Social Cricket comes to Manchester with the opening of Sixes Clubhouse
Three state-of-the-art cricket nets are available to hire for 30 minutes, with the venue kitted out with a champagne bar, 70-seater dining space and open kitchen.
The “world’s first immersive cricket experience with hospitality” is coming to the Corn Exchange this August with the opening of Sixes Manchester.
A “social cricket” sports bar, Sixes offers the chance to swing for the boundaries whilst enjoying a wide selection of high-quality food and drink.
Sixes is kitted out with three state-of-the-art cricket nets available to hire for 30, 60 or 90 minutes, a champagne bar, a 70-seater dining space and an open kitchen.
The Sixes Batting Nets are fun for all ages and abilities, whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned pro. Simply pick up a bat, aim for the targets and climb the leaderboard!
Sixes offers the “world’s first immersive cricket experience with hospitality” / Image: Sixes
Sixes offers the “world’s first immersive cricket experience with hospitality” / Image: Sixes
A signature British BBQ-inspired menu has been created for the Sixes experience, including the best of British meats, seafood and vegetables – flamed, roasted and grilled on the robata grill.
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Items include low and slow chicken wings, house-smoked sausages you can order by the half metre, overnight coals sweet potato, vegan burgers and the signature Sixes meat volcano, comprising house sausage, beef burnt ends, bubble & squeak pakoras, mac & cheese croquettes, smoked chicken Caesar bowl and beef dripping flatbreads.
There’s also a variety of craft ales, fine wines, bespoke cocktails like the Eton Mess, Ashes Manhattan, Sixes Fruit Cup and Tea Time – a very British cocktail containing actual Yorkshire Tea.
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The Manchester venue is the first Clubhouse outside of London – with Sixes already operating two sites in the capital.
Sixes offers the “world’s first immersive cricket experience with hospitality” / Image: Sixes
The Clubhouse kitted out with three state-of-the-art cricket nets available to hire for 30 minutes / Image: Sixes
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Calum MacKinnon said: “Cricket has a rare, unifying quality, capable of connecting people from all backgrounds. Sixes is no different.
“We’re combining our love of sport with a passion for quality food and drink, creating a welcoming and relaxed experience where anyone can enjoy the game we love.”
“From complete beginners to seasoned club regulars, Sixes is proudly inclusive and open to all.
“Thanks to the state-of-the-art technology from partners, Batfast, the level of challenge can be scaled up or down to suit the batter at the crease, making it as much fun for an 8-year-old’s birthday party as it is for the Lancashire Lightning squad’s night out!”
The Manchester venue is the first Clubhouse outside of London – with Sixes already operating two sites in the capital / Image: Sixes
The opening of the Manchester venue coincides with a new and exclusive game at Sixes called The Hundred, named after the 100-ball cricket tournament involving eight men’s and eight women’s teams in major cities across England and Wales, taking place for the first time this summer.
Chester Zoo’s spectacular light trail returns this winter with a new route and new animals for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s popular winter light trail is set to return with a redesigned route and some magical new animals for 2026.
Produced by Chester Zoo in partnership with Sony Music and Culture Creative, Lanterns & Light has become a popular fixture in the region’s festive calendar over the years, and it’s back this winter – transforming the zoo after dark with thousands of festive lights, colour, and wildlife-themed displays.
The 2026 trail has been redesigned with some exciting new installations, including the dazzling Suspended Jellyfish underwater display, a mirrored disco tunnel, a glittering pea-lit canopy, and Floating Feathers.
New for this year too, visitors will also get to encounter parrots, dolphins, and a giant polar bear among an expanded cast of life-sized animal puppets, all brought to life by specialist performers.
More than 140,000 people visited the trail last year, but for the first time ever in 2026, the event will also host two adults-only evenings, one on 19 November and another 8 December – giving grown-ups the chance to enjoy the trail without children.
Alongside the new additions, plenty of much-loved features will return too, including the walk-through Cathedral of Light and atmospheric Fire Garden, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in a snowy setting.
Visitors can also enjoy marshmallow fire pits, festive food, and warming drinks, alongside a funfair at the entrance.
But Lanterns & Light isn’t just about Christmas, as every ticket purchased helps fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work, supporting projects protecting threatened wildlife and restoring habitats in more than 20 countries around the world.
“Lanterns & Light is a chance to have a brilliant night out, but it also helps us do something much bigger,” explained Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“Every ticket helps support Chester Zoo’s work to prevent extinction, from protecting threatened wildlife in the places where it lives to caring for and breeding endangered species here at the zoo.
“So, while our visitors are enjoying the lights, puppets and festive atmosphere, they’re helping to give wildlife a brighter future too.”
Lanterns & Light returns to Chester Zoo from 13 November 2026 through to 3 January 2027.
Tickets are on sale and available now from £19.50 for children and £27.50 for adults, while babies under 12 months go free. You can book yours here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
Manchester Art Fair returns this autumn with more than 180 exhibitors under one roof
Emily Sergeant
One of the UK’s largest art fairs is back in Manchester this autumn, bringing more than 180 exhibitors together all under one roof.
Not only is it one of the UK’s largest and one of the most significant art fairs, but it’s by far one of the most celebrated cultural events in Greater Manchester‘s social calendar too.
Designed for the collector, the curator, and those who are just simply curious, the event draws in tens of thousands of visitors, and will feature lots of new and returning galleries and artists this year – all of whom will be showing new works.
2026’s edition will be its biggest yet too, as the event is returning to Manchester Central for four days this year instead of the usual three.
Returning from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, the fair will have more than 600 artists there for an exceptional showcase of modern and contemporary art, with thousands of works available to discover and buy from both world-renowned names and some of the most exciting emerging creative talent.
In a significant move, the fair’s highly anticipated Preview Night will move to Thursday evening, opening an expanded programme of art, talks, workshops, and new experiences across the four days that follow.
Leading the lineup of new features are Manchester Art Fair’s Art Masterclasses, which have been created for developing artists looking to advance their creative practice.
These new experiences will sit alongside a rich programme of artist talks, panel discussions, Q&As, live demonstrations, and other hands-on creative workshops.
More than 180 exhibitors will all gather together under one roof / Credit: Supplied
Manchester Art Fair 2026 will first open at Manchester Central with an exclusive preview night on Thursday 19 November, before it then continues on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November – with tockets now on sale.
Tickets are priced at £15 for a day ticket or £25 for a preview night ticket, including access throughout the weekend, all with booking fees applying.
The Manc -
20th August 2021 
