With just over two weeks to go until Valentine’s Day arrives, we’ve pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact things will be a little different this year.
Whilst it’s true that we are somewhat used to adapting our seasonal celebrations for the circumstances nowadays, the loved-up among us won’t have forgotten that Valentine’s Day is new ground for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, given that it was one of the last events to take place ‘normally’ before the stark realities of the crisis set in last March.
That doesn’t mean the occasion should to go un-celebrated in 2021 though.
Yes, we can’t deny that it’ll be a little different this year, but there’s no need to miss out on feeling the love with your special someone, especially as there’s a whole host of ways to safely celebrate from the comfort of your own home.
Independent businesses all across the region are gearing up for Valentine’s Day by delivering date night experiences directly to your front door.
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Here’s the best of the bunch.
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Lockdown Love-IN
Park N Party
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One Manchester-based immersive entertainment company is eager to put a unique and lockdown-friendly spin on the national day of love.
Starting on Friday 12th February and running for three nights, Park N Party – the team behind a series of sell-out drive-in cinema and theatre performances in Manchester – is adapting amid the third national lockdown by bringing the entertainment to you.
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And they’ve aptly-named it the Lockdown Love-IN.
Lockdown Love-IN is an exclusive streaming platform, which sees singer and media personality Chrissy Bray provide a night of entertainment and music, accompanied by your choice of menu package, which has been expertly-crafted by top chefs, including options from the team behind Michelin star restaurant, Simpsons, prepared to simply reheat at home.
You can find out more and book your tickets for Lockdown Love-IN here.
Beer Tasting Experience
Seven Bro7hers Brewery & Sis4ers Distillery
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRCIBmHumy/
Salford-based independent companies Si4ers Distillery and Seven Bro7hers Brewery are teaming up to bring the region’s lovers and best pals an exclusive live beer and gin tasting evening for one night only on Valentine’s Day this year.
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The two-hour event will be hosted on Zoom and the wonderful tasting pack will be sent directly to your front door prior to the tasting taking place.
Each tasting pack includes:
3 x 440ml Seven Bro7hers beers (Salty Tiers Sour, Honeycomb Pale Ale, and Bubble House Brut IPA)
3 x 5cl SIS4ERS Gins (Signature, Strawberry and Lime and Thyme)
3 x Fever Tree Tonics
3 x bags of garnish for your gins
A box of Cocoa Cabana Ancoats truffles to share (vegan friendly and nut free)
You can grab your tickets from the Si4ers Distillery website here.
Doughnut Decorating Kits
Doughnut Kitchen
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This Manchester-based doughnut company is committed to bringing delicately-decorated sweet treats directly to your front door all year round, and Valentine’s Day is no different.
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The Doughnut Kitchen’s Valentine’s Kits come in a themed box, complete with:
x4 Large Ring Doughnuts
White, Pink and Milk Chocolate
Pink / Red Heart Sprinkles
Pink Shimmer Sprinkles
Mini Jammie Dodgers
Valentine’s Toppers
Prices for the kits start from £12.
If you don’t fancy getting stuck into the decorating yourself though, don’t worry, you can simply order one of the showstopping pre-made Valentine’s boxes to be delivered instead.
All orders can be made via The Doughnut Kitchen on Facebook or Instagram.
Cheese & Wine Tasting
Decent Drop
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Decent Drop
Decent Drop’s Valentine’s Day Gift Boxes are perfect for the sceptics and hopeless romantic.
Along with the usual six wines and six cheeses that the Manchester-based, lockdown-born delivery company is known and loved right across the community for, the special Valentine’s Day kit will include a bottle of fizz and a miniature bottle of BRAND pink gin. Decent Drop has also teamed up with artisan chocolatiers, Cocoa Tree Café, to include a box of six bespoke chocolates that are sure to bring you “mouthwatering joy”, along with some fancy oat cakes and delicious chutney to complete each set, as well as the usual tasting notes.
Two person kits are £100, with one person kits setting you back just £75, and you will also receive an invitation for the interactive Zoom event too, which will be held on Saturday 13th February 2021.
Not quite found something that takes your fancy just yet?
Don’t worry.
There’s still plenty of time before the big day arrives, and we will continue to update this article with all of the lockdown-friendly, COVID-safe Valentine’s events that we can find happening across Greater Manchester this year, so keep checking back to make sure you don’t miss out.
What's On
First look at enormous The Mystery of Banksy exhibition as it opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Europe’s most popular Banksy exhibition has officially landed in Manchester, displaying hundreds of reimagined works inspired by one of the world’s most prolific artists.
Making its UK debut, The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind documents the street artist’s illustrious global career and showcases his most famous artwork.
An enormous purpose-built exhibition space has taken shape at Depot Mayfield in the city centre, where visitors weave their way through a maze of documentary footage, sculptures, prints, graffiti, photographs and paintings.
The exhibition has already stunned millions of visitors across 36 cities, from Berlin to Stockholm, and now it’s Manchester’s turn to step inside the mind of Banksy.
Huge pieces have been spraypainted on site to suit and fit the mammoth space that is Depot Mayfield.
95% of the art pieces are recreations of lost Banksy artwork – whether those originals have been sold, covered, or destroyed, removing them from public view.
The fascination collection highlights artworks which have often been placed in locations that raise awareness for political and social issues, whether it’s the steelworks in Port Talbot, or the rubble of war-torn cities.
Installations include Palestine Wall, a remodelling of the walls in Gaza and the West Bank, where Banksy has sprayed a range of murals since 2003.
One gallery showcases Banksy’s work in war-torn UkraineThere are photo opportunities throughout the exhibitionRecreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on display
You can also step inside a set inspired by The Walled Off Hotel, Banksy’s boutique hotel in Bethlehem which overlooks the concrete separation wall.
While you can no longer safely visit many of these artworks in real life, The Mystery Of Banksy is doing its best to bring them to life here in Manchester.
His political works are displayed in every room, including reimaginings of his pieces created on ruined buildings in war-torn Ukraine.
There are also famous sculptures like Death of a Phone Booth, Angel Bust, and Suicide Bomber.
And visitors can walk through a recreated London Underground carriage that was turned into an immersive Banksy artwork in 2020, called If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get.
Recreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on displayThere are sculptures, documentary footage, and loads morePaintings by patients of The Christie are also on display
You’ll be able to explore a timeline of milestones in Banksy’s career, from his graffiti work in Bristol in the early 90s all the way through iconic cultural moments like his Dismaland theme park and his documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop.
The exhibition also explains why Banksy began using stencils – something he is best-known for – and shows his early and most famous stencil work, like Mild Mild West and Kissing Coppers.
As you weave through the custom-built exhibition space, you’ll pass sets like the Barely Legal Room, which gives a glimpse inside his three-day warehouse installation in LA, dominated by a gigantic red elephant sculpture (the real exhibition used a live elephant).
There are photo opportunities along the way too, where you can pose with work like Girl with Balloon.
The Christie is the official partner for The Mystery of Banksy, which will raise money towards a new Total Body PET-CT scanner through ‘tap to donate’ spots around the exhibition, alongside a dedicated charity event takeover and an exclusively commissioned artwork which will be donated for auction.
John Carrigan, Director of Cartel Events Limited, says “We’re excited to launch the ‘Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind’ in Manchester, the UK’s hub of modern culture. In partnership with Europe’s leading entertainment promoter, COFO Exhibitions, who holds 50 years of experience in revolutionary international exhibitions, visitors can expect a spectacle of reenvisioned accessible artworks for all.’’
Louise Hadley, Chief Executive of The Christie Charity, says: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the chosen charity for The Mystery of Banksy, A Genius Mind exhibition. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us and one that will ultimately benefit cancer patients both now and in the future.”
Open to all, standard adult tickets start at £22. Tickets are free for curious minds under the age of six, with concession tickets also available for seven-16 year olds, seniors and all NHS workers.
Manchester Basketball set to make history at first-ever Super League Cup finals in the city
Danny Jones
In case you missed the latest landmark for Manchester Basketball, both of our men’s and women’s teams have officially reached the 2026 Super League Cup Finals.
Aside from being a huge achievement for the fresh sporting franchise in itself, things are now all set up for a perfect weekend for local fans, with the conclusion of the Super League Cup taking place in our city for the very first time.
All that being said, it’s quite a watershed moment for this new and improved outfit – and pretty soon, too, so here’s hoping they can follow it up with a dream ending against the kings and queens of the capital.
Secure your Cup Finals tickets now 🏆 You don’t want to miss it 🎟️
— Super League Basketball (@SprLeagueBballM) March 8, 2026
It’s rare you get both the male and female members from the same side making it to the final of a major competition in the same year, not to mention having it hosted on their own turf.
Zak Irvin, Captain of the Men’s side, said in a statement: “Since I arrived here, the goal has been to bring championships home to the city.
“Our team has a great opportunity to do that in front of a Manchester crowd on the 22nd. It’s going to be an electric final, and having the backing of the Manchester crowd can be a real difference maker.”
With multiple Manc natives like Kaiyem Cleary, Demi Babalola and Irene Oboavwoduo in the squad – all of whom have come through the club’s junior pathways – they’ve got hometown pride on the line, too.
And better yet, they’ve already proved that they can make sure the weight of the occasion doesn’t get the better of them, having just won a major European knockout match as part of the MOBOs Fringe Festival earlier this week.
Facing off against KK Dubrava from Zagreb, they managed to pull off a narrow victory, beating the Croatians 94-92 to make it through to the quarter-finals of this year’s European North Basketball League (ENBL) knockout phase.
17-year-old Irene added, “It means a lot to me to play in a Cup final in my home city. Having my family and friends there, as well as all the support for Manchester, will be incredible.
“To play in a domestic final around the corner from where I’ve grown up is really unique. We’re all excited for the game; it will be a great occasion.”
With the stage set for what we have every faith will be an unforgettable conclusion at the AO Arena, it’s on us to make sure they’ve got the stands on their side.
Taking place on Sunday, 22 March, with seat prices starting from just £26 for adults (or £65 if you want to sit courtside), let’s help Manchester Basketball get over the line against London Lions.
Emily Sergeant -
27th January 2021 
