Fancy gearing up for an all-inclusive weekend of music, dancing, feasting, comedy and wellness at the world’s most immersive cycling festival?
The 2021 lineup for Velio Festival has just been announced.
Taking place at the picturesque setting of Cholmondeley Castle on 17th – 20th September, this “pioneering” and world-first festival celebrates life on two wheels for three days and three nights of immersive activities, and provides cycling enthusiasts with the perfect opportunity to escape, switch off and unwind in the Cheshire countryside.
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With cycling the main attraction of course, festival-goers can enjoy five stunning cycle routes with options for beginners, experienced riders, disabled cycling, and children too.
Novice riders can take it easy on the 3km or 14km routes, while the more experienced can test themselves on the 30km, 60km or 100km.
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The highlight of these will be the headliner ride, Velutopia – a world-first event that stretches across 14km of closed roads, taking cyclists on an immersive cycle tour packed with entertainment and an abundance of surprises along the way – with festival organisers having said to expect “weird and wonderful oddities, mid-ride games and tasks, and music and celebrations”.
There’ll also be an indoor cycling arena hosting virtual races throughout the weekend, as well as giving you the chance to try out the latest technology or spend time lusting after the array of next-generation bikes and accessories on show.
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Not mad keen on cycling though? Just going along for the ride?
You’ll be pleased to know there is also set to be plenty of music, comedy, wellness, feasting and activities to enjoy both day and night, and you can even take the opportunity to chill out in the hot tubs, do a yoga class, go wild swimming or paddleboarding, or even visit the Cuddle Club for some doggy-themed therapy.
There’s also a carefully-curated programme of international music artists, comedians and immersive moments across five stages.
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Velio Festival
Now, this is where it gets interesting.
Renowned vocal group Sister Sledge will be taking over the centre stage, alongside fellow headliners Everything Everything, and also hitting the main stage will be a range of live acts including Elder Island and The Futureheads, stellar DJ sets from Friendly Fires and Norman Jay MBE, a host of incredible tribute performances – including The Bootleg Beatles and Da Funk (Daft Punk Tribute) – and Mr Motivator will be on hand to get the party started too.
The infamous La Discotheque will host their own stage – with acts such as Crazy P Soundsystem and Disco Classics – featuring a live orchestra, with “fabulous flamingos, soul sergeants and queens to match”.
A stream of cherry-picked comedians will also be taking to the stage, including Manchester’s finest, Jason Manford, Marcus Brigstocke, Shappi Khorsandi, and Lou Conran.
The ‘Velio Village’ will host an eclectic mix of brass bands, DJs, cabaret and burlesque, a late-night jazz cafe, film screenings, karaoke, kids entertainment, chill out areas and more.
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When it comes to feasting, the award-winning restaurant Volta will be collaborating to produce the banquets at the festival, with foodies enjoying “the finest local produce”, alongside speciality bars serving up a variety of tempting tipples, ranging from wine and gin, to craft beers and cocktails.
Velio is also proud to be the first ‘Flexi-Distanced’ festival.
This means that all the measures and teams are in place to run the event either socially distanced or non-socially distanced, whichever the guidelines dictate, so you can book in confidence and have something in the diary to look forward to.
Tickets are set to go on sale next Wednesday 14th April at 9am.
Included in all tickets is standard camping for three days and three nights, with access to a spacious campsite, toilets and showers.
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Motorhomes and campervans are welcomed, and you can also arrive to pre-erected tents.
For an enhanced camping experience, the boutique village offers a range of Bell, Lotus or Mahal tents for up to eight people – which all feature memory foam mattresses, premium bedding, bedside lights and tables as standard, with optional upgrades of electricity, toiletries, mirrors, and towels available – and campers also enjoy exclusive access to speciality food vendors and bars in the area, along with VIP toilets and showers.
Velio FestivalVelio Festival
Prices for tickets start from just £150 for the entire three days and nights, including camping, and payment plans are available from just £32 per month.
Early birds can also bag a 25% discount by signing up to the Velio newsletter here.
You’ll also be entered into a competition (worth £2,500) to win:
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x4 Weekend Festival Tickets
x4 Luxury Boutique Camping Experiences
£500 voucher to spend on cycling gear
You can find the full lineup, more information, FAQs, and prepare to book your tickets by visiting the Velio Festival website here.
Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Emily Sergeant -
9th April 2021 
