THAT FOOTY THING
Unless you’ve had your head wedged up your anus, you may have noticed that the 2014 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in Brazil. £10 billion spent, 3.2 billion viewers across the globe (nearly half the world’s population), one month of football, 64 games, 32 nations, all battling it out to be crowned champions of the most prestigious competition in sport (sorry Olympics, but it is). Struggling to decide where to watch all the action in Manchester? Worry not. We’ve sussed it for you here. World Cup/Everywhere/Until Sun 13 July
GOB SMACKER
The multi-award-winning master of mentalism, Derren Brown, brings his latest one-man show, Infamous, to The Lowry. Brown, now one of the world's most renowned live performers, possesses a rare hyper-intuition that enables him to predict and control human behaviour. He's also a magician that rubbishes magic and tells us all to stop being so bloody gullible. Smart-arse. Derren Brown: Infamous/The Lowry/Fri 13-Sat 21 June/7.30pm/Tickets here
ME GUERILLA ME HUNGRY
The first in the city to turn the street food revolution into a party, Guerilla Eats have teamed up with The British Street Food Awards to host the North’s regional heats in the fantastic setting of Old Granada Studios. The very best from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and the space in between have been invited to come fight it out, with the winner advancing to the national final in Leeds in September. As always with the Big Blue one, admission is FREE. Guerilla Eats: British Street Food Awards/Old Granada Studios/Sat 14 June/6-11pm/@Guerilla_Eats
Old Granada Studios
LIAR LIAR
Billy Fisher is a 19 year-old nobody. He lives at home and has a dead-end job. He’s going somewhere only in his imagination – which he’s furnished with an elaborate fantasy world, from which lie after lie spills forth. Adapted from Keith Waterhouse’s 1959 novel, later adapted into a play, film, musical and TV series, this tale of 60s northern life captures Britain on the move and a ruddy big fibber. Billy Liar/Royal Exchange Theatre/Opens Fri 13 June/Tickets here
SALFORD RISING
What with the Sounds of the Other City, Salford Food and Drink Festival, Salford Music Festival, Salford Sonic and… that other one, Salford’s cultural stock is on the up. Next comes Create Salford, a new and free three-day arts and media festival at MediaCityUK, hosted by University of Salford graduate Jo Good (XFM, BBC 6 Music), showcasing ‘today and tomorrow’s best music, comedy, theatre, dance, fashion, poetry and journalism’. Create Salford/MediaCityUK/Thurs 12-Sat 14 June/Info here
JUMPIN’ JIMMY
In 1921 Jimmy Gralton’s sin was to build a dance hall on a rural crossroads in an Ireland on the brink of Civil War. The Pearse-Connolly Hall was a place where young people could come to learn, argue, dance and have fun. As the hall grew in popularity its socialist and free-spirited reputation brought it to the attention of the church and politicians who forced Jimmy to flee and the hall to close. A decade later and Jimmy is back, but the hall lies empty and abandoned. Jimmy's Hall/Cornerhouse/Opens Fri 13 June/Tickets here
DR DRA-LION
Dralion may sound like something you bung down a smelly sink, but in fact it's a show by long-running Canadian entertainment company, Cirque de Soleil that fuses the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil's blend of circus arts and street entertainment. Dralion 'draws inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.' - The East? Human and nature harmony? The whales might have something to say about that. Cirque de Soleil: Dralion/Phones4u Arena/Until Sun 15 June/8pm/Tickets here
D-DAY
To mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, discover personal stories and learn more about the experience of Veterans North group member Jim Baker who was in the Royal Marines during the Second World War in this 20 minute tour. A Closer Tour: D-Day/IWM North/Tours until 30 June/Dates here
COMEBACK KINGS
Kings of Leon were the biggest band in the world – then things went awry in 2011. As rockers tend to do, they fell out for a while, went separate ways, got drunk, and married supermodels. Now they’re back on the road with a new critically-warm album, Mechanical Bull, a new lease of life, and everyone’s best buddies again. But then, they’re brothers, so they have to be (hear that Gallaghers – sort it). It’s a long way back to the top though, and we’ve been there and done the Leons before. Still, put them in a stadium… Kings of Leon/Phones 4U Arena/Weds 18 June/6pm/Tickets £60 here
Ring Kings?
