School’s are out for half term in Greater Manchester at the end of this month and there’s plenty of “fang-tastic fun” for all the family to be getting up to at Great Northern.
Just like everything else amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the spooky season is gearing up to be a little different this year, but with the nights drawing in and Halloween just around the corner, you can still make the most out of October half term at Great Northern.
With offers and events suitable for days out with family, or evenings with your social bubble, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at “Manchester’s ultimate leisure destination”.
What can you expect then?
Well, in what is sure to be one the highlights of the week, the Halloween in the City monsters are back. These giant inflatable creatures have become a real stand-out in Manchester’s Halloween celebrations over the years, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll see a tentacled monster reaching out across the Great Northern Square from 26th October – 1st November.
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You can also head to the Odeon to enjoy one of the many blood-curdling blockbusters that are currently screening, including the family-friendly Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, or you can leave the kids at home instead and prepare to be scared out of your wits with spine-chilling horrors like Saint Maud or Unhinged.
With tickets starting at just £5, everyone can indulge in a spooky season scare.
Trick or treating as we’ve come to know it is unfortunately off the cards this year, but for a trick or treat that the whole family will love, you can head to Alex’s Bakery at Great Northern instead for an afternoon tea that consists of a spookily-delicious assortment of savoury snacks and sweet treats.
With three price tiers starting from £9.90 per person, it’s a no brainer.
Or why not treat yourselves to some award-winning chocolate from Dormouse, which recently won an International Chocolate Award for its eerily good Guara Estate 75% dark chocolate, or for an even more spooktacular treat, you can dine at cult-favourite burger joint Almost Famous, which is home to some of Manchester’s biggest and best burgers.
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The menu stand-out at the moment sees little ones get to celebrate in style with the Home Alone cheeseburger, from the kids menu, which is topped with frazzles, mac and cheese and a strawberry pop tart for the ultimate Halloween feast.
You can find more information on October activities via the Great Northern Warehouse website here.
What's On
Lightwaves returns to Salford Quays next month with mesmerising FREE outdoor light trail
Emily Sergeant
One of the North West’s most mesmerising light art festivals is returning to Salford once again this festive season.
After having successfully lit up MediaCity like never before in recent years, and going on to become an undeniable winter season highlight in Greater Manchester, Lightwaves Salford is set to return for another year early next month, and will be joining the growing list of light trails already in place across the region and beyond.
Presented by Quays Culture, the popular festival is returning for its twelfth year, and there’ll be 12 illuminated artworks along a 1.5km fully-accessible trail around MediaCity and Salford Quays.
The mesmerising immersive experience will include installations of different scale, all making use of light, sound, and technology in innovative ways.
The themes of the artworks vary from celebrating the nostalgia of a seaside arcade, to highlighting climate change and our connection to the natural world all set to represented, aiming to offer people a sense of optimism and togetherness.
Organisers are calling this year’s festival their ‘most interactive yet’.
“This year the focus is on artworks that visitors can engage with on a more human scale,” explained Rachel Candler from Quays Culture, “so we’re looking forward to seeing playful moments and even some dancing.
Lightwaves returns to Salford Quays next month with a mesmerising FREE outdoor light trail / Credit: Dave Sloan | Liz West
“Year on year, Lightwaves delights audiences of all ages, and we’re sure that 2025 will be no exception.
“For many of our visitors, Lightwaves Salford marks the start of the festive period, getting together with friends or family for a dazzling evening of light art as we head into the winter months.”
Lightwaves Salford 2025 returns on Thursday 4 through to Sunday 7 December, and it’s free to attend with no need to book tickets prior.
Maps will be available online in advance and on the night, but visitors can use any route they like.
Featured Image – Liz West (Supplied)
What's On
Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows
Danny Jones
Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.
They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.
As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.
Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)
Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.
As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”
Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?
Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.
As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025.
You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:
Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates
Christmas Cracker
November – Fri, 28
December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23
Big Fat Bingo Of The Year
Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025
If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
14th October 2020 
