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A special drive-in Christmas panto is coming to Manchester this year

This looks so good!

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Parking Lot Social

This Christmas a special drive-in festival is coming to town with a big programme of films, party shows and family events – including a socially distanced panto. 

Brought to you by the Parking Lot Social team, the Winter Festival will bring the first parking lot pantomime to Manchester, keeping the centuries-old tradition of the Christmas panto alive.

With theatres set to be closed over the winter months, organisers have commissioned a brand new, 2020 drive-in version of the panto classic Cinderella, with all the essential elements that make the tale so special, as well as a few twists unique to the special ‘drive-in’ format. 

A troupe of nine professional actors will melt hearts as audiences follow Cinders on her adventures, helped by the Fairy Godmother. The specially written show has song and dance routines a-plenty, audience participation galore and a script that takes a light-hearted dig at some of the challenges thrown up by this strangest of years.

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As it’s a drive-in event, there will be a crew filming the action and broadcasting the panto from the stage directly onto two massive 40 foot screens – meaning that there’s not a bad seat in the house. 

Safety is at the heart of the event, and audiences take part in the immersive, interactive shows from their own cars. It’s also a completely contactless event ensuring a safe and socially distant experience.

The Winter Festival will feature a 60ft tall rainbow coloured Christmas tree, a giant DJing Santa Claus and the coolest Reindeer to have ever left the North Pole – if the panto isn’t enough for you.

On top of that, a selection of classic and modern Christmas films for all ages will be shown on two gigantic screens with the sound broadcast straight to cars.

Parking Lot Social

There’s also the ‘Big Weekender’, a Silent Disco, Live Cam ‘Car-A-Oke’, Party Bingo and Interactive Quiz, and a Social Kids event for the youngsters, featuring ‘Christmas car-a-oke’, an interactive quiz, three DJ silent disco and Party Bingo hosted by Santa Claus himself.

If you get hungry some of the best local food trucks around will be on site, with customers able to have their orders delivered directly to their cars. Expect classic gourmet burgers, loaded fries, wood-fired pizzas and hot dogs alongside sweet winter warmers including hot chocolate, donuts, toasted nuts, gingerbread men and more. 

To top it off, each night, events finish with a fantastic, festive firework finale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Winter Festival in Manchester, which will take place at the Trafford Centre from December 1st to the 6th – head over to the Parking Lot Social site here for more info and tickets.

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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are coming to Manchester this autumn

Make sure you don’t miss tickets for this!

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@nickcaveofficial / Instagram

Nick Cave is heading to the UK for the first time since 2017, and the good news is he’ll be stopping in Manchester.

The Australian rock legend and his band the Bad Seeds will be playing the AO Arena on November 5th, as part of a full European tour.

And in even better news the tour coincides with the release of the band’s 18th studio album, Wild God, which is set to be released on August 30th.

@nickcaveofficial / Instagram


About the tour, Cave said: “I never think about how a record is going to go live, it never, ever occurs to me

“The lyric writing process is way too hard to take ideas like that into consideration. But, when I listen to Wild God now, I think we can really do something epic with these songs live.

“We’re really excited about that – the record just feels like it was made for the stage.”

The Bad Seeds will be supported by art rock band Black Country, New Road throughout their UK tour.

@nickcaveofficial / Instagram


Cave added: “Wild God…there’s no f**king around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.

“I hope the album has the effect [on listeners] that it’s had on me. It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it. It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious.

“There is never a masterplan when we make a record. The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.”

The full UK dates for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds:


  • 2 November – Leeds, First Direct arena
    3 November – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
    5 November – Manchester, AO Arena
    6 November – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
    8 November – London, The O2
    12 November – Dublin, 3Arena
    15 November – Birmingham, Resorts World Arena

Grab your tickets here

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Music legend Stevie Nicks is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live this summer 

The legendary singer-songwriter is coming to Manchester this year!

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Co-op Live

Legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live this summer.

The front woman of the iconic band Fleetwood Mac will take to the stage at the brand new arena – set to open this spring – to the delight of her adoring fans on Tuesday, July 9th.

Nicks will perform in Manchester ahead of her upcoming appearance at BTS in London’s Hyde Park on July 12th.

Co-op Live

Speaking about her upcoming show in London, Nicks said: “Anything that draws me back to London – and therefore to England – fills my heart with joy. And to be able to visit and make music… is always a dream come true…”

Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 along with her then partner and fellow Mac band member, Lindsey Buckingham. 

She introduced to the band her distinctive voice, poetic songwriting, and captivating stage presence, winning over the love of audiences worldwide.

Co-op Live

Her impact on Fleetwood Mac’s success during the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly with the release of the highly acclaimed album Rumours, solidified her as a musical powerhouse. 

This record sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the 5th best-selling album of the 1970s and the 9th best-selling album of all time.

Beyond her contributions to Fleetwood Mac, Nicks has had a significant solo career that further cements her enduring influence. 

Co-op Live

Hits including ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘Stand Back’ showcase her versatility and unique style. 

Her ability to transcend musical boundaries, coupled with her trailblazing role as a woman in rock, has inspired generations of artists.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019, Stevie Nicks continues to be celebrated not only for her musical prowess but also as a symbol of resilience and creativity in the ever-evolving musical landscape.

Co-op members will be first in line for tickets at Co-op Live before they go on general sale, including other exclusive benefits – get signed up HERE.

Co-op member presale tickets go live at 12pm on March 20th

General sale tickets go live at 12pm on March 22nd.

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LEGO hosting series of FREE interactive workshops for kids in Greater Manchester

Children will be encouraged to get creative and ‘play unstoppable’

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LEGO & dollyhaul / Flickr

LEGO is set to host a series of FREE interactive workshops in Greater Manchester next month.

From next month, youngsters who love to build things with Lego can take part in the workshops held at the LEGO Toy Shop in Manchester Arndale and LEGO Store at the Trafford Centre, as part of a new campaign aimed at championing and standing up for girls’ creativity.

The LEGO Group wants to encourage kids across Greater Manchester and the rest of the UK to ‘play unstoppable’.

The first in-person ‘Creativity Workshops’ are set to kick start in Greater Manchester for the last two Sundays of April.

The workshops will be held on Sunday April 21st and 28th – with online options available for those who are unable to make it in person.

Aimed at young creators aged 6-12, the workshops are focused on themes such as Entertainment, Space, Imagination and Gaming.

Here, young creators can ‘celebrate their star power’ by building a photo frame to display a picture of an achievement, friends and family, or anything they wish to celebrate. Other builds include a name sign, jewellery stand and more.

dollyhaul / Flickr

Staff at the stores will be on hand to help and guide children as they use their imaginations and build away.

For those children who are unable to make the workshops in-person, there will also be online workshops as part of the ‘Creativity at Home’ series – with the first ones set to be hosted by Strictly’s Dianne Buswell.

These are all about ‘fun and entertainment and decorating your room’ to reflect a piece of you.

The celebrity professional dancer will show children and show families how to create fun LEGO builds to decorate their home with.

Tickets to the workshops are FREE, but make sure to book them in advance on the LEGO as they are expected to be snapped-up fast. For tickets, click HERE.

The online Creativity at Home workshops are available now at www.LEGO.com/Creativity-Workshops.

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