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This drive-in Christmas event lets you whisk your whole family to the North Pole

A spectacular few weeks' of festive family entertainment will take place at Trafford Park next month - with a huge range of Christmas movies being beamed onto the big screen from December 4 through to New Year.

The Manc The Manc - 24th November 2020

You can drive the whole family straight to the North Pole this Christmas – with Santa bringing his mailroom and elves to Manchester for an immersive drive-in event!

A spectacular few weeks’ of festive family entertainment will take place at Trafford Park next month for ChristmasCity – with a huge range of Christmas movies being beamed onto the big screen from December 4 through to New Year.

Families will get the chance to take a journey in their vehicles through a winter trail filled with surprises, live actors and festive characters – with sites and landmarks including:

  • A letterbox to post letters to Santa
  • Christmas Mailroom
  • Toy workshop
  • Santa’s house
  • Candy Cane Forest
  • Santa’s sleigh
  • Gingerbread house

ChristmasCity – from the same company behind the wildly successful drive-in event ScareCity – will screen a huge array of beloved winter movies during its run.

These will include:

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  • Elf
  • Nativity
  • The Grinch
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol
  • It’s A Wonderful Life
  • Frozen
  • The Polar Express
  • Home Alone

The full event schedule can be found online.

“Naughty” events are also being arranged for adult audiences.

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Tickets for ChristmasCity are available to buy now – priced at £40 per vehicle.

COVID safety precautions will be implemented during the event.

For more information, visit the ParkNParty website.

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Loads of legendary retro steam trains will be travelling through Greater Manchester next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Legends of Steam

History will be rolling through Greater Manchester next month as loads of legendary steam trains will be showcased.

East Lancashire Railway‘s (ELR) Legends of Steam event is back again for the second year after proving so popular last spring, and this time around, there’ll be loads of iconic locomotives with ties to both film and royalty on display.

Returning from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 March, as part of the heritage railway’s ongoing 200th anniversary celebrations, well-known historic steam trains such the LNER A1 Peppercorn Class 60163 ‘Tornado ’ and the LMS Black 5 45407 ‘The Lancashire Fusilier’ will be on display, alongside a pair of ‘Bulleid’ light pacifics too.

‘Tornado’, which is the fastest steam engine to run since the 1960s, is also set to hit the tracks in a couple of weeks too.

This particular train has famously transported royals, and has appeared on TV shows and films, such as Top Gear and Paddington 2.

Fans of the ‘Jacobite’ steam train, which was made famous by its appearances over the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the much-loved Harry Potter film series, also have the chance to ride behind one of the regular locomotives from the Ian Riley fleet, 45407.

Rounding out the packed lineup is the instantly-recognisable pair of Southern Region Light Pacifics, 34092 ‘City of Wells’ and the recently-arrived Battle of Britain Class, 34081 ’92 Squadron’.

There’s also a number of dining experiences to make the most of too.

Rail enthusiasts can either enjoy an authentic ‘Golden Arrow’ menu on Friday 14 March aboard a traditional Pullman-styled carriage hauled by one of the Southern locomotives, or even take the unique opportunity to ride the iconic ‘Tornado on Saturday 15 March and indulge in fine dining options while travelling through the picturesque Irwell Valley.

East Lancashire Railway’s Legends of Steam festival will be back next month / Credit: ELR

“We are very proud to continue welcoming a great number of iconic locomotives to the ELR,” explained Mike Kelly, who is the Chairman of the East Lancashire Railway.

“It is such a privilege to provide access to these express steam engines to the thousands of rail enthusiasts and families across the country, and also a great opportunity to introduce these legendary locomotives to first-timers wishing to experience the magic of rail travel.”

East Lancashire Railway’s Legends of Steam returns on Friday 14 – Sunday 16 March 2025.

Read more:

Both day ticket and dining options available, and you can find out more information and grab your tickets on the ELR website here.

Featured Image – ELR

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Iconic stage musical Mamma Mia! is coming back to Manchester next year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Mamma Mia!

Here we go again… one of the most iconic stage musicals of all time is coming back to Manchester next year.

There’s absolutely no denying that Mamma Mia! has millions of fans right across the globe, after all, when you take all of ABBA’s greatest hits and put them into one all-singing all-dancing show, it’s no wonder it’s so popular.

Going from the West End to becoming a global phenomenon, this irresistibly funny show has been thrilling audiences all around the world for more than two decades.

Now in its 26th year, Mamma Mia! has been watched on stage by over 11 million people in more than 10,000 performances just in London’s West End alone, as well as its UK and international tours having visited 42 countries in the past 20 years, performing more than 3,750 shows, and being seen by over 7.3 million people. 

Oh, and who could forget, it’s also been turned into two record-breaking movie adaptations with all-star casts – the first in 2008, and the sequel in 2018.

The sensational feel-good musical is returning to the stage where it belongs next spring though, as it embarks on an all-new UK tour – including stopping off to visit the Manchester‘s legendary Palace Theatre from 3-26 March 2026.

Casting for the UK tour is set to be announced in due course.

Mamma Mia!
Iconic stage musical Mamma Mia! is coming back to Manchester next year / Credit: Brinkhoff Mogenburg

While we wait to see who the stars will be, what we do know is that the music and lyrics for the show are provided by none of than ABBA’s very-own by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, while it’ll be directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast.

Tickets for the highly-anticipated show are expected to be snapped up super fast when they go on sale in a couple of days time on Wednesday (26 February) at 10am.

Read more:

You can get your hands on tickets here.

Featured Image – Brinkhoff Mogenburg

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