The ‘Floating Earth’ art installation that’s been drawing visitors to a local nature reserve in their thousands this past week will be popping up at Salford Quays.
The captivating sculpture is the work of internationally-acclaimed artist Luke Jerram.
Measuring a whopping 10-metres in diameter and featuring high-tech NASA imagery, as well as a surround-sound musical track by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones, the ‘Floating Earth’ artwork has been sat on the waters of popular Wigan nature reserve Pennington Flash since last Friday.
It was due to remain on the lake for 10 days, but Wigan Council confirmed yesterday that it has unfortunately been deflated three days early due to forecasted stormy weather.
The early deflation of the installation comes after the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for much of the North West, with the region set to be hit by high winds and wintery showers over the next few days, which has raised safety concerns.
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A spokesperson for Wigan Council said: “For anyone booked on to see this beautiful piece of art from Thursday 25 November onward, we are afraid this will no longer be possible.
“To clarify, the work is now closed with immediate effect.”
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“We are very sorry not to be able to accommodate everyone booked on for the remaining four days,” the statement concluded.
‘Floating Earth’ encourages us to “question our relationship with our planet” / Credit: Instagram (@the.manc via @photographicleigh)
But for those who weren’t able to catch a glimpse of the “beautiful” installation during its Wigan stay, there’s now the chance to see it a Salford Quays, as ‘Floating Earth’ will be lighting up the water of the The Manchester Ship Canal from Friday 3 – Sunday 12 December as part of the 10-day annual Lightwaves festival programme.
Festival organisers say that Floating Earth’s appearance Lightwaves 2021 encourages us to “question our relationship with our planet”.
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Jerram – who is known worldwide for his large-scale public artworks – says he has created this brand-new work to give visitors a “profound understanding of the interconnection of all life”, and a “renewed sense of responsibility” for taking care of the environment.
The captivating sculpture is the work of internationally-acclaimed artist Luke Jerram / Credit: Instagram (@the.manc via @photographicleigh)
Lightwaves 2021 is featuring the event’s “most ambitious line-up to date”.
Alongside ‘Floating Earth’, 11 other light installations will also be making appearances, including Cygnus by Loomaland – a mesmerising water ballet featuring 12 perfectly synchronised, glowing robot swans – and Sirens by Davy and Kristin McGuire – an installation that uses holographic projections to transform public waterways into mythical underwater worlds inhabited by supernatural sea creatures and mysterious mermaids.
You may have heard of the funny Star Wars stripper show or even seen clips of it online, but rumour has it that nothing can quite prepare you for the cheekiness of seeing this romp in the flesh.
In case you’ve been completely immersed in the dark side until now, here’s what you can expect:
Now well over a decade into its success and more than 200 Las Vegas shows, ‘The Empire Strips Back’ made its long-awaited transatlantic debut earlier this year.
Getting away at London’s Riverside Studios from May and enjoying a run until this past August, the comedy-driven twist on the classic Star Wars stories and beloved sci-fi characters was an instant hit with us Brits.
It started in Australia way back in 2011 and has gone not only to tour across Europe, but land a coveted residency at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Nevada.
Fast, funny, feisty and by all accounts, fantastic.
Now set to seek out new padawans and storm-strippers all over the cosmos, and by that we mean the UK, ‘The Empire Strips Back: Burlesque Parody’ is coming to Manchester.
Set to land at Depot Mayfield in the New Year – next spring, specifically, we cannot wait to see how this goes down with Northern crowds.
The Manc leg is scheduled to kick off on 6 March and last until 8 May, 2026, with various dates and times of day available.
It’s also worth noting that this two-hour show, including intermission, is a strictly 18+ only event; if you’re interested, you can find out more info and grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester Open exhibition to return in 2026 with ‘biggest celebration’ of local creative talent
Emily Sergeant
The biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent is making a much-anticipated return next summer.
Taking place every two years and now in its fourth iteration, Manchester Open exhibition sees the HOME Gallery walls filled with hundreds of artworks selected by a panel consisting of art experts and community representatives.
The exhibition is open to all and welcomes entries from people of any level of experience, including established professionals, students, graduates, new and emerging talent, enthusiastic amateurs, and even first-time artists.
Artists are invited to submit work into eight different categories, with the aim of creating an exhibition ‘rich in variety’ for visitors to explore.
Manchester Open exhibition is set to return in 2026 / Credit: Jason Lock Photography
This means you’ll get to explore works of ceramics, digital/moving images, drawings, prints, paintings, photography, sculptures/installations, and textiles.
Several awards will also be up for grabs throughout the exhibition – which is set to run from Saturday 20 June and Sunday 6 September 2026 – including a prestigious new award in honour of philanthropist and business leader, Kate Voke.
Three artists will also be awarded with artist development packages, managed by HOME and Castlefield Gallery.
“Following our 10 year anniversary in 2025, we are looking forward to 2026 and welcoming applications to HOME’s biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s artistic talent,” explained Karen O’Neill, who is the CEO of HOME.
“With a record number of applications to the last Manchester Open, we’re hoping for even more in 2026 and to demonstrate how the city continues to grow as a place where artists and creativity can thrive.”
Manchester Open exhibition is taking place in 2026 from Saturday 20 June and Sunday 6 September, and the application and submission process is now live – with all submissions being reviewed by the selection panel who make the final selection of work to be included in the exhibition.
Artists will only be able to submit one artwork, and the selection panel members will be announced in spring 2026.
Featured Image – Jason Lock Photography (Supplied)
Emily Sergeant -
26th November 2021 
