What's On
A 10-day light and illuminations festival featuring the Floating Earth is coming to Salford Quays
Lightwaves will be completely free to attend and will feature dozens of artistic installations
The dark and cold nights are set to become a little less dreary with the arrival of a magical light and illuminations festival at Salford Quays.
Lightwaves will be arriving at Salford’s Media City this Friday, December 3rd, and will bring with it a whole array of exciting illuminated installations.
With a focus on bold new commissions, Lightwaves supports international artists alongside local and emerging talent, with this year’s commissions focusing on an important message of protecting the planet and building a sustainable future.
Here’s what’s you can expect to see…
@koffee_and_sunsets / Instagram
Lightwaves Festival
Perhaps the most talked about installation is Floating Earth by acclaimed artist Luke Jerram. The centre piece of the festival, this awe-inspiring artwork will give visitors the chance to see the planet floating on the surface of the water in three dimension.
Measuring ten metres in diameter and created from 1200dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, Jerram created the installation to give visitors a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Also on the line up is Sirens, a ‘beautiful but haunting’ display of water-based projections curated by Davy and Kristin McGuire. The artwork shows life-like mermaids and sea creatures encountering the devastating effects of plastic pollution and climate change.
The mesmerising water ballet Cygnus by LOOMALAND will also be on display throughout the festival, featuring twelve synchronised robot swans, all of which are illuminated from the inside and change colours to the rhythm of the music from within their bodies.
Lightwaves Festival
Lightwaves Festival
The immersive laser projection, LASERTONIC will utilise sound and colour to transform its surroundings into a meditative environment. The colourful laser light will dance in time with the surround sound, creating a serene environment to engage the subconscious mind and imagination.
Also on the lineup will be the Manchester bee-themed interactive arch of light HIVE MINDS, the fun and spontaneous music making experience ILLUMAPHONIUM by Michael & Gemma Davis, and experiential artwork MYSTERY BIRD, which has been developed as a static installation especially for Lightwaves 2021.
Lightwaves 2021 will be launching on Friday December 3rd alongside festive makers markets at Quayside. The festival will be completely free to visit with no tickets or advanced booking required.
For more information and to see the artistic lineup in full, visit the Quays Culture website.
What's On
Hawksmoor creates ultimate steak sandwich for huge Manchester barbecue event
Can’t wait for this!
Live From The Grill is returning in 2024 for a third year, bringing with it next level barbecue food, drinks, live music and DJs.
Deansgate Square will once again host a weekend of BBQs from some of Manchester’s best restaurants, including Hawksmoor, who will be serving up the ultimate steak sandwich.
Also serving up some top scran will be Knight’s Caribbean BBQ, Japanese robata by Kitten, Food Sorcery Cookery School, and Chit ‘n’ Chaat with Indian street food.
Manchester’s Finest Group
Plus, there’s £3.50 pints all day and other drinks deals exclusively for Manchester’s Finest subscribers – so make sure you get signed up.
The free event is taking place on Saturday August 31st and Sunday September 1st, down at one of the city centre’s most exciting new neighbourhoods, New Jackson.
Both Saturday and Sunday’s day-long parties are free to attend with tickets. Saturday will feature Rinse.FM residents Habitat, DJ G2 & Friends, soulful drum and bass from Rare Groove, and Manchester’s longest-running club night, Funkademia.
Manchester’s Finest Group
Sunday is curated by Gigpig and is all about the bands, including rising jazz superstar Kemani Anderson, electro-soul singer Yemi Bolatiwa, 60s and 70s-inspired blues duo Corduroy Moustache, singer-songwriters Ruby J and Grace Kelly, as well as a set from DJ Lenny.
Live From The Grill 2024 is happening at Deansgate Square, New Jackson, M15 4TN, from 12pm till 8pm both days.
Tickets are free, grab them here.
What's On
Manchester’s biggest after work drinks with FREE pints happening this week
Get yourself down!
What promises to be Manchester’s biggest after work drinks is happening this week, and you can head down for a pint on us.
Manchester’s Finest is serving up complimentary drinks at a secret location in town, and you’re invited to enjoy an after work drink on the house.
This is in collaboration with the new ChinChin app, which helps you organise nights out with your mates.
Manchester’s Finest Group
The massive after work social is happening this week, on Thursday August 15th.
Simply head to the secret location from 5.30pm to enjoy one of 400 pints being given away – choose from Amstel, Inch’s cider or a soft drink.
The fastest and easiest way to make plans with friends, download the ChinChin app to find out where to head and join in the fun.
Manchester’s Finest Group
To secure your invite (and free pint), create your ChinChin account, click the link to let us know you’re coming, and head to the secret spot – which will be revealed on the app.
And if that’s not enough, ChinChin will also throw in £5 Uber credit for attendees to safely get home too – redeem it when you first check-in on ChinChin.
Please drink responsibly.
What's On
The North’s best street food is coming to Manchester this weekend
The best street food is coming to Manchester
The British Street Food Awards Northern heats are coming to Freight Island this weekend, bringing with it some of the region’s best street food.
Part of the largest street food competition in the world, the free event arrives in the city this summer this weekend, August 17th and 18th.
The Northern champion will be selected by a panel of judges: Matty White, known for his work on Manchester’s Finest and Steph’s Packed Lunch, Luke Payne, chef at The Pack Horse in Hayfield, and British Street Food Awards founder and food journalist Richard Johnson.
Hello Oriental
The participating traders have now been released, along with their taster dishes which are all available at £6.50, as well as an additional ‘killer dish’.
You can sample Caribbean food from Back-a-yard Jamaican, Baldy’s artisan pies, Burgerism, Colombo Street’s Sri Lankan street food, and Asian fusion from Fuku, and Hello Oriental.
There’s Greek classics from Mega Gyros, Mia’s Arepas, Pattersons fried chicken, Indian street food from Payal, Rio-Mex’s fusion of Brazilian and Mexican street food, and BBQ from Smoking Coal.
British Street Food Awards
Don’t miss traditional Malaysian cuisine from Syiok-Lah, That Ziki’s Greek street food with a modern twist, and Zapp, who are bringing traditional Polish street food.
Past winners of the prestigious award include MEATliquor, Wingmans and BAO. The winner of this year’s competition will head to London for the UK finals in September.
And in even better news, you can head down yourself and try all of the North’s best street food over the weekend.
Colombo Street
You can also have your say in the People’s Choice award, with the winners of both announced on August 18th.
The awards coincide with Freight’s summer of top tier – and free – music programming too, with Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip headlining Sunday’s line-up, alongside the Body Heat DJs.
Grab your free tickets here.
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Hawksmoor creates ultimate steak sandwich for huge Manchester barbecue event
Manchester’s biggest after work drinks with FREE pints happening this week
The North’s best street food is coming to Manchester this weekend
