-rise jeans because Hits On The Pitch is back for another throwback summer party to transport all back to the good old glory days.
“We have an epic musical lineup of guilty pleased and forgotten treasures spanning across three unforgettable decades.”