Manchester’s newest social experience Escape to Freight Island has just announced its ‘next stage of evolution’ at Depot Mayfield.
After what has been the monumental success of the summer, the team behind Escape to Freight Island – currently housed at Depot Mayfield – are “proud to announce the true vision for this unique urban destination” with the addition of ‘The Ticket Hall’.
The Ticket Hall is the next chapter of Escape to Freight Island’s story, which started with the extraordinary arrival of Platform 15 – the original outdoor area that opened in the summer – and from Friday 30th October, will see a whole host of new food vendors descend on the venue and take over the industrial indoor space.
The fully-heated new opening will feature table seating, a wine shop, bars and a bike cloakroom.
The Ticket Hall is positioned underneath the original and striking roof structure within Depot Mayfield, and will see the vision for Escape to Freight Island unfold into a sprawling indoor market, which captures the atmospheric charm of the imposing building.
ADVERTISEMENT
Food vendors joining the original and much-loved Baratxuri, Voodoo Rays, Patty Queen and Madre will be:
Sugo Pasta Kitchen – The critically acclaimed Manchester-born pasta restaurant that takes its inspiration from its deep-rooted southern Italian heritage.
Mi & Pho – The award-winning family-run restaurant, which will offer authentic Vietnamese dishes.
Plant Grill– A vegan offering of modern cuisine created by Dan Hope of Fire Bird Hope and Krum fame.
El Boleto – A San Sebastian-style Deli selling small plates and the freshest produce to enjoy at home or on site.
The Jane Eyre – A cocktail bar serving classic drinks with a twist.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzKzhXA6HU/
The Ticket Hall will have two tap rooms – Camden Town and Pomona – serving a tasty range of beers, plus the independent wine shop Forever Changes will add to the market takeaway vibes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Another addition to the multifaceted urban space, and a first for the city of Manchester, is a bike cloakroom, which is brought to Escape to Freight Island in partnership with world-renowned cyclewear brand Rapha, and it will enable visitors to safely park their bikes while they enjoy the full experience.
Co-creator Luke Cowdrey said: “When we launched Platform 15 at Escape to Freight Island this summer, we created one of the most forward-thinking venues of its time, in this country. It’s a place of positivity; somewhere that people can safely meet with their family and friends and experience some of the most beautifully crafted food and drink with world-class entertainment.
“The Ticket Hall is the next phase in our long and interesting journey developing Escape to Freight Island.”
ADVERTISEMENT
James Heather – Development Director at U+I for the Mayfield Partnership – added: “The extraordinary success of Escape to Freight Island this summer has underlined Mayfield’s role as an outstanding location for culture and entertainment.
“With Freight Island expanding further into Depot Mayfield, we’re excited to welcome yet more visitors to enjoy this distinctive space and contribute to the soulful regeneration of Mayfield.”
The Safe + Social Manifesto means Escape to Freight Island has been designed as a space where you are able to socialise safely with your party, maintain social distance from others, and remain alert to the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19), while being part of the overall urban festival atmosphere.
Platform 15 is also set to change, with more information on this to be announced soon.
You can find more information and book tickets via the Escape to Freight Island website here and you can follow Escape to Freight Island on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What's On
Manchester favourites hosting a heartwarming festive social for those alone this Christmas
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester bar and cafe, Haunt, have announced that they will be hosting a special social to spread some much-needed seasonal cheer to those who are spending Christmas apart from their families and/or friends this year.
Wholesome stuff from a wholesome bunch.
That’s right, friendly neighbourhood ghosts Haunt will be putting on a little free shindig for the 2025 festive period in an effort not only to share the typical kindness with locals based in and around the city centre but to help create “a sense of community, no matter what your situation”.
Announcing the completely open-to-the-public Christmas Eve party over the weekend, the team are looking to provide those who might otherwise be lonely or struggle during the holidays with a warm, arms-wide welcome, plus plenty more.
Writing on their social media account this past Sunday, bar manager JJ said: “People, it’s time to connect this Christmas! We will be providing free coffee and sweet treats from 12-5pm on Christmas Eve, as well as some games and workshops.
“We’ve put a lot of work into this, so it would be amazing to see as many of you there as possible! Also need this to reach the people that need an event like this most, so please share and repost.
“As always, look out for your people, I wouldn’t be anywhere without mine – JJ xoxo”
Come on, who doesn’t love seeing heartwarming stuff like this on their feed, especially when it comes to a time of year where so many suffer quietly amid the majority having a good time?
This isn’t the first time they’ve held a pop-up that’s caught our attention in 2025, either; it was only last month that we were surprised to stumble on a mini padel court in the middle of the room.
Once again, there’ll be brews and fresh bakes, as well as plenty of other activities to keep people entertained on the night.
As described in their post, Christmas can be tough for a lot of people, and if they can make even just one person looking for some kindness and companionship feel better for a few hours this year, then they’ll have done above and beyond their job.
It goes without saying that we love seeing local businesses taking the social and community side of their work like this to heart and putting in serious effort to make a difference.
Well done to JJ, the Chosen Family support group, and everyone at Haunt for setting this up; if you know anyone who might be interested in coming along, please do pass on the information.
You can grab your free tickets via Eventbrite right HERE, and maybe we’ll see some of you there.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Haunt (via Instagram)
What's On
The full lineup for the Strictly Live tour has been revealed
Danny Jones
Yes, ballroom lovers, it’s here: the full lineup of dancers for the ‘Strictly Come Dancing Live’ tour has finally and officially been revealed.
It feels like fans have been waiting ages to find out the entire roster for the Strictly Live tour next year, with only limited waves having been released thus far.
However, the patience has paid off, and we now know who’ll be starring both on the stage and on down on the floors of some of Britain’s most beloved venues, including our very own AO Arena.
You can see the latest raft of additions down below.
As you can see, the final four couples who complete the next Strictly Live tour lineup for 2026 are social media personality George Clarke, Emmerdale face Lewis Cope, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and another actor in Layton Williams.
This quality quartet will be paired up with Alexis Warr, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley and Nikita Kuzmin, respectively; it has already been confirmed that much-loved trio Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood will be returning as judges, with Janette Manrara remaining as host.
Strictly‘s still ongoing season – the 23rd in the show’s history – is due to conclude this weekend, following the final on Saturday night (20 December), and it remains to be seen which of the current cast will be crowned champion, with several of those above and below now signed up for the live tour.
The rest of the Strictly Live dancers for 2026 here:
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey aka ‘Nitro’
Alex Kingston
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Balvinder Sopal
George Clarke
La Voix
Chris Robshaw
Ellie Goldstein
Thomas Skinner
Vicky Pattison
Stefan Dennis
Ross King
Karen Carney
Lewis Cope
Amber Davies
It isn’t guaranteed that each of these contestants will be taking part in EVERY single one of the tour dates, but either way, you’ve still got ‘The Professionals’ to come next spring, too.
The annual Strictly Come Dancing UK tour has become a firm fan favourite, not only among die-hard viewers of the BBC show but lovers of live entertainment in general.
Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and others confirmed the dates for their live shows earlier this year, with the AO set to host the two days’ worth of moves across Saturday, 31 January and Sunday, 1 February.
Hosting both normal evening shows as well as matinee slots, it’s simply up to you at what time of day you fancy panto-booing Craig…
If you’re interested in securing tickets for the typically fabulous festivals, you can grab yours HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
1st October 2020 
