October has arrived and there’s plenty to be getting up to in Manchester.
If you’re stuck for something to do, then this is your go-to guide for what’s on and what’s happening in the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds and most will need to be booked in advance, but all are COVID-secure and socially-distanced in order to keep you as safe as possible during these trying times.
Whatever you fancy doing though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region.
Here’s some of the things you could be getting up to this week:
Manchester’s very own annual horror film festival – GRIMMFEST: Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Films – is becoming a virtual event for the very first time and will be taking place online from Wednesday to Sunday this week.
Horror films fans have can watch 20 feature films, two short film programmes, two special events – including world-first film premieres – and dozens of supporting events all from the comfort of their own home.
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You can find more information about GRIMMFEST here.
If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween early, but 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.
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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.
There’ll be some very special visitors at SEA LIFE Manchester this Friday.
You are invited to explore the full Barton Square attraction after hours in this limited, intimate evening session and you’ll also get a rare chance to marvel at the real life mermaids in their natural habitat as they join SEA LIFE Manchester’s resident Sea Turtles – Cammy & Ernie – in the ocean tank.
These evening sessions are running from 4pm – 8pm, with last admission at 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £21.95 for adults and £16.95 for children. You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Headstock Festival x Nodding Dog Comedy Night
Escape to Freight Island
Tuesday 6th October
Escape to Freight Island
Music and mental wellbeing festival, Headstock, has teamed up with Nodding Dog Comedy to bring a night of stand-up comedy to Piccadilly on Tuesday.
10 comedians – including Live at the Apollo and Britain’s Got Talent stars – will take the stage for the exclusive event at Escape To Freight Island and funds raised from ticket money will go towards Headstock’s partners, which include mental health support organisation Manchester Mind and music charity Help Musicians.
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Tickets must be booked in advance and will set you back £10 per person.
You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
This immersive drive-in cinema event – organised by Park N Party – sees terrifying performers swarming on unsuspecting viewers’ during each evening of car park entertainment at Event City in Trafford.
Horror flicks for all film fans will be showing throughout the month of October.
From the comfort of your own car, you can watch Annabelle Comes Home on Friday 9th October, The Witches, Coco and Halloween (2018) on Saturday 10th October, and Hotel Transylvania and The Grudge on Sunday 11th October.
Tickets are priced at £35 per vehicle.
Food and drink is also available to purchase on site, and will be served and distributed in compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions.
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You can reserve your spot at Scare City online now via Eventbrite.
Birdcage looks very different nowadays… Introducing Roxy Ballroom! The games, booze and grub venue has just opened a second location on the Withy Grove side of the Arndale ⚡?
A brand new Roxy Ballroom has just opened up in Manchester city centre.
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Taking over the old 17,000sq ft Birdcage building on Withy Grove, Roxy Ball Room has half a dozen bowling lanes, beer pong tables, shuffleboard, and arcade machines have all been installed, as well as a 12-hole ‘crazy pool’ game on a mezzanine level, and has a wide range of booze, cocktails and American-style food available.
Bookings must be made in advance for households or support bubbles only, with Roxy operation 3pm-10pm during the week and 12pm-10pm at the weekend.
Players can order food and drink using a QR code on each gaming table.
You can book your slot and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
KBOM Bar & Kitchen – based at award-winning independent food, drink and retail destination HATCH on Oxford Road – merges the vibrant flavours of Brazil, with the traditional soul food of Portugal and hosts a very special ‘Sem Fundo’ – otherwise known as bottomless’ brunch – on Sundays.
It includes a starter, main and complimentary drinks during your 90 pre-booked slot, and all of this comes for only £22.95 per person too.
You can book your table for KBOM’s Sem Fundo ‘Bottomless’ Sundayshere.
More information about HATCH and the social distancing / COVID-safe precautions can be found here.
What's On
This Manchester restaurant is serving a Sunday roast with bottomless drinks
Georgina Pellant
When it comes to Sunday roasts, by and large they’re pretty damn hard to beat. A catch-all plate loaded with your favourite meat and vegetables, drenched in gravy and topped with a fluffy Yorkshire pudding, what’s not to love?
Hands down this would be our death row meal every time. There’s simply no competition. So when we heard that a restaurant in Manchester has just launched a Sunday roast with bottomless drinks we felt the news was way too good not to share. After all, hot foodies don’t gatekeep.
Let’s be honest, we all love a good drink with our roast anyway – and now The Oast House has gone and made it that much more affordable.
Starting from 12pm on a Sunday, you can get 90 minutes of unlimited prosecco, a range of different spritzes and pints of lager here with your roast dinner for an extra £15.
Image: The Oast House
Image: The Oast House
The roast itself is priced at two courses for £18.50 or three for £22.50, with main choices including gorgeously pink-looking roast beef and lamb, plus chicken, crispy pork belly and a chestnut, mushroom and red lentil roast.
All come served with mustard glazed carrots, red cabbage, Tenderstem broccoli, roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding and gravy – plus the option to add on crispy onion-topped Shorrocks Lancashire cauliflower cheese for an extra £2.50.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find the likes of scotch eggs with picalilli, pea hummus, wings and calamari to whet your appetite as starters.
In the pudding section, meanwhile, there is a host of tempting options: ranging from a rose and hibiscus poached peach and pistachio cheesecake, to cookie dough loaded with Oreos and vanilla icecream.
Image: The Oast House
Image: The Oast House
Further pudding choices include a mouthwatering lemon tart served with raspberry sorbet and crushed honeycomb, a vegan-friendly dark chocolate and peanut butter pot with Biscoff crumb and caramelised banana, and everyone’s favourite: a sticky toffee pudding with rich toffee sauce and icecream on the side.
Bottomless drinks options will set you back £15 per person and can be enjoyed by the whole table up to a maximum of six, with spritz choices spanning Aperol, raspberry, blood orange or elderflower.
However, if you’re not feeling that there’s also a Bloody Mary menu promising the ‘perfect pick me up’ for hungover heads with three different styles to choose from.
If you fancy getting stuck into a big roast and making a boozy one of it, then we think this will be right up your street.
Radio 1’s Adele Roberts to perform DJ set on Ladies Day at this year’s Grand National
Emily Sergeant
BBC Radio 1’s Adele Roberts has been confirmed to perform a DJ set after racing finishes on Ladies Day at this year’s Grand National.
The Southport-born DJ has worked for a number of Northern radio stations throughout her career, including Rock FM, Galaxy, and Hits Radio Manchester, before she moving to national radio and becoming a regular presenter of Radio 1’s Early Breakfast Weekend show since January 2021.
The 43-year-old first found fame in Channel 4’s Big Brother in 2002, and has appeared on ITV reality competition series I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2019, and won the sixth series of Celebrity Coach Trip in 2020 too.
Adele is also a bowel cancer survivor, announcing back in June 2022 that she’s now cancer free, and a passionate supporter of LGBT rights, having been named as role model of the year at British LGBT Awards last year.
But away from all of that, she is also a massive sports fan.
Ladies Day at the Randox Grand National 2023 is taking place on Friday 14 April / Credit: The Jockey Club
Also throughout her revered career, Adele has impressively competed in the London Marathon, and has formed part of BBC Sport’s coverage of the event – which is why getting to combine her love of sport and her love of music by performing a DJ set after racing finishes on Ladies Day at this year’s Grand National is something she “can’t wait” to do.
“I can’t wait to be at Aintree on Ladies Day to celebrate with everyone,” Adele said.
“I know how much the people of Liverpool turn out for that day, I’m excited to perform my DJ set and get everyone dancing, and as a Southport girl it’s a real thrill for me to be involved with the Randox Grand National Festival.”
Radio 1’s Adele Roberts will be performing a DJ set on Ladies Day at this year’s Grand National / Credit: The Jockey Club
Dickon White, Regional Director at The Jockey Club North West, says the Festival is “thrilled” to have Adele performing.
“Ladies Day is very much the day at the Randox Grand National Festival that attracts the strongest local crowd, and with Adele hailing from Southport it is the perfect match, so we look set for what should be a party to remember.”
The three-day 2023 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse runs from Thursday 13 – Saturday 15 April inclusive, with Ladies Day taking place on Friday 14 April.
Joining House of Cavani as The Jockey Club’s men’s competitions style partner, popular fashion retailer QUIZ has been announced as the Official Style Partner for Ladies Day this year, and is hoping to “inspire all women to look fabulous and feel confident on any occasion” by offering a constantly-updated choice of affordable fashion, both casual and formal, all with a touch of glam.
Ladies Day Style Awards prizes 2023 🚨
🥇 prize is ALL of this…
🏝 £5,000 holiday & £1,500 spends 🏇 2 Garden Club Tickets to Ladies Day 2024 🤝 £1,000 donation to your chosen charity 💆♀️ @RandoxHealth full-body Everyman/woman package
Of course, a huge part of Ladies Day every year is the style competition, which gives the best-dressed attendees at the Festival the chance to take home some incredible prizes.
Some of the prizes lined-up for first, second, and third place in this year’s style competition include a holiday worth £5,000 along with £1,500 spending money, £1,000 donation to your chosen charity, ticket bundles to next year’s Grand National, and a £500 QUIZ voucher, to name just a few.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2020 
