The highly-anticipated Lion King show at Manchester’s Palace Theatre has been pushed back due to the ‘ongoing impact of the pandemic’.
Originally set to run between October 2020 and January 2021, the smash-hit musical had attracted huge interest and sold hundreds of tickets.
Crowds had been hopeful the performances would still go ahead, with The Ambassador Theatre Group (which owns the Palace) saying The Lion King shows were scheduled to proceed as normal.
But producers have now confirmed a postponement until spring 2021.
Johan Persson
“Due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, it is with sadness that we have taken the decision to suspend all performances of The Lion King until spring 2021,” they said.
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“This includes performances in London and on the UK tour, which was scheduled to begin its season at the Manchester Palace Theatre in October.
“We appreciate this change will cause disappointment and we very much look forward to seeing The Lion King roar back on to UK stages in the spring.”
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Indoor performances are permitted in most areas of England but not Greater Manchester – with the local region remaining under tighter restrictions due to a higher volume of COVID-19 cases.
The Government is set to review these measures in due course.
Find out more information by visiting the Manchester Theatres website.
What's On
The hidden Manchester cinema screening big blockbusters this weekend
Thomas Melia
A secret cinema in Manchesteris going to be screening some of the world’s biggest blockbusters this weekend, in celebration of every movie’s best companion – popcorn.
King Street Townhouse’s beautiful and cosy cinema space will be showing hits like Top Gun: Maverick and Joker back on the big screen, offering up gourmet popcorn to pair it with.
After Christmas, it’s safe to say we all enjoyed kicking back and watching a film or two, and now you can do it all again with some of the biggest blockbusters in history.
To celebrate National Popcorn Day on 19 January, the luxury boutique hotel is giving guests and film fanatics the chance to experience some modern blockbusters in a more private and quiet cinema setting.
There are seven titles running including some of the best current big screen titles like ‘Skyfall’, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Joker’.
Whether you want to laugh, cry or both, this hotel has got you covered as among the list of famous films there’s also ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Barbie’… I’m sat!
You’ll also be able to catch Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit and The Dark Knight at the King Street Townhouse cinema this weekend.
The hidden Manchester cinema at King Street Townhouse will be screening big blockbusters this weekend. Credit: Supplied
This isn’t the first time King Street Townhouse have gone all out for a special occasion as during the festive period last year, they showed everything from ‘Elf’ to ‘Love Actually’.
Everything in the sleek cinema room adds to your experience from the plush seats to the dimly lit lamps that add a touch of home comforts, it’s the perfect destination for a 90 minute life detox.
There will be no readjusting yourself or taking forever to find your ideal comfy spot as anyone watching any of the films on offer should be able to sink into the seats almost instantaneously.
With National Popcorn Day falling on Sunday 19 January, this hotel is opening their luxury private cinema for a weekend of thrill-inducing, pillow-crying, action-packed films that cater to all.
Starting on Friday 17 January and running until Sunday 19 January head down to King Street Townhouse to watch a range of seven movie titles with tickets available HERE.
King Street Townhouse film screenings
Friday 17 Jan
14:00 Barbie
17:00 Despicable Me
20:00 Joker
Saturday 18 Jan
14:00 Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 20 – 26 January 2025
Emily Sergeant
Who’s ready for another fresh new week?
The snow has melted, we’re well into our first month of brand-new year, and not only does Greater Manchester‘s events calendar already seem very exciting over these next few weeks, but there’s also lots of things to look forward to in 2025 too.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide to help you out.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)
Aviva Studios
Monday 20 – Saturday 25 January 2025
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) / Credit: The Manc Group
One of the most influential British artists of the 21st century, David Hockney, is taking you on a personal journey through 60 years of his art in the revolutionary Aviva Studios, and it’s now open for everyone to pay a visit.
This is a real sensory encompassing experience, from the grand and vibrant projections on the walls, to the sound system which will be playing throughout the exhibition.
Hockney opened this installation in London, and this is the first time these pieces of art have left the country’s capital to be viewed by even more spectators.
A groundbreaking new immersive exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world is now open at Manchester Museum.
‘Wild’ look at how people are creating, rebuilding, and repairing connections with nature, and how the natural world has traditionally been presented and idealised through Western art, as well as looking at some unique approaches to environmental recovery too.
The exhibition will also crucially look at how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by making the world more wild.
There’s a Traitors-themed finale screening party happening down at Fairfield Social Club this Friday.
For fans of the hit BBC reality series, this party is set to feature sketches, prizes, and Traitors-inspired joy, all before you sit down to watch the final episode is see all the drama unfold on The Club’s huge screen.
Plus, guests can stick around for The Traitors: Uncloaked afterwards, where Ed Gamble and the gang react to the jaw-dropping conclusion.
LEGO Mini Master Model Builder Competitio / Credit: Supplied
Is your child a LEGO super fan? Do they reckon they could build impressive LEGO creations in their sleep?
Well, if they’re feeling brave enough and are ready to put their skills to the test, then you’ll want to take them down to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester this weekend, as from now until the start of February, the hunt is one for a talented youngster to be crowned the UK’s – and the world’s – newest ‘Mini Master Model Builder’.
GRUB – the street food market and social hub just outside the city centre – is known for hosting a jam-packed lineup of events all throughout the year, and the annual ExtraVEGANza is one of its best-loved each time it rolls around.
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The popular venue will become a wall-to-wall vegan street food festival full of independent plant-based food traders this weekend.
A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester this weekend.
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP at the Science and Industry takes ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming, with everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more.
Power UP is taking place each weekend only throughout this month, with each ticket including unlimited play all day.
Fancy making the most of all the January dining deals on offer over these next couple of weeks?
The time has come again for Manchester’s restaurants and bars to slash their prices in a bid to entice customers to keep eating and drinking out all throughout January, and that means hundreds of places are offering up half-price scran, added freebies, or two-for-one offers this month.
There’s loads of offers beyond Manchester city centre too, as suburban gems are getting in on the action in 2025.
So whether you’re looking for a date night for less, an affordable family dinner, or a cheap eat after work with your mates, we’ve got you covered.
Read our massive round-up of January dining deals here.
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Could a trip to the theatre could be on the cards this year?
Greater Manchester has firmly earned itself a spot as a place for world-renowned touring theatre productions to make a stop off at.
While the past couple of years amid and post-pandemic may have hit the theatre pretty hard, it’s a beloved industry that has now well and truly bounced-back – with the region’s three main theatres, Palace Theatre Manchester, Opera House Manchester, and The Lowry, all having welcomed some absolute show-stopping productions in 2024.
And 2025 is set to be absolutely no different.
Our region’s theatre events calendar is already jam-packed with award-winning musicals, family-friendly plays, inventive dance productions, and so much more in 2025, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.
If there’s one thing Manchester is known for across the world, it’s music.
Our region is not only a historic musical hub in and of itself, having been the birthplace of so many legendary famous names, but it’s also a major UK stopping point on many global artists’ tour schedules too, thanks to the city’s various sizes of stage and venues.
This means there’s a jam-packed schedule of gigs happening all throughout 2025 – with something for everyone, no matter your taste in music.
From world-famous pop and rock stars, to genre-bending artists, and a few comeback tours too, most-notably by one of Manchester – and the world’s – most famous bands of all time (they’re called Oasis… not sure if you’ve ever heard of them?), 2025 has got it all.
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Read our picks for 13 of the best gigs happening in Manchester this year here.
The Manc -
21st August 2020 
