What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 17 – 23 October 2022

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 14th October 2022

It’s well and truly autumn, schools are soon to be out for half term across Greater Manchester, and Halloween is right around the corner.

With the spooky season officially here, the events calendar is filled up with lots of different things to be getting up to this week, so we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.

As always, some of the events we’re going to mention are completely free, while others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance.

Here’s our top picks.

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Pumpkin Lanterns

Manchester City Centre

Monday 17 October – 1 November

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Pumpkin Lanterns / Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID

There couldn’t be a more ideal time to catch a glimpse of the pumpkins.

If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween, but want to keep things a little on the cheaper side this week, then you need look no further than up above in the city centre as the annual decorative pumpkin lanterns are back once again and they’re here all month.

Going on a little tour to see the lanterns in the trees in St Ann’s Square, Market Street and beyond is the perfect activity for all the family, easy to plan and great for pictures.

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And it’s FREE too.

You can find more information here.

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Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience

Arley Hall & Gardens

Monday 17 October – onwards

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The hugely popular woodland trail inspired by the forbidden forest from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchise has officially returned.

After what was undoubtedly a massive success back in 2021, with people travelling from all across the UK to see what it was all about, organisers of the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience have announced it’s back to the Grade II-listed Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire.

Having arrived just in time for Halloween, Potter-heads can “walk into the depths of a dark forest”, and “discover fantastic beasts and iconic Wizarding World moments illuminated like never before”.

Find out more here.

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Escape Into Autumn

National Trust

Monday 17 October – onwards

Escape Into Autumn / Credit: National Trust

The National Trust is celebrating the arrival of a new season by offering free visits to the sites it cares for this autumn.

Families will be able to visit the many stately homes, grand gardens, beaches and countryside locations that are looked after by the charity. 

The limited-time offer will allow people to book an autumn trip to a National Trust site of their choosing, and each free ticket will admit two adults and up to four children – with hundreds of sites taking part in the campaign.

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Find out more here.

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Spookfest 2022

Trafford Centre

Monday 17 – Sunday 30 October

Spookfest 2022 / Credit: Trafford Centre

After a successful run in 2021, Spookfest has returned to the Trafford Centre just in time for Halloween, and the outdoor space has come alive with activity.

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There’s a variety of exciting family-friendly things on offer for all ages to enjoy, from thrilling funfair rides, the action-packed Spooktacular Big Top circus, and the North West’s first and only pumpkin tower, to face painting, creepy costume characters, big-screen scary movies, and Halloween-themed food and drink.

Find out more and book tickets here.

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Pokémon: Art Through the Ages

Trafford Centre

Monday 17 October – 13 November

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Pokémon: Art Through the Ages / Credit: Pokémon

A Pokémon art trail and treasure hunt-style event is taking over the Trafford Centre this week, and the best part is, it’s absolutely free to get involved with.

‘Pokémon: Art Through the Ages’ will give fans the chance to discover hidden art of the 151 Pokémon that were originally discovered in the Kanto region through an interactive trail – which event organisers say showcases “a wide variety of artistic techniques and styles” from across the ages.

There’ll be cave paintings, stained glass, and more for families and Pokémon fans of all ages to enjoy free of charge.

Find out more here.

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Scare City Experience

Camelot

Monday 17 October – onwards

Have you seen that Scare City Experience is back for 2022?

The hugely-popular outdoor immersive horror experience has taken on a new life just in time for Halloween, and this time round, it’s taken over the derelict site of one of the North West’s most iconic theme parks.

Events company Park N Party’s sell-out success Scare City has arrived at Camelot with a new walkthrough scare attraction, and it’s described as a “blood-soaked ordeal”.

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For those who’ve got the guts to enter this year, a trek through “nightmarish zones” awaits.

Find out more and book tickets here.

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Luna’s Lost Spell Halloween Trail 

Chester Zoo

Monday 17 October – onwards

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Luna’s Lost Spell Halloween Trail / Credit: Chester Zoo

Tarantulas, komodo dragons, and poisonous dart frogs are just some of the creatures you can meet on Chester Zoo‘s newest interactive trail.

With the spooky season right around the corner, Luna’s Lost Spell Halloween Trail has taken over the UK’s biggest charity zoo for the whole of this month up until Monday 31 October, and it looks set to be an ideal day out for families during the half term.

The trail is free with the price of admission, and aims to raise awareness of all the “creepy but crucial creatures” at the zoo that are venomous and poisonous.

Find out more here.

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Looking for some new restaurants and bars to try out in Manchester city centre this month?

As ever, a host of exciting new restaurants and bars are opening in Manchester in October.

Whether you’re into glitzy late-night hang outs, casual dining turnarounds or award-winning burritos, let’s just say there’s something on the list for you – from the brand new Shogun Ramen and Bar, which sees beloved Chorlton restaurant Peck & Yard give it ‘one more shot’ with a ramen and sushi concept, to Mayfair celeb haunt Mnky Hse.

You can read our round-up to find out where to put on your list this month here.

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Manchester Science Festival 2022

Science and Industry Museum

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Friday 21 – Sunday 30 October

Manchester Science Festival / Credit: Science Museum Trust

Manchester Science Festival is making a glorious return this week, with events for all ages taking place at both the Science and Industry Museum and venues across the city.

This year’s event will celebrate science through immersive performances, interactive activities, and after-hours amusement, with highlights across the 10 days including a headline exhibition Turn It Up: The Power of Music, a nocturnal nature tour, and a chance to meet people who already work in STEM careers, including experts from festival sponsors Amazon.

You can find out about everything happening at this year’s festival here.

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The Art of Banksy

MediaCityUK

Friday 21 October – onwards

The Art of Banksy / Credit: Supplied

The Art of Banksy will finally arrive at MediaCityUK this week.

Landing in Manchester on 21 October, the exhibit will showcase 145 iconic Banksy pieces all amassed from private collections across the globe to create the world’s largest touring collection of Banksy artworks. 

Visitors will have the chance to experience the infamous artist’s most well-known works alongside those rarely seen by the public, all on loan from private collectors.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Scare Skate

Cathedral Gardens

Friday 21 – Monday 31 October

Scare Skate / Credit: Skate Manchester

The city’s largest outdoor ice rink returns this week just in time for Halloween.

Scare Skate will see Halloween fans and fear-loving families take to the ice for some “frightfully good fun” this October half term from Friday 21 – Monday 31 October.

Gearing up to be “a frightful experience to remember”, not only will the spooktacular rink see one of the iconic MCR Monsters take centre stage as part of the annual Halloween in the City event, but it will also be complete with Halloween-themed music and lighting.

Find out more here.

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Backyard Cinema

Depot Mayfield

Friday 21 October – onwards

Backyard Cinema / Credit: Grant Walker

Manchester’s newest cinema is set to open on the roof of Depot Mayfield this week.

Coming to Manchester for a limited 10-week run, Backyard Cinema brings its immersive movie going experience to the north for the ever first time, and it will feature way more than a cosy purpose-built cinema room, as it comes complete with an Enchanted Forest, two bars, street food trucks and a live music stage to boot.

The 330-capacity indoor cinema’s upcoming film schedule for the Autumn / Winter season has some absolute crackers in there too.

Find out more here.

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PowerUP

Science and Industry Museum

Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 October

PowerUP / Credit: Science Museum Group

A huge gaming event has returned to Manchester.

With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back at the Science and Industry Museum for the first time in three years, taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming, with everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more.

Power UP is taking place every weekend and school holiday all the way through to December 2023, and every ticket includes unlimited play all day.

You can find more information here.

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Featured Image – CityCo | The Manc Group | National Trust

What's On

Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets

Danny Jones Danny Jones Real-life Pac-Man experience Manchester

Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.

First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.

This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.

Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.

Credit: Concept Image (supplied)

So how does it work?

Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.

Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?

The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.

Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –

The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.

Credit: Supplied

Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester

If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.

The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.

Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.

Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images — Supplied

What's On

Blood Brothers at Palace Theatre, Manchester – a timeless classic

Greg James Greg James Sean Jones and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Bill Kenwright’s production of Blood Brothers surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End making it one of only three musicals ever to achieve that monumental milestone – and now it’s visiting us here in Manchester.

“Oh Bright New Day”, Blood Brothers has just landed back at the Palace Theatre. This musical written by Willy Russell is a British piece of theatre that is a staple in the musical theatre tapestry of our country. 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with this iconic story, it is an emotional tale of two twins who are separated at birth and grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with the most fateful of consequences.

The story’s central character, Mrs Johnston is the linchpin in this whole story and carries us through the show.

This role has been played by many superb women over the years including Mel C, Kiki Dee, Barbara Dickson and nearly all of the Nolan Sisters. This time, Mrs Johnston is performed by Vivienne Carlyle who provides a lovely maternal performance. 

The other two lead roles are Mickey and Eddie, played by Sean Jones and Joe Sleight respectively.

These are really complex roles to play as the actors have to portray the characters from early school years to grown adults.

The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Sean Jones has been playing the role of Mickey now for nearly 25 years and so he is no stranger to this character. And I must say, he still fantastically plays the part, even when playing young Mickey, and the show really takes off when he enters the stage.

Joe Sleight is someone who I had not seen in the role of Eddie before and he gave just as strong a performance as Jones. He offered a real contrast to his counterpart with a really beautiful, touching performance. 

The whole ensemble did a gorgeous job of helping to carry these characters throughout the musical, showing a real flair for multi-roling and beautiful musicality in the group numbers too. 

Something which elevates this already gripping story though is the music. There are many recurring musical motifs throughout the show that on the surface may come off as repetitive but they offer perspective on how things can evolve and change over time.

Of course the song though that everybody is perhaps familiar with is the power ballad, ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’. This is the climax of the show and what a climax it is. There’s not a dry eye in the house when we reach this point of the story, I can assure you! 

So, whether you are returning to watch this show again, perhaps know the story from studying it in English GCSE or seeing it for the first time, it will always be an absolutely timeless classic.

Blood Brothers is on at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 30 November. Tickets are available HERE.

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Featured image: Jack Merriman

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