What's On

Incredible Twilight Trail light show opens at Manchester city centre’s newest park

The family-friendly experience has taken over Mayfield Park.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th November 2023

Wandering around twinkling light installations has become a popular festive activity for thousands every winter, and thanks to a new Twilight Trail at Mayfield Park, you don’t even need to leave the city centre to see one. 

This brand new trail (in Manchester‘s brand new 6.5 acre park) brings a giant Christmas tree that flashes in time to music, disco ball installations over the river, a fire pit area where you can roast marshmallows, and a spirograph tunnel. 

It even has a disco soundtrack curated by nightlife favourites La Discotheque and the play park has been included in the trail for the little ones.

The dazzling light trail runs alongside Winter Island, Freight Island’s seasonal festival, where some of the city’s best food operators will be serving Christmas specials. 

The Twilight Trail itself is a budget-friendly festive activity with tickets starting from just £9, and is just a short walk from the trains, buses and trams that stop at Manchester Piccadilly. 

The immersive winter light trail is the first of its kind to be held at Mayfield Park and will run all the way through to New Year’s Eve. 

Visitors will join The Twilight Trail at the main entrance to the park, then spend around 30 minutes exploring, surrounded by twinkling illuminations. 

The light trail ends at Freight Island itself, where you can dig in to the Winter Island food offering or say hi to the Big Man himself at a Visit Santa Experience. 

There’s plenty of food and drink on offer, from a build-your-own boozy hot chocolate bar from Cocoa Cabana, to the Smoking Coal German BBQ, serving a whole bratwurst menu, Schweinshaxe in a bun, and a classic hog roast butty. 

Formaggi by Lazy Tony’s. Credit: The Manc Group
Formaggi by Lazy Tony’s. Credit: The Manc Group
Cocoa Cabana hot chocolates at The Twilight Trail and Freight Island
Cocoa Cabana hot chocolates at The Twilight Trail and Freight Island
A Yorkshire pudding hot dog at The Smoking Coal at Freight Island
A Yorkshire pudding hot dog at The Smoking Coal at Freight Island

Cheese fanatics will want to take a quick detour to Formaggi by Lazy Tony’s, where you can tuck into all sorts of oozy, melty cheese dishes, like Italian-American toasties, deep fried burrata, melted Camembert, and roast potatoes with poutine toppings. 

That’s not to mention all of Freight Island’s resident traders – Burgerism, Voodoo Ray’s, Lazy Tony’s Lasagnaria, Patel’s Pies, Payal, Mia’s Arepas, FUKU, Mega Gyros, Oh My Cheesecake, and Fry-By are all open for business as usual too. 

The Visit Santa Experience will take over the Plant Room, where for £22.50 kids can meet Father Christmas and his elves, receiving a small Lego gift, a Lindt Chocolate and photo opportunity (it’s free for accompanying adults). 

Laura Percy, development director at LandSecU+I, leading the regeneration of Mayfield, said: “The new Twilight Trail promises to be a brilliant addition to both Mayfield Park and the whole of Manchester city centre, complementing the Christmas markets, which are such a popular destination for thousands of visitors every year.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer our neighbours in Ardwick and Brunswick, particularly families, a large number of complimentary tickets so that as many people as possible can come and enjoy the Trail.

“The spirit of innovation at Mayfield is long-established and it’s great to see our partners at Freight Island continuing to push the boundaries with this exciting autumn programme.”

The spirograph tunnel at the Twilight Trail in Manchester
The spirograph tunnel at the Twilight Trail. Credit: The Manc Group
A light tunnel at The Twilight Trail at Mayfield Park
A light tunnel at The Twilight Trail at Mayfield Park

Jon Drape from The Twilight Trail said: “We are thrilled to bring a new festive experience to Mayfield Park this year. 

“The Twilight Trail’s unique light installations will completely transform this incredible park. We are very proud to be able to deliver such a wonderful experience at an affordable price this year, whether for the family, groups of friends or a date night.

“Combined with the opportunity to visit the brand-new Winter Island next door we believe Depot Mayfield is set to be an unrivalled Christmas destination in the UK.”

Tickets for the Twilight Trail are on sale now here. 

Adult tickets are £9 in November and £10 in December, while family tickets start at £28. Children under two go free. 

Featured image: The Manc Group

What's On

What we know about Oasis’ Heaton Park reunion shows based on their first comeback gig in Cardiff

Danny Jones Danny Jones All the info we know about Oasis Live '25 reunion night 1 Cardiff

Ok, so there’s no more need to pinch ourselves or double-take every time we check our phone: Oasis aren’t just back together, they’ve now kicked off the reunion and following those incredible Cardiff scenes, we’re already thinking about what this means for their Heaton Park homecoming.

There simply isn’t a brick-and-mortar Manchester venue big enough to hold as many Manc fans as want, need and deserve to see them back on stage after waiting all this time, so it’s only fitting that barely a month on from Parklife, the massive outdoor space will welcome us all back to witness history.

Quite literally millions of people tuned into various livestreams on Friday evening to see Oasis return at the Principality Stadium, so lots of you will have already seen plenty from the colossal concert – including that bald bloke balancing a pint on his head – but there was, understandably, a lot to take in.

So, with that being said, here’s what we hope, we think, we know about Oasis’ highly anticipated Heaton Park shows based solely on the details we gleaned from Cardiff night one.

The timings (roughly)

For starters, one of the most important things fans will be hoping to know is when Oasis got back on stage, as well as the set times of the other ‘Live ’25‘ support acts.

Liam, as per usual, was the mouthier of the two Gallagher brothers and let the cat out of the bag early on X (Twitter), before being clearly told off by management and deleting the details shortly after; still, it was confirmed that the main event for Friday and Saturday night gets underway at 8:15pm.

However, these things are always subject to change, as both Richard Aschroft and Cast were slightly premature on night one in Cardiff, and who knows what other arenas will be like for the rest of the reunion tour?

Credit: Oasis (via Instagram)/Dianne Bourne (screenshot via X)

The Live ’25 setlist – or at least on night one

Another big debate online that has raged ever since the Oasis reunion was confirmed is the subject of what they’re going to play from their extensive catalogue.

Obviously, most people could rattle off most of the all-time favourites and cobbble together a pretty decent ‘greatest hits’ of Oasis setlist, but people have been more concerned with what the opener, closing track, and encore will be.

Having watched all of these moments back multiple times already, we can confirm the first track was the classic intro ‘F***in’ in the Bushes’, as many fans suspected, followed by ‘Hello’ as the first full song, rather fittingly.

As for the last track in the main running order, the crowd got to bounce up and down to ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ before the legendary ‘Champagne Supernova’ beckoned the very end of the first night in Cardiff.

They’ll still be reactive

That being said, this inaugural comeback show was somewhat of a pilot for the rest of the ‘Live ’25 world tour, which now totals more than 40 dates, and any good artist knows that tweaking the setlist from show to show can be key to not only to success, but keeping things fresh for you and the audience.

As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised if you see Oasis mix things up as the nights roll on, especially when playing multiple gigs in the same city as they’re doing pretty much everywhere for this reunion.

That flexibility isn’t just limited to song choice either: Liam did his famous twist on the ‘Wonderwall’ lyrics and told the crowd, “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t speak Welsh”, and in case you haven’t seen it already, they also took a moment to honour a late Liverpool star.

Gallagher brothers pay touching tribute to Diogo Jota on first night of Oasis reunion tour
There were lots of little details on night one in Cardiff, but this was a very nice touch from Oasis.

A bigger focus on production than ever

The glimpse at the AV presentation seen above is just a small taster too. From the various clips we’ve seen on social media over the last 24 hours or so, Oasis aren’t just back playing music together, but they’ve levelled significantly in terms of production and stage design.

In fairness, so too has the music indusry as a whole – you’d be hard-pressed to found a tech team that could pull of the pre-gig light-show they put on in the days leading up to night one at the Principality – but it was still cool to see the greatest rock band in the world be given a proper big budget backdrop.

For instance, you can see what flashed on the gigantic screens behind them as they walked out in front of more than 70,000 in Cardiff down below.

What a way to make an entrance…

Blues, through and through

Now, if you’ve ever been to see either of the brothers’ solo shows, you’ll know that football and, more specifically, references to Man City, often feature at some point.

Noel, in particular, has maintained a strong City presence in his set, be it the blue colour palette, the MCFC badge, or even a tall cut-out of manager Pep Guardiola half during most High Flying Birds gigs.

Cardiff night one was no different as his LG instructed the crowd to turn around and do the familiar ‘Poznan’ celebration regularly seen up in the stands of the Etihad Stadium.

The bitterness had turned to banter

It was bits of comedy like this that’s been one of the biggest part we’ve missed about Oasis; both Liam and Noel have always been very humorous in their own ways over the years, but they were never funnier than in those old clips you see of them cracking each other up in their younger days.

Despite being estranged for more than a decade and a half and who knows how many years of bad blood overall, they look to have at least put it to one side and what was once a combative back and forth from a distance has circled back around to brotherly banter – or at least we hope it has.

We’re not going to pretend they absolutely adore all of a sudden, but they’re at least trying and recognising each other’s roles.

They actually seem to like each other again

As you can see, those snaps of them smiling during the first reunion photo shoot back together don’t appear to be just for show.

Seeing the two of them walk out holding hands sent the internet into an absolute frenzy of emotion and had people joking that they were finally going to message their own troublesome relative and at least try to mend fences.

But that was just one small moment.

The duo have always admired and respected their respective talents, but for the first time in even longer than the 16-year hiatus itself, it seems like there’s some genuine love there again. See for yourself:

They’re still as massive as they ever were – if not more so

All this is to say that, in short, Oasis’ first comeback show in Cardiff isn’t just the start of the ‘Live ’25 reunion tour that will span the globe, it’s also confirmation of something people began to question in their lengthy absence…

They really are the biggest and, in so many people’s opinions (including our own), the greatest rock band of all time.

From what we can tell, it feels like one of those watershed music moments where you have be there in person to truly see and believe it – not to be part of some exclusive ‘I was there’ comeback, but because we can’t thing of any other reunion that has had this kind of impact.

Roll on the five nights at Heaton Park and strap in, folks, because you will never forget it.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Oasis (via X)/Finnlay K (via Instagram)

What's On

Grassroots music venue The Yard announces new outdoor festival – and it’s got a great name

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

City centre grassroots music venue The Yard has just announced its new outdoor festival, where you can expect lots of impressive local live music.

Independent and grassroots music venue, The Yard, is known for hosting some of the best gigs, creative events and live music in the city, and this festival is no different.

Titled ‘Stranger Ways’ – if you don’t get that reference, then we don’t know what to tell you – anyone attending can expect to hear music that champions Manchester’s indie spirit, with a lot of local talent represented in the lineup.

There’s an appearance from Alex Spencer, who has previously featured in our Manc artists of the month back in May.

Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.
Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.
The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.
The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.
Credit: Supplied

This talent has seen praise from the likes of Lady Gaga and The Coral, even getting his track ‘Nightmares’ featured in EA Sports FC25 (FIFA).

Wigan lads The Lilacs are also fronting the bill, known for their high energy sets and indie tune ‘Vicarage Road’ which they performed live at The Yard for music TV show, Spill The Sound.

They’ve seen massive success this year playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this summer and supporting ‘Every Breath You Take’ penman Sting in Cardiff.

Another of our picks for Manc artists of the month for June, Arkayla. Named after “a terrible Oasis demo” from 1991, the band will be stopping by to sing a couple of their hits, too.

The band are already making waves, quite literally, receiving plays from one of the biggest rock radio stations in the UK, Radio X.

Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.
Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.
Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard's new outdoor festival.
Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard’s new outdoor festival.
Credit: Supplied

And of course this festival falls during Oasis’ massive reunion tour, so it would be rude not to have a tribute act, or two, performing at this outdoor festival – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Carpets and The Oasis Experience.

Now, as far as tribute bands go, that’s up there with one of the best and quietly clever names we’ve heard since we came across, well… Stranger Ways.

Speaking of Oasis, every ticket purchased for The Yard’s outdoor festival, Stranger Ways, gets entered into a prize draw to win tickets for one of the Burnage boys’ Wembley gigs with an overnight stay.

Erm. Yes. Please.

Read more:

Stranger Ways Festival is taking place at The Yard across 19 and 20 July – To access the full lineup and grab your tickets, you can find everything you need to know HERE.

Anyone who has managed to bag themselves those precious Oasis tickets is in luck too, as if you can show proof on arrival to The Yard, you can guarantee yourself free entry.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

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