What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 4 – 10 October 2021

Autumn is here, and there's plenty to be getting up to across the region.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 30th September 2021

We’re into another new month, and autumn is officially here.

The temperatures may be dropping by the day, but there’s still plenty happening in our region at the moment, especially as the spookiest time of year is just around the corner, so we’ve put together a fresh edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond this week, and we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits you could be getting up to.

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

Plenty are still taking COVID-safety measures to give you peace of mind though.

Here are our top picks.

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Oktoberfest at Albert Schloss

Peter Street

Monday 4 October

Credit: Albert’s Schloss

Oktoberfest is back with flowing beer in the city this year, and this is your last day to make the most of it a Manchester’s ‘Bier Palace’.

Over the past few years, Albert’s Schloss has reigned as Manchester’s bier palace by providing an unrivalled selection of Bavarian biers to the people of the city, and now, to coincide with the original festivities in south east Germany, Albert’s Schloss is hosting Oktoberfest, with five speciality biers on tap – a rare find outside of the festival’s origin.

As well as a unique selection of beers, there’s also keg tapping, bier tasting, festival games, wiener eating competitions, and more to be getting up to.

You can find out more here.

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The Autumn Food & Drink Fair

Platt Fields Market Garden

Monday 4 October

Credit: Platt Fields Market Garden

Mary Ellen McTague’s The Creameries has teamed up with Platt Fields Market Garden to host an autumnal food and wine fair down on their allotment in south Manchester this Monday.

Bringing together some of Manchester’s best-loved restaurants, as well as local wine importers, brewers and growers for one day only, the fair will celebrate locally-grown, seasonal produce at its finest – with plenty of time to cook, eat, drink and chat throughout the day.

With food being cooked from The Creameries, Isca Wines, Erst, and Things Palace, there’ll be plenty of delicious hot and cool dishes to sample, and as for drinks, local importers Under The Bonnet Wines will be in attendance, with a selection of wines from small growers in Europe, Chile and the UK, as well as some top tier cocktails from the people at Where The Light Gets In.

You can find more information here.

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ScareCity 2.0

Soccer Dome

Monday 4 – 31 October

Credit: Park N Party

It was the sell-out success of 2020 – and now the immersive drive-in cinema experience ScareCity has returned to Manchester for the month.

With Halloween only a matter of weeks away, the much-loved drive-in cinema phenomenon that took 2020 by storm in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns is back in Greater Manchester.

ScareCity 2.0 has taken over a brand-new location at the Soccer Dome in Stretford until 31 October to bring entertainment safely to guests in their own cars from the biggest screen in the UK, and it’s set to be packed with surprises and delights as visitors are guided through the haunting drive-in tunnel before parking up to watch a film.

Live actors lurking in the shadows and unexpected surprises throughout will make for a truly hair-raising experience.

You can find more information, and book tickets here.

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Escape to Freight Island

Depot Mayfield

Monday 4 October – onwards

Credit: Escape to Freight Island

A jam-packed lineup of “arts, culture, and music” is happening at Escape to Freight Island this months.

David Rodigan, Joe Goddard, DJ Yoda and Craig Charles are among the headliners at Depot Mayfield this September and October – accompanying Escape to Freight Island’s “visionary” food market, other live music performances, dance, comedy nights, film screenings and family-focused events.

Entertainment will include the launch of a music and cultural film night, along with parties from the likes of Bugged Out, and La Discothèque.

There’s a new Tuesday night partnership from The Comedy Store starting in September, whilst The Untold Orchestra will also be in The Ticket Hall playing music by artists such as Amy Winehouse, Prince, Paul Simon, and Radiohead.

You can find more on what’s happening at Escape to Freight Island this autumn here.

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Music Lovers Tour

Greater Manchester

Monday 4 October – onwards

Credit: Flickr | Manchester Digital Music Archive

Manchester is famous for many thing.

The city has given the world so much – but above all, it’s known for its musical roots, having set countless iconic bands on their road to success and most-notably inspiring the creation of the iconic Factory Records and the ‘Madchester’ scene that followed.

So, with thousands of students arriving in Manchester this month for university, and in honour of the popular Use Hearing Protection: The early years of Factory Records exhibition that’s currently celebrating the lesser-known stories of one of the city’s most influential record labels the Science and Industry Museum has picked out a 10 landmarks in the region with connections to some of the most famous musical icons that every music lover should visit.

There’s 10 iconic landmarks across the region to visit.

You can find more about the landmarks of Music Lovers Tour of Greater Manchester here.

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Bottomless Brunch

Manchester City Centre

Credit: Elnecot

Bottomless Brunch is a great way to spend a day in the city.

Getting stuck into some free-flowing drinks with your friends around a table of food is a match made in heaven if you ask us, and if you’re looking to achieve your ultimate bottomless brunch goals, then we’ve put together a list of some of our top spots in Manchester to help you find the right one for you.

From pancakes and smashed avocado, to Full English breakfasts, Chinese, chicken and waffles, and more – there’s over 15 choices to pick from.

Check out our guide here.

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Brick or Treat

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester

Monday 4 – 31 October

Credit: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester / Jason Lock

There’s a unique Halloween-themed lego event coming to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester this month.

Now that October is here, and the spooky spectacular that is Halloween just a couple of weeks away, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester is getting into the spirit by giving lego lovers and “little monsters” the chance to get involved with a whole host of themed activities throughout the month.

Brick or Treat has everything to “get you into the Halloween spirit”.

Some of the activities on offer include pumpkin building for the LEGO pumpkin patch, ‘scarevenger’ hunts, the chance to meet and greet character mascots scarecrow and Lord Vampyre and join them for a Halloween dance party, and more.

You can find more information here, and grab tickets here.

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Use Hearing Protection

Science and Industry Museum

Wednesday 6 October – onwards

Credit: Science and Industry Museum

A special exhibition documenting the formation and early years of the iconic Factory Records is currently on show at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

Use Hearing Protection: The early years of Factory Records shines a light on the formative period for the Manchester label, disclosing lesser-told stories from family members, alternative voices and international collaborators.

The exhibition also examines the period 1978 to 1982, revealing how the label grew and thrived to give the city an authentic voice and distinctive identity, and visitors will be guided through the pre-Haçienda years to uncover the history of the label and how it earned its status as a catalyst for innovation through rarely or never-before-seen objects.

The first 50 artefacts from the official Factory Records catalogue are on display, including creations from Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, and so much more.

You can find more information here.

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The Warehouse Project 2021

Depot Mayfield

Friday 8 October 2021 – 1 January 2022

WHP21

The Warehouse Project 2021 season has officially begun at Depot Mayfield.

After the party kicked off with mega stars Megan Thee Stallion, and Nile Rodgers & Chic, a star-studded selection of shows that run right up until New Year’s Day are all set to rock the city – with electronic pioneers Four Tet, DJ EZ, and Jamie XX due to make appearances.

Mayfield Depot will also welcome back favourites such as Jon Hopkins, Disclosure, Rudimental, Adam Beyer, Chase & Status and Bicep during the autumn.

Other acts include Hacienda, Classical, FISHER, Gorgon City, Basement Jaxx, Marco Carola, Loco Dice, Eats Everything, and Annie Mac.

You can find more information about WHP21 here.

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Stretford Comic Fest

Streford Mall

Saturday 9 October

Credit: Flickr

Independent comic book specialists Wow Comix is teaming up with Stretford Mall to host the town’s first ‘Comic Fest’ this weekend.

Stretford Comic Fest will be taking over the central area of the popular shopping mall with a celebration of all things sci-fi and superhero-related, so fans of comic book pop culture can browse through a wide range of stalls showcasing comic book products and memorabilia.

There’ll be plenty of special guests appearing at the festival too, giving attendees the chance to hang out with some sci-fi stars for autograph sessions and pictures.

You can find more information here.

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Featured Image –

What's On

‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.

Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.

The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.

It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.

“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.

“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”

Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.

Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.

A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)

The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.

Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.

“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey. 

Read more:

“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”

The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.

Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)

What's On

Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.

Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.

This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.

Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.

@bbcradio1 we’re not crying you are 🥹 @Lewis Capaldi watch on bbc iplayer listen on bbc sounds #Glastonbury #BBCGlasto ♬ original sound – BBC Radio 1

His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.

To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.

The star has been very quiet in the past two years after cancelling his Glastonbury Pyramid slot in 2023 and a string of tour dates across the country to work on his physical and mental health.

Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”

We, for one, are so glad to have him back.

These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”

On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.

There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.

Read more:

Lewis Capaldi is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday, 20 September, with pre-sale starting from 9 July.

If you miss out on the Manchester show, he’ll also be playing a huge date over in Sheffield to kick off the start of his comeback tour.

You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image – Publicity Picture (via Supplied)

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