It looks set to be one of the highlights of this year’s events calendar here in Manchester, and tickets are now on sale.
90s kids, 00s lovers, dance floor heroes, and underground clubbers can kick-start the summer season by grabbing tickets to go back to that time they love so much as Flashback Festival – Manchester’s newest and only outdoor music festival celebrating dance music from the last two decades – is bringing “timeless tunes and fresh vibes” to Platt Fields Park.
Some of the biggest names from dance music across the globe, some chart-topping local throwbacks, and some of the elite North West residents from over the years will be gathering in the city for one day only this May.
They’ll be blasting out all the “old skool anthems” you know and love at what is set to be the hottest festival this summer, come rain or shine.
No matter what it is that you’re in to – whether it be euphoric trance and Clubland Classics, to retro house, garage, jungle, hardcore, and just about everything in between – Flashback Festival’s “jaw-dropping” lineup of headliners and pioneers will showcase a full spectrum of dance music royalty from the past 30 years.
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There’s over 60 artists on the lineup, spread across five stages.
Flashback Festival is taking over Platt Fields Park / Credit: Flashback Festival
Headliner Example will be taking to the ‘Main Stage’ with his hits ‘Kickstarts’ and ‘Won’t Go Quietly’, and he’ll be joined by other throwback chart toppers Tinchy Stryder, 2Unlimited, Tulisa, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Ultrabeat, and so many more.
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For the Garage fans, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Artful Dodger, and Sweet Female Attitude will be there to take it back to the most iconic era in music.
Stages will be hosted by legendary brands such as Clubland, Hed Kandi, Back by Dope Demand, and Trance Anthems.
The ‘Main Stage’ will be a huge open-air outdoor stage with SFX, laser shows, and pyrotechnics, and there’ll be huge big top arena featuring a well-known national brand that fills up clubs and dance floors every week.
There’s over 60 artists on the lineup, spread across five stages / Credit: Flashback Festival
And the music is only part of what makes this festival an unmissable event too.
There’s also set to be a VIP bar and plenty of different fairground rides spread across the dedicated ‘Festival Village’, as well as an official after party on the cards, and lots more exciting things to be announced over the coming months.
Flashback Festival is coming to Platt Fields Park on Saturday 21 May 2022.
Tickets are priced at £44.50 for standard entry, £61.50 for a VIP package, and £10 if you just fancy going to the after party, with booking fees added onto each.
Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Emily Sergeant -
4th February 2022 
