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.
You can ride a wizard-themed steam train through Greater Manchester countryside next week
Emily Sergeant
The hugely popular wizard-themed steam train will be travelling through Greater Manchester once again next week.
February half term is right around the corner, and that means East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is back with a whole host of immersive events that give curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on one of the historic Pullman-style steam train carriages through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaur, Peppa Pig, and seasonal themed train rides are just a few of the events that have been entertaining families in the region over the last few years.
By far one of the most popular experiences on the lineup, however, has to be the chance to go on a ‘wizarding adventure’, where little Mancs can come together for a magical day of sharing spells and getting stuck into lots of magic-themed fun.
You can ride a wizard-themed steam train through Greater Manchester next week / Credit: ELR
Aspiring witches and wizards of all ages are invited to enrol in the spellbinding school of sorcery this February half term, as they take a ‘wacky and wonderful’ whistle stop tour through the ‘Irwell Valley of wonders’.
Little Mancs will get to learn powerful incantations and perfect their wand-waving skills, all while using their imagination and learning how to soar through the skies on a broomstick.
They’ll also get to discover the proper way to greet mystical creatures, and take care of a ‘real’ dragon egg too.
The Wizarding Adventure is an “enchanting experience for all the family” / Credit: ELR
Aside from wizard-themed tasks, there’ll also be plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
Aside from wizard-themed tasks, there’ll also be plenty of photo opportunities along the way, and food and drink will be available to tuck into from the café on Platform 3/4 at Bury Bolton Street Station, and from the Rawtenstall Buffet too, making it a truly ‘enchanting’ experience for the whole family.
The Wizarding Adventure is back this half term, with several special journeys lined-up next month on Thursday 19 February, and tickets still available to get your hands on from £18 each for children and £20.50 for adults.
Swedish pop icon Robyn to play huge Manchester gig on European tour this summer
Emily Sergeant
Generational Swedish pop icon Robyn is heading out on a big European tour this summer, and she’ll be stopping off in Manchester.
This is Robyn’s first major tour since 2019, and it will feature 20 dates as well as her biggest ever headline shows – including London’s 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, and three consecutive hometown nights at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena.
And, of course, a night at Europe’s largest indoor arena – Co-op Live, here in Manchester.
Having provided some of the biggest moments in pop culture over the last three decades, Robyn is currently in the eye of one of the year’s most celebrated musical returns, as 2026 has seen her announce her ninth studio album, and her first since 2018, titled Sexistential, produced with longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund, and reuniting her with Max Martin for their first co-writes since 2010.
It’s said to be the ‘most ecstatic’ record Robyn has ever made, and is tipped to be the sound of one of contemporary music’s most influential artists ‘coming home’.
This upcoming tour will feature an exciting lineup of special guest openers across the UK and Europe dates – with 808 State and Zhala on the bill for Manchester‘s gig, bringing together a mix of boundary-pushing artists who are either friends of Robyn or among the voices that inspire her.
Robyn – The Sexistential Tour UK & EU 2026
Wednesday 24 June – 3Arena, Dublin
Friday 26 June – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Saturday 27 June – Co-op Live, Manchester
Tuesday 30 June – ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium
Wednesday 1 July – Adidas Arena, Paris, France
Friday 3 July – The O2, London
Wednesday 8 July – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
Saturday 11 July – Unity Arena, Oslo, Norway
Tuesday 14 July – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
Thursday 16 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Friday 17 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Saturday 18 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Following on from the UK and European tour, Robyn will then head over to the US and Australia for another run of huge dates in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mexico City, before the tour draws to a close in Melbourne in Australia on 24 November.
Robyn will bring The Sexistential Tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 27 June 2026, and tickets officially go on sale this week.
There are two separate pre-sales happening this week before tickets then go on general sale this Friday 13 February – there’s the Co-op Presale, which starts tomorrow (Tuesday 10 February) at 10am, and then the Spotify Presale, which starts on Thursday 12 February at 10am.
You can get tickets when they go live on general sale this Friday at 10am here.