Your bumper briefing of news and what to look out for
Stockport’s Foodie Friday to host Strawberry Studios celebration
Foodie Friday, Stockport’s monthly street food festival, has revealed the lineup for its Strawberry Studios Forever Celebration Concert, promising a night dedicated to music recorded at the iconic Strawberry Recording Studio.
Due to start at 7.30pm on Monday 31 March at The Plaza, concertgoers can expect performances from Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order, Clint Boon of the Inspiral Carpets and The Lottery Winners performing two classic tracks from The Smiths which were recorded at the Stockport studio.
Guest speakers, including the founder of Strawberry Studios, Peter Tattersall, will also be involved in the concert’s celebration of the historic studio where the likes of Joy Division, The Smiths and Paul McCartney recorded.
Tickets cost £20 and can be bought here.
Exhibition launches spring menu
Peter Street’s Exhibition has launched a new seasonal menu for spring, bringing together dishes from its three acclaimed resident kitchens - Osma, Baratxuri, and Jaan by Another Hand - onto a single à la carte menu which allows diners to mix and match flavours from across the globe.
Available Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm – 9pm, Exhibition guests can enjoy Scandinavian small plates from Osma, Basque fire-cooked specials from Baratxuri and Persian style flatbreads from the chefs at Jaan by Another Hand. To complete the experience, Exhibition’s award-winning bar team has also crafted a standout drinks menu.
To try the spring menu, book here.
Craft and Design Centre hosts exhibition for MMU grads
Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s 18th annual Manchester Metropolitan Graduate Award Winners Exhibition is now open, showcasing the innovative work of three talented graduates until 29 March.
Titled Movement Through Materiality, the exhibition explores how materials interact with the environment, featuring striking creations by graduates Isla Paine, Sam Holmes and Mary Craig from Manchester School of Art.
Visitors can enjoy this free exhibition Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5:30pm, with a special celebration event on 22 February from 5pm – 7pm.
Johnny Marr and Gibson Garage collaborate for Teenage Cancer Trust
To celebrate the first anniversary of Gibson Garage London, Manchester music legend Johnny Marr is to release 20 hand-signed Gibson ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby guitars exclusively at the London store from 21 February.
The Gibson Johnny Marr ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby guitars take inspiration from Johnny Marr’s 1984 Cherry Red Gibson Les Paul Standard, his go-to guitar during the recording of The Smiths’ iconic second album, Meat is Murder, as well as live performances with The The, The Pretenders and The Cribs.
All proceeds from the sale of the Johnny Marr guitars will be donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust and will be available for the public to buy immediately upon the opening of Gibson Garage London on 21 February from 11am.
On the replication of his trusty guitar Johnny Marr said: “These guitars are a faithful reproduction of my beloved 1984 Gibson Les Paul, bought in Manchester back in the day. It’s the guitar I’ve kept and used since that time on loads of different records, so I was beyond delighted to see it recreated in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s an amazing organisation that I've had an association with for about ten years.”
'Mr Doom - Behind the 8 Ball' to premiere at HOME
This February HOME will play host to the world premiere screening of Mr Doom – Behind the 8 Ball, the debut feature film from writer-director Leif Johnson which reimagines the Scorsese classic, The Color of Money, into a British comedy about small-town living, with a modern-day spaghetti western twist.
Featuring a cast of stand-up comics and familiar Manc faces like Clint Boon and Smug Roberts, Johnson explores the themes of addiction and self-loathing through the story of two small-town men on the fringes of society, seasoned hustler Charlie (Danny Parsons), and habitual screw up Jack (Danny Sutcliffe).
“I feel like I’ve been preparing for this film my entire life,” writer-director Leif Johnson said about Mr Doom – Behind the 8 Ball. “Coming from a working-class family in a bleak northern English town, I drew inspiration from real-life characters.
“These larger-than-life local legends, often found in their neighbourhood pub, had no steady job or career, yet always seemed to carry a healthy wad of cash. I was fascinated by these pub storytellers, always spinning tales - most of them far too colourful for young ears. I loved every bit of it.”
Mr Doom- Behind the 8 Ball debuts at HOME Manchester on 27 February 3:30 – 5:30pm.
Watch the trailer here.
Get tickets here.
Moovin Festival announces packed lineup
Moovin Festival returns to Whitebottom Farm in Stockport from 13-15 June, bringing its signature blend of big-name artists, underground talent, and an intimate, community-driven atmosphere to the surroundings of Etherow Country Park - just 30 minutes outside of Manchester.
This year’s lineup is headlined by the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective, fresh from their sold-out Wembley show, alongside French house favourite Folamour, drum & bass icons Roni Size and Fabio & Grooverider, and funk and soul aficionado Craig Charles. Manchester icons like Mr. Scruff, Luke Una and Haçienda greats Graeme Park and DJ Paulette also bring their signature sounds to the weekend.
Beyond the music, Moovin Festival delivers a one-of-a-kind experience with yoga sessions, circus performances, fire shows, holistic treatments and £5 pints on what was once an old dairy farm.
Weekend tickets are £135. Find them here.
Manchester Airport’s new proposal
For couples planning a surprise proposal abroad, aether, the private terminal at Manchester Airport has introduced a discreet engagement ring concealing service, launching this Valentine’s Day.
With international proposals becoming increasingly popular, aether’s engagement ring service is a response to the concerns of customers at renowned Manchester jeweller Hancocks. The bespoke service therefore ensures travellers can carry their engagement ring through security without spoiling the big moment.
Available for rings from any jeweller, for access to the service holidaymakers must email aether to receive a secret code word that will be used throughout their journey, discreetly alerting aether staff to handle their ring with extra care.
On the story behind aether’s new service, Roy Lunt, owner of Hancock’s Jewellers said: “We recently had a customer come in that was planning the perfect surprise proposal in New York on New Years Eve. Despite his meticulous preparations, he was very nervous about transporting the ring through security without his partner finding out.
"Knowing aether’s dedication to curating extraordinary experiences for its customers, we reached out to suggest a service designed to ensure such significant moments remain seamless."
Morrissey’s back and in a bigger arena than ever
Morrissey is set to make his return to Manchester with a one-night-only arena show at Co-op Live on 7 June 2025.
Fresh off a sold-out North American tour, this will be the former Smiths frontman’s only English arena performance in 2025, with additional intimate shows planned at the 3Arena in Dublin and two nights at Glasgow’s O2 Academy.
Per his recent American shows, Morrissey’s setlist is expected to include a combination of his solo tracks alongside nods to The Smiths’ extensive catalogue of hits featuring classics like Bigmouth Strikes Again and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.
Find tickets here.
Sephora set for second site
Following the huge success of Sephora UK launching at The Trafford Centre last year, the worldwide beauty giant has decided to grace the city with a second location, set to open soon in Manchester Arndale.
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Sephora UK said: “Manchester showed us phenomenal support when we opened our first store in the region, which blew away all our expectations. We are thrilled to be bringing a second beauty playground to our customers in this vibrant and culturally rich city, allowing us to reach even more shoppers with a city centre location in Arndale.
“We already know there is a strong appetite from beauty enthusiasts in Manchester as we saw over 2000 eager customers queue on our opening day last year, and we look forward to recreating the same energy at Arndale and to continue providing an unparalleled beauty experience like no other.”
There are also plans to open Sephora UK stores at Liverpool ONE and Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre later in the year.
‘The adventure is over unfortunately’: 63 Degrees closes
To the MRI and Greater Manchester Ambulance Service: Thank you for saving my life
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