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‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions to take place inside shipping containers across Greater Manchester

Tickets are on sale now.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th September 2025

A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester.

DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.

Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.

Renowned for their trademark shipping containers popping up across the UK and internationally, bringing mysterious and exciting experiences across the country, DARKFIELD will present SÉANCE, FLIGHT and ARCADE so crowds can find themselves immersed in the supernatural, boarding a new airline, or navigating a war torn world.

Fresh from sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BFI London Film Festival, and an extended residency at Shoreditch Town Hall, ARCADE will arrive at The Lowry – which is the company’s newest production.

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FLIGHT
ARCADE
SEANCE
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions inside shipping containers will be happening across Greater Manchester / Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic | Fiona Rita Blyth

Aviva Studios will welcome one of DARKFIELD’s most popular and critically-acclaimed experiences, FLIGHT.

Over 30 minutes in total darkness, FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities, and two possible outcomes to their journey.

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And then over at HOME, the company’s first shipping container experience, SÉANCE, will be on show.

The interior of a 24ft container will be transformed into a Victorian séance room, and asks audiences to believe not only what is happening inside the container, but also in what might be conjured up into the room with them.

“We are delighted to be returning to Greater Manchester to present our shows in collaboration with three incredible venues,” commented DARKFIELD, ahead of their arrival in our region.

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“We can’t wait to welcome audiences across the region to experience the strange worlds we’ve created.”

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DARKFIELD will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences in Greater Manchester from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 21 September.

Get tickets to the shows here.

Featured Image – Floro Azqueta (Supplied)

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Manchester Art Fair is back this autumn with more than 170 exhibitors all under one roof

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of the UK’s largest art fairs is returning to Manchester this autumn, and will be bringing more than 170 exhibitors together under one roof.

Manchester Art Fair has gone from strength to strength since it first began back in 2008.

Not only one of the UK’s largest but also one of the most significant art fairs, and by far one of the most celebrated cultural events in Greater Manchester‘s social calendar, the annual event is known and loved for bringing together more than 170 individual artists, galleries, and artist-led spaces to our city centre – with around 13,000 visitors attending each year.

Designed for the collector, the curator, and those who are just simply curious, the event will feature lots of new and returning galleries and artists, all of whom will be showing new works. 

Manchester Art Fair is making a grand return to the city centre next month / Credit: Manchester Art Fair

For three days only this November, Manchester Central will transform into the North’s biggest art gallery, where art enthusiasts can connect directly with galleries and artists and find that perfect piece to take home.

The full exhibitor list for 2025 has now been published online.

Manchester Craft & Design Centre, and Linton 59 Gallery are among the galleries making an appearance at the event in November, each showcasing works by an eclectic mix of UK and international artists, while Alec Cummings and Zoe Anker are just a couple of the stand-out names on the long list of individual artists who’ll be exhibiting.

And if all of that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, this year’s event also features an extended programme of high-profile talks, immersive experiences, and workshops too.

More than 170 exhibitors will all gather together under one roof / Credit: Manchester Art Fair

Manchester Art Fair 2025 will first open at Manchester Central with an exclusive preview night on Friday 21 November from 5-9pm, before it then continues on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November, with advance tickets now on sale.

Tickets are priced at £12 for a day ticket, £15 for a two-day ticket, or £25 for a preview night ticket, including access throughout the weekend, all with booking fees applying.

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Advanced tickets are now live, and you can get your hands on them from the Manchester Art Fair website here.

Featured Image – Manchester Art Fair

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GRUB is throwing a big three-day closing party full of ‘food, booze, music, and memories’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Beloved Manchester street food venue Grub shares major update on its future

GRUB is set to bid farewell to Red Bank this week with one almighty closing weekend party.

After five unforgettable years at Red Bank, GRUB, one of Manchester‘s original and best-loved street food markets and social hubs, is set to say goodbye in the best way it knows how – with a three-day blowout of food, booze, music, and memories this week.

You many remember earlier this year that it was announced GRUB will ‘cease to exist’ in its current form this autumn, as the building they have occupied for the last five years, on Red Bank in the Green Quarter, will be undergoing redevelopment.

The much-loved venue confirmed that it will be going back to its roots and ‘returning to the street’ as a travelling food festival filled with street food chefs, pop-up bars and ‘unbeatable vibes’.

But before then, it’s time to say goodbye to the beloved Green Quarter venue first.

Grub will 'cease to exist' at its current home in Red Bank
GRUB is throwing a big three-day closing party full of ‘food, booze, music, and memories’ / Credit: The Manc Group

From this Thursday (25 September) through to Saturday 27 September, GRUB regulars are invited to come together for one final massive send-off packed with 2-for-1 cocktails, shooters and tacos, a non-stop 72-hour Happy Hour, and GRUB’s resident DJs going back-to-back as the cellar is drunk dry.

This Thursday will be the final ever ‘Fizzy Quizzy’ event, so expect huge prizes, free-flowing fizz deals and the chance to win parts of the bar – literally.

Then Friday is a night of GRUB resident DJs going back-to-back until late, before the closing weekend peaks on Saturday with prices so low, you might think GRUB has lost the plot.

“Everything must go, and it is going out with a bang,” GRUB said in a statement.

While this may be the end of Red Bank, it’s not the end of GRUB, as in the meantime, GRUB fan favourites like Sip & Paint and Baby Mosh will live on just down the road at sister venue, Fairfield Social Club.

“Red Bank has been our home for over half a decade, and we’ve loved every minute of it – the community, the traders, the parties, the memories,” explained Jason Bailey, who is the co-founder of GRUB.

“But it’s time for something new.

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“We’re so excited for this closing weekend, which will be a proper knees-up in true GRUB fashion, and even more excited to show you what’s next.

“Manchester, we promise it’s going to be special.”

Featured Image – The Manc Group

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