Southport Pleasureland has announced exciting plans to run its biggest and best Day of the Dead Spectacular yet this November, and launch its Winter Wonderland North in December too.
The South American-inspired Day of the Dead event is an increasingly popular high-octane after-dark annual “celebration of life” at the seaside resort – returning for its third year – and it will feature colourful samba drummers, fire spinners, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, music with a live DJ, the park’s rides fully illuminated and running, and will close out with a dramatic fireworks finale.
The park will be transformed into a “theatre of light and music” against a fabulous fiesta atmosphere.
Music on the night will be provided by Liverpool’s-own The Katumba Drum Band – who have performed at some of the world’s biggest events including Africa Oyé, Brazilica, Amsterdam Carnival and Recife Carnival, Brazil – and will bring a fierce fusion of UK big beat, Caribbean calypso, and the carnivals of North East Brazil to create an explosion of rhythmic revelry that you can’t help but dance to.
The family-friendly ‘Day of the Dead’ celebration – which will see the park “festooned with bright and beautiful sugar skulls” – is set to take place on Saturday 14th November.
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It will include outdoor food concessions and entertainments – with proven COVID-19 safety measures in place – and to ensure effective social distancing measures are upheld, this year’s event will feature acts on a purpose-built stage with a one-way system for visitors to enter and leave the show area.
Gates to the park will open at 5pm.
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Tickets for non-riders are £9.99 – include all the entertainments and fireworks – and then the ‘rider’ ticket price of £24.50, which includes unlimited rides.
Southport PleasurelandSouthport Pleasureland
But, that’s not all Pleasureland has in store for 2020.
Norman Wallis – CEO at Southport Pleasureland – said: “Day of the Dead has become a real hit, but we didn’t want to leave it at that, so we are staging Winter Wonderland North.”
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He continued: “We have been considering and planning a Winter Wonderland North event for some time. We have been open with full coronavirus safety measures in place for many months [and] we know what we’re doing, what works, and how to make sure people understand the part they have to play in keeping everyone safe.
“Those who’ve visited the park will know that we take great care over the grounds and landscaping [and] we’ve planted many Christmas trees which, along with our exiting established trees, will be decorated with beautiful Christmas lights.”
Winter Wonderland North is due to start on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th November.
“All of the rides and buildings will be shimmering as the park pulls on its ‘Winter Wow’ from the first weekend… and [will] then be open every weekend in December until it opens daily (with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) until 3rd January 2021.” said Norman.
He continued: “Father Christmas – and the park is hoping to coax his reindeer to join him – will be in his COVID-safe grotto residence, a new indoor ride around Santa’s workshop is under construction, and a German-style Christmas Market offers Christmas treats and festive food and drink
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“So there will be plenty to see and do.”
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All tickets to the celebrations must be booked online in advance of your visit.
You can book yours, find more information about the events, and familiarise yourself with all social distancing / COVID-safe precautions via the Southport Pleasureland website here.
What's On
Jersey Boys at Palace Theatre, Manchester – Oh, what a night
Amy Williams
20 years, 65 major awards (including Tonys, a Grammy, and an Olivier), and seen by over 27 million people worldwide – it could only be Jersey Boys, and now it’s back at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
This is one of those shows where you realise just how many songs you know and love by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but may not know the story behind the band themselves. How they started, how big they became, how they fell apart, and how they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It follows the four boys from Jersey (who each narrate their parts of the story), how it started as just Tommy and Nick and a range of different guys along the way, until they found the one who has a voice like an angel, Frankie Valli, and this started to change the direction of their success.
But they were missing a key part, a good song writer – enter Bob Gaudio, and the creation of The Four Lovers, who then became The Four Seasons.
Mixed with issues of debt, loan sharks, prison time and more, it wasn’t the smoothest of sailing for them, and as they said themselves, they didn’t create a movement like the Beatles. But The Four Seasons were for the factory workers, the dads, the working class people who could relate to them.
One thing we need to talk about, is just how INCREDIBLE the vocal performances are in this tour of Jersey Boys, staring Luke Baker as Frankie Valli, Carlo Boumouglbay as Tommy Devito, Lewis Kennedy as Nick Massi, and Toby Miles as Bob Gaudio.
Jersey Boys is back in Manchester, for a run at the Palace Theatre
A special mention for Luke Baker, because as iconic as Frankie Valli’s voice is, he very perfectly matched it.
The musical features some of their biggest hits including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Beggin’, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like A Man, and of course, December 1963 (Oh, What A Night) which had everyone up on their feet dancing at the end.
This show is incredible from beginning to end, and would recommend everyone go to see this.
Jersey Boys is running at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 19 September, and you can grab your tickets HERE.
Jane McDonald at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
The lovely people of Manchester are ‘Living The Dream’ because Wakefield wonder-woman Jane McDonald is bringing her tour to AO Arena.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to AO Arena.
This latest tour, named after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple of covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane’s Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE’s ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing – Oh look, it’s me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman’s latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we’re sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I’ll Not Be Beaten
You Don’t Know What You Got
Don’t Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain’t Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You’re My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we’ll never forget her renditions of ‘Cake By The Ocean’, ‘Jai Ho’ or ‘APT.’.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Manchester?
The doors for Jane McDonald’s Living The Dream Tour in Manchester are set for 6.30pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat ‘Cake by the (Sofa)’ before ringing in the new day.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Emily Sergeant -
28th October 2020 
