What's On
A huge new outdoor food market and event space is opening in Manchester in July
This looks incredible!
Manchester is set to get a brand new outdoor market and art space at the Depot, Mayfield, as part of the £1.4bn regeneration of the area.
Escape to Freight Island has until now been something of an enigma, with mysterious posters popping up in the city centre with almost no other information but the name.
Well, it turns out it’s a brand new outdoor food market, where art space and terrace-style seating collide on one sprawling tract – a long-forgotten freight depot carved from the city’s industrial past.
The new opening is set to be an international destination akin to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Coney Island in New York and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles.
The area will be home to restaurant quality food vendors, inventive bars, secret dens, music, immersive art, festival takeovers and family focused happenings.
Of the food vendors confirmed they include Madre, a non-traditional taco stall, Voodoo Ray’s Pizza, and Baratxuri will also be having a wood-fired ‘Asador’ grill. There will also be a specialist wine bar, and a cocktail space from The Jane Eyre.
Escape to Freight island will be located on Baring Street and will become a permanent urban market and festival space.
There will even be a ’70s New York-inspired roller disco, a hidden high-fi audio bar – which will transform into a karaoke venue called Queen Samantha’s – and a retro arcade games corridor.
The entire venue will be sound-tracked by a visionary selection of music, festival takeovers and exclusive collaborations with the likes of Homoelectric, We Out Here festival, Festival N°6, Love International and other iconic musical curators.
Escape to Freight Island is the brainchild of individuals with a formidable reputation around food and culture in Manchester, including Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey of Volta, Electrik Bar and The Refuge, Gareth Cooper of Festival N°6, event production veteran Jon Drape of Engine No. 4 and Managing Director Dan Morris, who launched leading Manchester music venues Gorilla and the Albert Hall.
Electriks’ Luke Cowdrey, co-curator, said: “Escape to Freight Island isn’t your average food market. It’s a new and unique destination in Manchester, it is the next evolution in the food market sector that will fill a hole in the life of our city.
“Escape to Freight Island will take its place as one of the most exciting, forward-thinking and disruptive markets in the world. Escape to Freight Island is a game-changer and most importantly to me, Escape to Freight Island has soul.
“Platform 15 will give a flavour of what is to come when we launch the full Escape to Freight Island experience, so let’s all meet at Platform 15 to begin our escape to freedom.”
Phase one of the launch will open in mid-July 2020 with social distancing at the forefront, and limited capacity for 600 people. Following that phase two is planned for August, where capacity will be increased to 1,000 people.
Once restrictions are lifted, the venue will extend the capacity of 2,500 people.
Find out more and sign up to access tickets here.
What's On
You’ll soon be able to get married at Chester Zoo surrounded by the animals
Know anyone who’d love to get married here?
If you’ve ever dreamt of getting married while surrounded by animals, then we’ve got some very good news for you this morning.
Chester Zoo is opening a brand new wedding and events venue, and if the images are anything to go off it will be a stunning spot to tie the knot.
The luxury wedding and events venue is set to open next year, and the zoo has released an exclusive set of artist’s impressions to show what it will look like.
Chester Zoo
The wedding spot will be called ‘The Square’ and is currently scheduled to open in spring 2023 – while the main event room will have a capacity of 200, the reception and breakout rooms will bring total capacity to 380.
An extension of an existing Grade II-listed stable block that’s been there since 1931, The Square will feature an impressive gated entrance, private courtyard, vaulted rafters, exposed brickwork, and large windows which overlook the zoo’s botanical gardens.
The stable block once housed some of the zoo’s first animals, including lions, bears, and chimpanzees, and Chester Zoo say they plan to retain the ‘rich history and character’ of the building.
Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo
Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said of the launch: “Work is underway to bring to life this incredible building that has stood at the heart of the zoo for more than 91 years.
“The Square will be a special, one-of-a-kind space that preserves the zoo’s rich history and character, while also adding a modern twist to its interior that showcases our plans for a more sustainable future.
“While the zoo has, for some time, offered an intimate wedding and events space at The Oakfield gastropub, which can hold around 50 guests, we’re frequently asked if we can accommodate larger scale events.
“That’s why we’re really excited to begin welcoming guests to this incredible new venue from early next year.”
Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo
He continued: “But what’s particularly special is that income generated by each and every occasion that takes place at The Square will contribute to our charitable mission and help us to secure a brighter future for wildlife on our planet.
“When The Square opens in spring 2023, there will be nothing else quite like it in the UK.”
The Square is planned to open in spring 2023 – you can find out more here.
What's On
A Kate Bush club night is coming to Manchester
The singer was catapulted back to stardom after her song featured in the fourth season of Stranger Things
Manchester will soon welcome a club night dedicated to Kate Bush following her explosive return to the UK charts.
The singer recently gained a whole new fan base after her 1985 track ‘Running Up That Hill’ featured in the fourth season of Netflix’s smash hit series Stranger Things.
Shortly after the release of the series last month, the song was catapulted to number one in the UK charts, thirty-seven-years after its original release – when it only reached number three.
Over a month on from the Stranger Things hysteria, Kate Bush continues to dominate the charts, with the likes of Harry Styles, Drake and Lizzo being unable to knock her from the number one spot.
So to continue the hype appropriately, a club night dedicated to all things Kate Bush will be taking over a venue in Manchester later this year.
The Wuthering Nights club night – named appropriately after the 1978 track – describes itself as a ‘Kate Bush disco’, and hosts events around the country for fans of the singer to come together and experience her music in a whole new way.
The club night has confirmed it will be taking over Manchester’s Gorilla in October, as well as another venue in London.
The organisers say of their upcoming events: “Get ready to exchange the experience with hundreds of Kate Bush fans in the magical surroundings of Gorilla as we romp through Kate’s back catalogue with an overuse of smoke machines, visuals and camp re-enactments of Kate’s expressive dancing.
Wuthering Nights / Facebook
“Dressing up in your best Bush get-up is encouraged, slip on your red shoes, stick some ivy in your hair, raid the charity shop for that billowy dress and come and live out your inner Kate fantasy for us.”
Throughout the event, there will be prizes handed out to the best-dressed party-goers, as well as free souvenirs (including a pair of Kate Bush-themed knickers, apparently).
DJs Christopher Dresden Styles (Pop Curious) and Beardre Barlow (Bollox) will also be on duty to play the singer’s best hits across the evening.
Wuthering Nights: Kate Bush After Dark is coming to Gorilla on Saturday October 8th from 11pm until late. Get tickets here.
What's On
You can watch Love Island with bottomless pornstar martinis at this Manchester bar
I’ve got a text!
In case you’ve been living under a rock these last few weeks, Love Island is once again back on our screens.
Love it or hate you can’t avoid it, and if you are one of the people who’s into the ITV2 dating series then we’ve got some very good news for you.
One bar in the city centre has launched a new deal where you can get bottomless booze while you watch Love Island live.
Manchester’s Finest Group
Shack in the Northern Quarter has decided to start screening the show live alongside bottomless cocktails and fizz every Wednesday evening.
Located on High Street, the bar will be hosting weekly Love Island screenings – and you can order yourself and your pals some food from their selection of massive sharing platters.
These come stuffed with sliders, wraps and fries, and are the perfect way to soak up all that bottomless booze.
Manchester’s Finest Group
There’s two drinks options for you to choose from:
Bottomless Drinks for £20pp
This options includes Prosecco, Mimosas, Bellinis, Coors, Corona, Red Stripe, Aspall Cider, Shack Fruit Cider.
Bottomless Drinks for £25pp
This one includes all of the above plus: Pornstar Martinis, Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris, House Spirit & Mixer (Gin, Vodka, Spiced & Dark Rum, Excludes Red Bull).
So don’t bother watching Love Island all on your own at home, make a proper event out of it and enjoy it alongside bottomless drinks and some seriously good sharers.
Get yourself booked in here.
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