What's On

The world of Alice in Wonderland is coming to RHS Garden Bridgewater this summer holidays

Visitors can view the new £44 million garden attraction through the eyes of Alice, and take part in activities and workshops along the way.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 2nd July 2021

Families will be able to “tumble down the rabbit hole” and be transported to Alice’s Wonderland at RHS Garden Bridgewater this month.

The Royal Horticultural Society is partnering with Macmillan Publishers to celebrate 150 years of Alice in Wonderland – bringing a series of themed events to the RHS Gardens in Worsley for the summer holidays.

The £44 million garden attraction – located off Leigh Road in Worsley – opened its gates to the public earlier this spring, and is set to take inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s iconic novel for August.

Visitors can view the new garden through the eyes of Alice, meet their favourite characters, and enjoy performances, storytelling, minibeast hunts, planting and craft workshops, and so much more.

The classic stories Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There have been reimagined for contemporary audiences by multi-award-winning illustrator Chris Riddell.

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There’ll also be a range of Alice books and merchandise available to buy from the Garden Centre on site, too.

Here’s a full list of what’s happening.

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Wonderland Wednesdays

28 July – 25 August

You can immerse yourself in another world on Wonderland Wednesdays by enjoying a picnic with your favourite characters, dressing up in your best mad hatter hat, taking part in competitions, and tucking into wonderful treats in the café.

Alice and Friends

24 July – 1 August

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Not only will there be theatre performances throughout the day on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27, you can also see which Wonderland characters you can find in the woodland, and then join in with themed crafts (Wednesday 28 July) or planting workshops (Thursday 29 and Friday 30 July).

Relax with Alice-themed family yoga (Saturday 31 July at 11.30am), or get immersed in storytelling (Saturday 24, Sunday 25 July and Sunday 1 August from 11am).

Looking Glass Beasts

9 August – 15 August

Alice meets all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures on her trip through the looking glass, but what can we find in our world?

You can see real-life birds of prey with Wild Wings Birds of Prey on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 August from 11am – 3.30pm, and get up close with fantastic creepy crawlies with ZooLab on Monday 9 and Thursday 12 August from 11am-4pm.

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Wonder-Landscapes

16 August – 31 August

Head out on your own Wonderland adventure and take part in Alice-themed crafts on Wednesday 25 August.

You can also discover the fascinating world of cacti and succulents at Cactus World Live on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 August – with displays and family activities on offer to get you growing at home.

The £44 million attraction is the first RHS Garden to be located in an urban area / Credit: RHS Garden Bridgewater

Speaking ahead of Alice in Wonderland’s arrival to the garden this summer, Richard Green – Head of Site at RHS Garden Bridgewater – said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the gardens to life with Chris Riddell’s amazing interpretation of Alice in Wonderland.

“We know this will resonate with members and visitors – especially families -and add a new dimension to their garden visit.”

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“We are delighted to be working with the RHS again and that the team has chosen Chris Riddell’s Alice as the inspiration for their summer theme in this anniversary year,” added Alyx Price, Associate Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books. 

“Alice is all about curiosity and discovery, and this can all be explored in a fun and engaging way in the RHS’ beautiful gardens.

“It will be a wonderful visit for all ages.”

You can find more information about Wonderland: Summer Holiday Activities via the RHS Garden Bridgewater website here.

Featured Image – RHS Garden Bridgewater

What's On

There’s a HUGE retro vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A fair dedicated to all things vintage and vinyl is making its way over to Urmston this weekend, packed with lots of unique stalls and vendors.

Whether you’re after another leather jacket to add to your collection or hunting down a rare LP, this event covers all bases.

The ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is coming back to Urmston for 2025 and is a must-visit for any fans of vintage clothing, record collectors and anyone after a fun day out in Greater Manchester.

This unique day-long fair is returning to The Venue, one of Urmston’s large event spaces, this weekend.

There’ll be 25 independent traders and shoppers with everything from retro homeware to jewellery and accessories.

Anyone thinking of attending this vintage fair will be greeted with plenty of cute and quirky gift ideas, perfect for yourself or that one friend who is living their best retro lifestyle.

There's a HUGE vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston this weekend
Grab a bargain and a snazzy new addition for your wardrobe at Urmston’s vintage fair.
There's a HUGE vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston this weekend
Rare pieces and interesting vinyl finds on hand at the vintage fair in Urmston.
Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

Alongside the stalls selling vintage goodies this year brings the arrival of all-new craft workshops, where visitors will be able to make and create retro lampshades or a tealight lantern with all materials provided.

These exciting classes will be ran by none other than creative mastermind Sarah from The Gingham Flamingo, a company which sells lots of fascinating handmade fabric garments.

After all that vintage retail therapy, ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is treating you to some lovely ways to soak up the atmosphere even more with a vintage bar, street food vendors and barista -style coffee cart.

Michelle Barratt, founder of So Retro Events. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to discover hidden treasure and soak up the retro atmosphere, and we’re very excited to bring interactive workshops to our even for the first time!”

There's a HUGE vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston this weekend
There will be plenty of quirky pieces to add to your wardrobe.
There's a HUGE vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston this weekend
Lots of friendly faces and unique vintage finds in Urmston this weekend.
Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

So if you’re a lover of all things vintage or just fancy a different kind of day out, head over to Urmston this weekend and get ready to step back in time.

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The ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is coming to Urmston on Saturday 26 April from 10am to 3pm and all you have to do is pay a small fee of £2 on the door upon arrival. The workshops are an additional £20.

Featured Image: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)

What's On

Burna Boy at Co-op Live – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘I Told Them…’ tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Nigerian superstar Burna Boy is heading to Manchester for one night only, performing all the hits right here at the lovely Co-op Live.

Burna Boy, a.k.a Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, has been steadily making a name for himself in the music industry for just over a decade, thanks to the release of his debut LP L.I.F.E back in 2013.

During his time as an artist, he has seen periods of quick-fire growth, with many standout tracks like ‘Last Last’ and ‘We Pray’, as well as a feature on UK rapper Dave’s tune ‘Location’, just to name a few.

Ogulu is a lover of collaborations too. His list of featured tracks is stacked with a roster of UK talents, including R’n’B favourites Jorja Smith and Mahalia, right through to pop powerhouse Ed Sheeran.

His prolific discography – littered with fellow artists and singers known for pushing the envelope – makes perfect sense, as this Nigerian star doesn’t stick to just one genre; instead, his particular brand of music has been dubbed ‘Afro-fusion’.

The contemporary West African icon not only utilises elements of Afrobeats, but he also makes sure to blend R’n’B, hip-hop, dancehall and lots more.

Safe to say we and millions of others around the globe are big fans.

With that in mind, Burna Boy’s latest visit, not just to Manchester but for a Co-op Live debut, is a highly anticipated one. For those of you who are heading to the arena, here’s everything you need to know.

Burna Boy at Co-op Live – all the important info

burna boy co-op live
Credit: Publicity Image (supplied)

Burna Boy UK tour dates

  • Mon 21 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Fri 11 to Sun 13 July – London, UK – Finsbury Park (Wireless Festival)

That’s right, we’re the lucky ones, as not only is Burna Boy’s Manchester gig just one of two UK shows, but it’s also the only headline date this year, as the 33-year-old will be playing Wireless Fest 2025 this summer down in the capital.

Burna Boy tickets for Co-op Live gig

You’ll be glad to hear that the show isn’t quite sold out just yet. Those who are interested in attending Burna Boy’s only UK arena stop on his ‘I Told Them…’ tour can choose from a range of tickets.

The star has options for standing, lower seating and upper seating all on offer ahead of his exclusive arena gig at Co-op Live, starting from £82.05.

Grab your coveted tickets before it’s too late and see for yourself whether you ‘Want It All’ on the front row or prefer ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ – HERE.

In case you need any more convincing, these were the scenes over Paris way…

Burna Boy setlist

There’s no official setlist published, however, these tracks are based on his performance at the Stade de France in the suburb of Saint-Denis last week, as per Setlist-fm:

  • 7 Seconds
  • (Youssou N’Dour cover)
  • Level Up (Twice as Tall)
  • Tested, Approved & Trusted
  • For My Hand
  • On the Low
  • Cheat on Me
  • Big 7
  • On Form
  • Alone
  • Talibans II
  • Location (Dave track)
  • 4 kampé II featuring with Joé Dwèt Filé
  • Laboratoire (WeRenoi cover)
  • Laho featuring Shallipopi)
  • Kilometre
  • City Boys
  • Bundle By Bundle
  • It’s Plenty
  • Update
  • Ye
  • Last Last
You can expect to hear his most recent single for sure.

What are the stage times for Burna Boy in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you’ll be able to stay right to the ‘Last Last’ song of the night without welcoming in the next day.

Doors for the ‘I Told Them…’ tour are scheduled for 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 8pm with no confirmed support act, however, DJ Shayne Given will be taking over the arena’s exclusive ‘Backstage Club’ after the show (tickets are required).

You can purchase both after-party tickets and early access HERE.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

co-op live gigs 2025
Credit: Audio North

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.

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The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live; be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

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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. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

burna boy manchester gig info
Credit: Supplied

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Featured Image — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group

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