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All the Remembrance Sunday services and parades confirmed across Greater Manchester
Services are set to take place across Greater Manchester to commemorate Remembrance Sunday
As Greater Manchester prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday, the city and surrounding towns confirm services set to take place this weekend.
The national day is held on the nearest Sunday to Armistice Day in November and provides an opportunity to commemorate the contribution of the British and Commonwealth service men and women, and those who we have lost in the two world wars and conflicts since.
A two-minute silence is held at the 11th minute of the 11th hour during the 11th month as the nation remembers them.
This year, Remembrance Sunday falls on November 12th with services across the city-region set to take place.
Plans for the city centre service will see a procession through the streets, meeting at St Peter’s Square where a ceremony will be held at the Cenotaph as well as the the laying of poppy wreaths.
Councillor Yasmine Dar, Lord Mayor of Manchester said: “It is with solemnity that we come together today, Remembrance Sunday, to reflect on both the conflicts past and those that persist today.
“It gives us the opportunity to pay our deepest respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our country and to honour our veterans and the brave men and women serving in our armed forces.
“Let us also, remember the innocent civilians who, tragically have lost their lives, men, women, children, and babies. It is my privilege to mark this commemoration with the people of Manchester.”
Surrounding towns will also hold their own ceremonies at their local Cenotaphs.
Remembrance Sunday Parade plans set to take place across Greater Manchester are as follows:
Manchester city centre
The Remembrance procession will leave John Dalton Street at 10.25am led by the combined Lancashire Artillery Volunteers and Greater Manchester Police Band.
The Civic procession will depart from Mount Street at 10.45am led by the Scots Guards Association Pipe Band. Both will meet at St Peter’s Square at the Cenotaph.
Civic dignitaries, servicemen and women, service and ex-service organisations, faith leaders, emergency services and other uniformed organisations will be invited to pay their respects at the Cenotaph in St. Peter’s Square along with members of the public.
The firing of a 105mm gun will mark the beginning and end of the traditional two-minute silence. When the Cenotaph service ends, the Parade will proceed to Central Library for the March Past by Services and ex-Service organisations led by the Scots Guards Association Pipe Band.
The National Anthem will be played at the conclusion of the March Past at Central Library.
Crowd control barriers will be removed and roads reopened when the event is finished.
Salford
The parade will leave The Old Pint Pot at 10.30am and march down to the Cenotaph opposite Salford Crescent train station for 10.40am.
Across Salford, services will be held in:
Swinton
Eccles
Irlam
Little Hulton
(See local council pages for further details).
Trafford
The borough will also see a number of services taking place in local areas to mark the day.
Services will take place across:
Stretford
Sale
Urmston
Altrincham
Hale
Hale Barns
Partington
Bowden
(See local council websites for further details).
Tameside
A service with a two-minute silence will be held outside Dukinfield Town Hall at 11am.
Several services will take place across Tameside to mark Remembrance Sunday, including:
Denton
Audenshaw
Droylsden
Godley
Millbrook
Ashton
(See local council websites for further details).
Stockport
Residents are invited to observe a two-minute silence held on Saturday, November 11th.
The Mayor of Stockport, Councillor Graham Greenhalgh will attend the commemoration held at the steps of the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery.
On Remembrance Sunday, a service will also take place outside the War Memorial with a two-minute silence at 11am.
(See local council websites for further details).
Oldham
A service will be held at the War Memorial, opposite the Old Town Hall, commencing at 10.50am. All Ex-Service and Civilian Organisations will assemble at New Radcliffe Street at 10.20am and proceed to the War Memorial at 10.30am.
(See local council websites for further details).
Rochdale
A service will take place at Rochdale Cenotaph, Rochdale Memorial Gardens at 10.55am. The parade will march to the Cenotaph using the pedestrian area at 10.50am.
(See local council websites for further details).
Bolton
Three Remembrance events will be held in Bolton.
A concert will take place at the Albert Halls on Friday, November 10th at 7pm. An Armistice Day Service will also take place on Saturday, November 11th from 10.50am at Victoria Square.
Remembrance Sunday will see a service take place on Sunday, November 12th, also held in Victoria Square from 10.40am.
(See local council websites for further details).
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Famous faces to come to life in ‘groundbreaking’ new immersive National Portrait Gallery exhibition
And it opens this week
The National Portrait Gallery is working with FRAMELESS Creative, the UK’s leading creator of immersive experiences, to create Stories – Brought to Life, the first immersive art experience of a UK national collection.
Opening at MediaCity this Friday, May 2nd, and running until Sunday August 31st, the groundbreaking new immersive, cinematic show promises to redefine the gallery experience.
Visitors will step into a world where the sitters’ stories come alive. This unique experience explores the lives behind some of the most iconic faces from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection who have shaped the UK’s history and culture.
It will feature people from royalty and cultural icons to fearless leaders and national heroes, including Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela, Emmeline Pankhurst, Grayson Perry, Mary Seacole, William Shakespeare, Amy Winehouse, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Malala Yousafzai.
NPG x131784 Emmeline Pankhurst addressing a crowd in Trafalgar Square by Central Press, October 1908 –
© National Portrait Gallery, London
For its premiere in Manchester, Stories – Brought to Life will be presented in a specially designed 10,000 sq ft state of the art, immersive digital gallery in the heart of MediaCity.
Ryan Atwood, Creative Director for FRAMELESS Creative, said: “Working with a cultural institution like the National Portrait Gallery has been a unique experience, especially having the opportunity to draw upon the deep knowledge and passion of the curatorial team.
“But the magic has also come from studying the sitters and working with the families, estates and the sitters themselves to understand more about the individuals behind the portraits.
“Being able to delve deep into the life stories of the individuals and then bring them to life through the power of emotional, immersive storytelling has been a very special experience and we’re excited to share this with the public when we open in Manchester in May.”
NPG 1 William Shakespeare by John Taylor, circa 1610 – © National Portrait Gallery, London
Rab MacGibbon, Cross-Collections Curator at the National Portrait Gallery, added: “The National Portrait Gallery is home to the largest collection of portraits in the world and hanging on our walls are some of the most remarkable people to have ever lived.
“Working with the team from FRAMELESS, and through exploring new technologies and creative approaches, has allowed us to look at the Collection in a completely new light. We are embarking on a journey of discovery, which we hope will inspire and entertain a new audience.”
The experience will open to the public on May 2nd and run until August 31st at MediaCity, before going on a UK tour (dates to be announced). Grab your tickets HERE.
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Ornella’s Kitchen and more coming to Freight Island as part of huge summer programme
There’s something for everyone…
Freight Island has announced its upcoming spring and summer programme for 2025, and there’s something for everyone.
This includes the arrival of one of the most difficult-to-book restaurants in Manchester, coming to the city centre for the first time.
Denton-based Ornella’s Kitchen will be joining three other new food and drink vendors at Freight, alongside their already comprehensive dining offering.
Freight Island
Ornella’s Little Kitchen will be the Italian spot’s second location, and will be music to the ears of fans, as the original venue is often booked up for months in advance.
Other new additions include authentic ‘shaokao’ Chinese barbecue from MOREJOY, delicious bakes from Gooey, and Hello Dezato, a new offering from Hello Oriental dishing up soft serve ice creams and desserts.
They’ll be joining established Freight Island vendors like Patterson’s, Mia’s Arepas, Burgerism and Voodoo Ray’s pizza.
Freight Island
And if that’s not enough, the ever-popular Kantina supper club series will be returning soon with yet-to-be-announced guest chefs and traders.
Jamie from Ornella’s Kitchen said of the move: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Ornella’s Little Kitchen to Freight Island and be part of such a dynamic food and entertainment space.
“Our pasta-deli specials have found a loyal following in Manchester, and we can’t wait to share our authentic Italian flavours in this new setting.”
Freight Island
You’ll also find a wealth of world-class DJs over spring and summer, including the likes of David Rodigan, DJ Paulette, Congo Natty, A Love From Outer Space, UK garage icon Wookie, Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura, Rich Reason’s Ghosts of Garage, and Huey Morgan.
The Sports Bar will host official takeovers and celebrations across major tournaments, including the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 and the Woman’s Rugby World Cup, as well as Premier League fixtures, Champions League, Formula 1 and more.
Freight Island
Dan Morris, managing director at Freight Island, said: “Freight Island was always imagined as a place for innovation and pushing boundaries and this year’s update is about taking us closer to that original vision.
“With the incredible new food, a refreshed dining experience and our biggest Spring/Summer festival line-up yet, we’re set for an unforgettable season.”
Freight Island is re-opening on Thursday April 3rd. Get yourself booked in HERE.
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Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
Manchester will be transformed this half term
Manchester is launching The Super Duper Family Festival in February, a new free un-ticketed family event spread over four days.
There’ll be various activities that will transform the city into a giant, interactive playground from Saturday February 15th to Tuesday February 18th 2025.
Families can explore unique play zones scattered across Manchester, with everything from giant mazes and steam-powered carousels to retro video games and family raves.
The family festival will feature six key zones across the city, including The Garden in Exchange Square, featuring an 18m x 18m real hedge maze reaching two metres high.
Then there’s The Carnival in St Ann’s Square, a steampunk spectacle of old-school carnival games, including a traditional Victorian Carousel, a mind-bending Hall of Mirrors, and Test of Strength stand.
Other zones include The Playground with Waterloo Road, where popular schoolyard games come to life on New Cathedral Street in collaboration with BBC’s Waterloo Road, gaming at The Arcade in the Printworks, The Sports Hall at Great Northern Warehouse, and The Party at Aviva Studios.
Then there’s The Rave, bringing family raves and parties featuring a world-class sound system and dazzling lighting displays to the Great Northern Warehouse.
Venues like the National Football Museum, Stoller Hall, People’s History Museum and Castlefield Viaduct are also set to host their own exciting activities.
And families can experience the launch of CBBC’s Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogeys and You at the Science and Industry Museum.
Supported by the city’s hoteliers, Manchester Accommodation BID, the festival has been created in partnership with Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Aviva Studio, Great Northern Warehouse and Printworks.
Manchester Accommodation BID Chairman, Kumar Mishra said, “This festival is a fantastic opportunity to draw families into the heart of Manchester, showcasing the city’s vibrant culture, creativity, and its status as a world-class destination.
“With iconic attractions like the National Football Museum, the Science and Industry Museum, and the breathtaking Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester offers an unparalleled mix of history, innovation, and entertainment.
“By transforming the city into a playground of creative experiences and offering free fun for children of all ages, we’re not only celebrating the best of Manchester, but also inspiring families to explore, stay, and create lasting memories in one of the UK’s most dynamic and exciting cities.”
The festival is a free un-ticketed event, find out more HERE.
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Famous faces to come to life in ‘groundbreaking’ new immersive National Portrait Gallery exhibition
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Ornella’s Kitchen and more coming to Freight Island as part of huge summer programme
Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
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