Manchester’s collection of giant inflatable monsters will be back this Halloween and they’re ready to invade rooftops across the city centre for the third year running.
Trick or treating may be off the cards this year, but Halloween will still be making itself at home in the city.
Created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas from Designs in Air, the MCR Monsters will be on display at seven locations across the city from 26th October to 1st November.
Launched as a single installation Monster Attack in 2017, the monsters have multiplied over the years to form a trail between some of the city’s best-known landmarks.
They’re now considered to be one of the highlights of Manchester’s Halloween in the City celebrations.
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During this year’s event – which is organised by Manchester BID who represent over 400 city centre retailers and restaurants – the monsters will be appearing at Spinningfields, Moda Angel Gardens, Manchester Arndale, The Printworks, Selfridges, 111 Piccadilly and Great Northern Warehouse.
Visitors to the city centre will be able to see some old favourites – including Filthy Luker’s iconic giant tentacles – along with new commissions for this year and what’s more is that those who share their pictures of the monsters on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #MCRMonsters will also be in with a chance of winning a shopping weekend in Manchester too.
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halloweenMCR / Manchester BID
If you’ve ventured into the city centre already over this past week or so, then you may have already seen Manchester awash with hundreds of pumpkin lanterns on Market Street, St Ann’s Square, St Ann’s Street, Spinningfields and First Street.
These fan-favourite lanterns have also returned as the city centre prepares to celebrate Halloween.
Speaking on this year’s Halloween in the City celebrations, Jane Sharrocks – Manchester BID Chair and General Manager of Selfridges Exchange Square – said: “Manchester BID are incredibly excited to bring this event back in what will be the first major calendar date we’re been able to celebrate in the city since the start of the pandemic.
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“This is an incredibly challenging time and obviously we’ve had to make changes to this year’s overall event programme but we’re confident that the return of the Manchester monsters will be a fantastic and safe way to surprise and delight visitors and celebrate Halloween across the city centre.”
Whilst the monsters and pumpkins are once again returning this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the maze, parade and Trick or Treat trail will sadly not be returning for 2020’s celebrations.
You can find more information about Halloween in the Cityhere.
What's On
Inside Anthropologie as beautiful new store opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Anthropologie has finally arrived in Manchester, opening a beautiful new store in the Royal Exchange.
The beloved lifestyle brand is famed for its curated range of clothing, shoes, accessories, activewear, beauty, wellness, furniture, home décor, bridal, and loads more.
Anthropologie has taken over a two-storey unit overlooking St Ann’s Square, which opens today right in time for the Black Friday sales.
Inside, shoppers will find everything from denim to dinnerware, plus delights like martini-shaped handbags, apres ski-inspired glassware, and cosy knitwear.
Brands inside include Damson Madder, Tala, Maeve, Vagabond, and Never Fully Dressed.
There’ll be live music by local artist Maya Blandy, and seasonal drinks from 3pm, for a festive shopping experience.
Inside Anthropologie ManchesterMartini-shaped bags in AnthropologieHomewaresShoes in AnthropologieInside Anthropologie ManchesterTala is in storeThe denim shopBrands include Maeve by Anthropologie
And later down the line, Anthropologie Manchester is hosting a Winter Warmer Day on 9 December, with festive hot drinks and a gift personalisation station – plus a festive goodie bag for the first 100 customers to spend £100 between 9 and 11 December.
Anthropologie was founded in 1992 and has since expanded to have more than 200 stores globally, launching three new UK sites this year (Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow).
Matt Hilgeman, Managing Director of Anthropologie International, said: “We’re excited to open our third and final store for 2025 in the heart of Manchester city.
“As part of our Northern expansion, the new store will showcase a curated assortment of our most-loved brands, exclusive partywear, and our signature ‘Only at Anthropologie’ gifting.
“We can’t wait to open our doors and meet the community.”
Anthropologie Manchester is now from Wednesday 26 November at the Royal Exchange on St Ann’s Square.
Science and Industry Museum announces new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’
Emily Sergeant
A major new exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ is making its world premiere in Manchester next year.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum next February.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.
Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.
This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group
Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.
Emily Sergeant -
6th October 2020 
