There’s just days to go until Manchester will be filled with beautiful blooms as The Manchester Flower Show makes its return.
The huge event coincides with the Jubilee celebrations and the four-day bank holiday weekend.
This year, the popular flower displays will include a Jubilee Trail to celebrate the Queen’s 70-year reign.
10 specially-created, Royal-inspired installations will appear around town thanks to The Manchester Flower Show, brought to the city by Manchester BID.
The full map of the Jubilee Trail is below, so you can walk your way through all the photo opportunities and beautiful displays.
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Beyond the official trail, shop windows, squares and statues will also be given botanical makeovers.
The Manchester Flower Show will take place between 2 and 5 June – you can find out more at themanchesterflowershow.com.
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The 10 Jubilee Trail displays to look out for at The Manchester Flower Show
The Crown
This huge planter will be filled with a mix of tropical palms and jewel-like English flowers.
You’ll find the crown-shaped structure in the Arndale outside Next, designed by Decordia.
Changing of the Guard
This new display will transport you to London without leaving St Ann’s Square.
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FROG Flowers will install a display near Watches of Switzerland that will feature a Buckingham Palace guard’s hut, Trafalgar Square lions, and a very British show of red, white and blue flowers.
Queen Bee
One of the bee sculptures from the Wild in Art Bee in the City art trail has been upcycled and covered in artificial flowers for The Manchester Flower Show.
A real flower crown on the bee’s head has been designed by local florist Frog Flowers. You’ll find it upstairs in the Arndale, near Wilko.
The Crown Jewels
A throne surrounded by fresh and dried flowers – including delphiniums, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, alliums and agapanthus – will appear at the Royal Exchange.
If you snap a photo with it, tagging @verdurefloraldesign and @royalexchangemanchester (make sure you’re following both accounts), you could win a £100 voucher to spend with Verdure Floral Design.
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Queen of Pop
Heading outside the Arndale now to New Cathedral Street, which will be taken back to the 1960s for a real taste of flower power.
Step through the Pop Art arch to find planters and wheelbarrows overflowing with blooms, inspired by Andy Warhol’s portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
Horse Play
The Queen’s passion for horses will be celebrated with another display, this time a horse made of twisted willow leaping over a gate.
Artist Sarah Hayes will also create flower-filled drinking troughs at its base – you can see it at the Cross Street End of King Street.
The Ju-bee-lee Garden
Purple is the colour of the Jubilee, but it’s also the colour that attracts bees.
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So the Ju-bee-lee Garden will be filled with purple lupins, delphiniums, lavender, salvias and verbena to draw in our buzzing pals to the site on Upper King Street.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Urban Garden
St Ann’s Square will host a centrepiece of The Manchester Flower Show – an urban garden that’s both very now, and also very old.
With seven aged oak posts (one for each decade the Queen has been on the throne), cottage garden flowers, and three native trees, this garden invites you to explore its dappled shade and pretty colours.
The Jubilee Kiosk
Making a return this year will be The Manchester Flower Show’s red telephone box, which explodes with beautiful blooms.
It’s a perfect photo opportunity down on King Street, near Deansgate.
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The Commonwealth Tuk-Tuk
As a nod to the Commonwealth, a tuk-tuk nicknamed Queenie will be adorned with blue and purple flowers, grown just across the border in Cheshire.
It will appear on New Cathedral Street, near the entrance to M&S and Selfridges.
Featured image: Manchester BID
Manchester
Viral sportswear brand Gymshark is holding a massive bodybuilding competition in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Gymshark will be back in Manchester this month, this time for a huge bodybuilding competition.
The viral fitness brand will be taking over the enormous space at Manchester Central, drawing in huge crowds of fitness experts and enthusiasts.
The Ryan Terry British Championship will bring together male and female bodybuilders on one stage.
There’ll be everyone from rookies taking part in their very first bodybuilding competition to seasoned bodybuilders competing for a PRO card.
It’s Gymshark’s first ever bodybuilding competition and if it’s anything like their last event in Manchester, it’ll be a popular one.
Last time the brand was in town for its LIFT MCR event in the spring, they had queues stretching down the street as thousands flocked to see figures from the worlds of lifting, fitness and bodybuilding.
Gymshark’s event this October will also feature Athlete Meet & Greets with some high-profile Gymshark athletes.
Fitness personalities including Ryan Terry himself, Phil Heath, and Kai Green will all take part in panel talks at the Q&A Stage.
Ryan Terry is a well-known figure in the industry (with 2.3 million followers on Instagram) who has claimed victories across the world competing in Men’s Physique.
Ticket-holders to Gymshark’s The Ryan Terry British Championship will be able to browse a range of exclusive merch in the Retail Zone.
And Gymshark will even open the Cheat Day Diner for the weekend, where you can grab a bite to eat in amongst all the action.
Plus, the first 500 guests to arrive on each day will get a goodie bag filled with secret, exclusive stuff.
The Ryan Terry British Championship will be brought to Manchester by GymsharkThe Ryan Terry British Championship will be brought to Manchester by Gymshark
Gymshark itself was founded by Ben Francis in his garage in 2012. He used YouTube tutorials – and a little help from his grandmother – to learn to sew.
Now, there are more than 18 million Gymshark customers across 180 countries, and it’s achieved ‘unicorn’ status after being valued at more than £1bn.
The brand turned over around £500m in its last financial year and employs around 800 people worldwide.
Hosted by 2BrosPro, The Ryan Terry British Championship will take place on 14 and 15 October at Manchester Central.
Tickets are £40 and include entry to watch the bodybuilding shows on the main stage, plus access to all the side events taking place.
Take That add SEVENTH Manchester date despite grumbles over ticket prices
Daisy Jackson
Take That are basically moving into Manchester’s Co-op Live arena next spring it seems – the pop trio have just added a SEVENTH date to their run in their home city.
Their first shows sold out at light speed and Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen have added even more dates to their This Life On Tour tour.
Take That will now be gigging at Manchester’s soon-to-open Co-Op Live arena on 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 May – then coming back for more on 11 and 12 June.
They’ve also added a sixth date at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, bringing their tour up to 41 dates across the UK and Ireland.
The trio will be joined by Olly Murs as the support act in Manchester.
The phenomenal ticket sales come despite a fair few grumblings about Take That ticket prices, which started as soon as the pre-sales went live.
The smart bowl at Co-op Live arena. Credit: Supplied
One person wrote (and I don’t know why she’s directly targeting Gary Barlow here): “Wow, @GaryBarlow the price of the Take That tickets are totally out of reach for a lot of us this time round . Two tickets approx £490, that’s a food shop for 5 weeks . Enjoy the profits.”
Another person said: “You know what @takethat you don’t need to charge a bloody fortune for the tickets, you’ve got enough cash yourselves and not every artist does it. I went to see Paolo at the Hydro 3 times for the price of 1 ⫩ ticket Ripping off your fans! Tickets are 4 times the price of 2015.”
Someone else said: “Prices are crazy…first time in 30 years that I’m not even trying for tickets.”
Another person commented: “Prices are ridiculously expensive, I got through to buy tickets for Birmingham but refused to pay £70 to sit at the very back of the arena.”
General sale tickets for Take That’s newest date are available through Co-op Live from 9.30am on Friday 6 October, and you can grab them here.
Take That are heading on a huge tour including seven nights in Manchester
Take That tour dates for Manchester’s Co-op Live arena in full
Tuesday 7 May – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 8 May – SOLD OUT
Friday 10 May – SOLD OUT
Saturday 11 May – SOLD OUT
Sunday 12 May – SOLD OUT
Tuesday 11 June
Wednesday 12 June
Take That ticket prices for Manchester
Take That Premium Floor Seat Package (includes a gift, a limited-edition city-specific signed print, a souvenir laminate, and an exclusive VIP tote bag) – £242.70 including booking fees.
Take That Premium Tiered Seat Package (includes a gift, a limited-edition city-specific signed print, a souvenir laminate, and an exclusive VIP tote bag) – £242.70 including booking fees.