There’s an unmissable festive experience is coming to Barton Square on a spectacular scale never seen before.
Christmas is officially on its way, because on 3 December, TraffordCity will transform into the ultimate winter wonderland where “dreams really do come true”.
Set over two floors, visitors will be taken on a sensory journey that recreates the sights, smells and sounds of Christmas, with a magical Christmas village, authentic markets, and a breathtaking ice skating experience that takes you through a captivating forest and snow-covered world.
For those who are Bambi on ice though, there’ll be two custom-built bars so you watch family and friends safely with a steaming-hot beverage.
Skaters can then hit the skate-up bar for festive refreshments ice-side.
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TraffordCity will transform into the ultimate winter wonderland where “dreams really do come true” / Credit: Louise Woodward
The Christmas village and markets are free to enter, and will feature artisan crafts, and rich offerings of delicious food and drink.
They’ll be open Monday – Friday from 10am – 10pm, Saturday from 10am – 9pm, and Sunday from 12pm – 6pm.
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Ice skating tickets start from £13 for a 45-minute slot, and can be booked on site and pre-booked here.
The £150,000 installation will combine lighting, visuals, and stunning scenography, and as the brainchild of immersive event specialist OOBE Global Group, it’s the first time a festive experience of this scale has been hosted at TraffordCity.
So, yeah, it’s a pretty big deal.
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There’s a breathtaking ice skating experience that takes you through a captivating forest / Credit: Louise Woodward
Paolo Gaddari – Managing Director of OOBE – said: “Our aim is to surprise and delight visitors at every turn.
“A place where lighting, visuals and sets are tools to create an immersive multi-dimensional experience, transporting them to the ultimate festive fantasy world and to give them a day out to remember.”
Unreal Xmas experience promises to be festive fun for all the family, so make sure to book your tickets now and don’t miss out.
Barton Square is found in TraffordCity, and linked via a bridge from the Trafford Centre.
Featured Image – Louise Woodward
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Comedy sensation Matt Rife announces new arena tour with Manchester show
Daisy Jackson
Comedian Matt Rife has just announced a brand-new world tour, with an arena show in Manchester on the cards.
The American comic, who has a whopping 11m followers on Instagram and 20m on TikTok, will be performing a night at the AO Arena on his extended Stay Golden World Tour, with tickets on sale Friday.
It’s one of 40+ new dates across North America and Europe, on a tour which will feature a 360 degree in-the-round stage at select venues.
The record-breaking comedian had already announced shows across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Canada, and performed shows across the States.
He’s been the youngest comedian to ever sell out New York’s Madison Square Garden – and he did two sold-out nights.
He’s shattered ticket sale records at arenas right across the USA, too.
Matt Rife has become one of the hottest names in comedy thanks to his razor-sharp crowd work and massive social media following, with over 44.6 million followers and more than three billion views globally, as well as chart-topping Netflix specials.
The 30-year-old entertainer will release a new Netflix special – Matt Rife: Unwrapped – on 2 December this year.
The ‘Christmas Crowd Work Special’ will ‘explore gifts, traditions and who’s made it on the naughty or nice list this year’.
Matt Rife will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on
Tickets for Matt Rife in Manchester at the AO Arena will go on sale from Wednesday 12 November for artist presale, and general sale will begin from 2pm on Friday 14 November – you can get your tickets HERE.
Frank Warren’s special anniversary fight card, featuring local fighters, is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Queensberry Promotions is toasting founder Frank Warren as he marks a major milestone in the industry, with a massive Manchester fight event and plenty of regional boxers on the card.
The 73-year-old entrepreneur and boxing manager is set to hold a landmark fight night in early 2026 as he celebrates four and a half decades in the business.
Being hosted not just the biggest indoor entertainment venue in Manchester, but all of Europe, Co-op Live, the legendary promoter and his company will be welcoming a wealth of both local and global athletes to the arena, which is continuing to attract more live sport and combat sports, specifically.
They’ve put together a fight card with plenty of interest, and the evening is sure to feature plenty of other familiar faces out in the audience, too.
Dubbed ‘The Magnificent 7’, the headline fight will be a face-off between 20-year-old Moses Itauma and American boxer Jermain Franklin.
The heavyweight clash is sure to be a tasty one, with Itauma having now famously defeated veteran Dillian Whyte in a first-round demolition; meanwhile, Frankling is riding a wave of confidence following a trio of consecutive wins.
But while the main event will have plenty of global eyes on, we’ll confess that we’re most excited by the roster of Manc talents on show.
Featuring on the undercard is not only experienced Ashton-born boxer Zak Miller, but 24-year-old ‘Super’ Alex Murphy.
The up-and-coming fighter, who also happens to be a big Bolton Wanderers fan, trains just down the road at Eccles Boxing School and has 14 wins from 16 bouts.
Manchester’s combat sports stars certainly delivered for Queensberry in a recent event at the Co-op earlier this month, and we expect the same next January.
The last Frank Warren-backed event in Manchester didn’t disappoint.
Speaking on the big booking in line with his big anniversary, Warren said in an official statement: “We are thrilled to be delivering such a strong Magnificent 7 bounty for the fans in our first UK show of 2026…
“We are delighted with what we have put together across 2025 in tandem with our new broadcast partner DAZN, but we have the scope to go bigger and further in 2026, which we will do and make it a landmark year for the sport.
“This show will also effectively celebrate my 45th year in the professional business, and I believe this card certainly does justice to the occasion. I’m very happy to have our heavyweight prodigy Moses, topping the bill in another perfect test of his unquestionable credentials against a very tough American in Jermain Franklin.”
Presale for official Co-op Members goes live from 12 noon on Monday, 17 November, while general admission tickets will be available from the same time the following Wednesday (19 Nov); you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Dolly Busby -
12th November 2021 
