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Lightopia is returning to Heaton Park this winter – and general tickets are on sale now

The spectacular Lightopia will be back in Manchester for 2020 for a new, socially-distance edition of lights, lanterns, sculptures and shows.

The Manc The Manc - 14th August 2020

Heaton Park is preparing to host a spectacular festive celebration this winter – with Lightopia returning for a new, socially-distance edition of adventures, lights, lanterns, sculptures and shows.

The 2020 edition of Lightopia promises a feast for the senses, including dazzling sound and light displays and a socially-distanced magical illuminated trail.

The Grade I-listed Heaton Hall will serve as a backdrop to the new Christmas showcase – featuring Santa’s sleigh, glistening snowflakes and a giant interactive piano for guests to create their own winter soundtrack.

The festival will also be home to an immersive Astronomy display, Zodiac Sign installation, and Musical City that encourages visitors to dance their way through the lights.

General sale tickets are available right now online.

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The popular Animals attraction will return, and much-loved installations from 2019 can be re-visited in the Discovery space.

Kids can leap right into a fairytale of candy, flowers and characters at the Woodland Fairytale area, whilst the Lakeside water show promises a “visual masterpiece”.

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Shimmering walkways have been designed to create a safe environment with wider footpaths to maintain social distancing, with dragon sculptures dotted around Lightopia’s food stalls and licensed bars.

There will also be three entry points to reduce queuing and direct access to two car parks.

Ian Xiang, Creative Director of Lightopia, says: “We are excited to bring Lightopia back to Manchester, and have once again created a world in which light, sculpture and art combine with traditional, Chinese lantern-making techniques to create an immersive experience, full of light and stories.

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“We want our guests to become part of the Lightopia story, helping to create new forms of art as they interact and engage with the luminescent sculptures that trail through Heaton Park.”

Lightopia will be open to the public from Friday 20 November until Sunday 3 January.

Opening times are between 5pm to 10pm, and last entry is 8.30pm daily.

The event will remain closed on Mondays, Tuesdays (except during school holidays) Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

To get yourself a ticket, visit the festival website.

Keep up to date with announcements via following Lightopia on Instagram and Facebook @lightopiafestival and Twitter @lightopiafest #Lightopia

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Experience ‘The Sound of Magic’ with a live performance of Disney classics in Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Disney Live orchestra concert Manchester tickets

We have a very big place in our hearts for hearing movie scores performed by a live band, so when we heard that a live concert series of Disney classics was coming to Manchester, our ears naturally pricked up.

In what is just the latest event at the legendary Bridgewater Hall to bring movie scores and soundtracks to life in front of an audience, the hugely popular ‘Sound of Magic’ audio-visual show is coming to one the city centre’s best venues for an unfortgettable family friendly evening.

As you may have already guessed by now, this event pretty much does what is says on the tin: delivers some the most beloved songs and scores from over 100 years of Disney to a crowd of cartoon lovers and animation ethusiasts, not to mention anyone who live music and the classical genre, especially.

If you’re anything like us and those early memories of watching Disney are some of your most formative movie and music experiences then you know it’s set be just as special seeing it in person.

Set to be performed by the highly celebrated Novello Orchestra on a limited eight-date UK tour, ‘Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic’ promises to be “a symphonic celebration of Disney music, animation and memories – a century in the making.”

Drawing inspiration form throughout the entire history of the Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, you can expect some of your favourite childhood films and characters on screen along with a the powerful sound of a live symphony orchestra on the concert hall stage.

But it just a case of playing the hits: songs and scores are combined into exciting new medleys and suites, creating an unexpected and thrilling journey through music and animation.

This newly imagined concert series is set to include moments from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana and Alice in Wonderland; Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Frozen; The Lion King, Fantasia, Encanto, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo and MANY more.

lion king live concert manchester
The Lion King
moana live concert
Moana
Credit: Disney

The Sound of Magic is being directed by of an acclaimed team of collaborators which includes Creative Director, Amy Tinkham; Music Director, Giles Martin, as well as Arranger and Orchestrator, Ben Foster.

Heading across the Atlantic next February and for two more shows in May 2026, ‘Disney: The Sound of Magic’ is kicking off its UK tour right here in Manchester before hitting Birmingham, Edinburgh, York, London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield and Glasgow.

Tickets for Disney’s flagship live concert series in Manchester go on sale at 10am on Friday, 14 March. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

We’re loving this trend of cross-genre concerts and in addition to the likes of Aviva Studios hosting an equivalent live concert experience of the smash-hit Witcher videogames, there’s another big series of scores coming to Bridgewater Hall as well.

‘On your left…’

An incredible performance of Marvel’s ‘Infinity Saga’ by a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
It may be a different arm of Disney, but this is still sure to be one of the most magical live concerts in Manchester this year.

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Featured Images — Disney (supplied)/Ardfern (via Wikimedia Commons)

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MIF to venture ‘further out than ever before’ into Wigan and Rochdale as 2025’s lineup is announced

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant MIF25

All the excitement of MIF will be heading out to the boroughs this year, as the full 2025 lineup has been announced.

Factory International has been working with partners across the city and the world to ‘build on the MIF legacy’, and has now unveiled an expansive multi-artform programme of events and groundbreaking world premieres to inspire fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thoughts, and invite audiences to ‘dream differently’.

Organisers say the 2025 lineup of the ever-popular Manchester International Festival (MIF) presents some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation.

MIF is all about showcasing Manchester as a global hub of creative innovation.

With works being presented throughout the city and even in the surrounding areas this year, MIF25 is set to be a celebration of homegrown artists returning to the region, with many of the names on the lineup originally coming from, or having important ties to, Greater Manchester and the North West.

Eric Cantona, Juan Mata, The Royal Ballet, Blackhaine, Shilpa Gupta, Richard Russell, Edgar Davids, and Ella Toone are just a handful of the well-known names contributing to this extraordinary bi-annual celebration of creativity this summer.

As well as taking over lots of venues across Manchester, including Aviva Studios, HOME, and the Royal Exchage, as mentioned, the festival is ‘venturing further out than ever before’ this year – with new work being presented in Rochdale and Wigan.

THE HERDS
A Symphony of Flesh and Bones
MIF has announced its long-awaited lineup for 2025 / Credit: Ant Strack | Juliet Ellis
The festival is venturing further out than ever before this year / Credit: Rick Guest

On the opening weekend of the festival from 3-5 July, hundreds of participants will join puppeteers for a large-scale public artwork called THE HERDS, and will be parading ‘stampeding’ animals made in Manchester through the city streets and beyond.

Nearly 500 schoolchildren from across all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs will work alongside artists to create The Inheritance – a collection of knowledge, advice, jokes, memories, and objects.

For the first time ever, the festival will be partnering with The Royal Ballet this year to present a stage version of Christopher Isherwood’s acclaimed novel A Single Man at Aviva Studios, with former Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson performing the central role.

There’s also three weekends of free community activations and events lined up / Credit: Venture Arts

One of the other most-notable events on the lineup is Football City, Art United created by an ambitious group of artists and footballers, led by former Manchester United star Juan Mata, which aims to expand the worlds of art and football, and the cultural contributions they both make, through sculptures, sound installations, and animations.

There will also be three weekends of community activations, such as cabaret, performance, and comedy, curated and hosted by MIF’s Neighbourhood Organisers to look forward to.

And of course, Festival Square returns with a free programme of live music and performances outside Aviva Studios this year.

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You can also expect a talks programme to be announced in due course.

MIF25 kicks off on Thursday 3 July and will run its packed programme of events right through until Sunday 20 July 2025, and you can see the full lineup here.

Featured Image – MIF (via Supplied)

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