Manchester

LONDON—U. K. billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has built one of the world’s most unconventional conglomerates, a sprawling collection of assets that includes a global chemicals business and baubles like a centuries-old London pub and a luxury British fashion brand.Now the 70-year-old tycoon, who was knighted in his home country but isn’t as well known outside of Europe, is making a deeper push into the U.S. market. Mr. Ratcliffe, majority owner of the privately held London-based chemicals giant…

“In terms of the breadth of talent, from emerging to established names, it’s the most exciting Manchester has been in my time,” says Rivca Burns, a 20-year veteran of the city’s music scene who is creative director of Salford’s Sounds From the Other City festival. “In terms of the infrastructure, it also feels like a precarious time. We’re losing rehearsal spaces and grassroots venues are struggling.”In 2023, Aitch and Meekz are flying the flag for Manchester rap, Blossoms from nearby Stockport have updated the region’s…

A group show by 11 pairs of footballers and visual artists, an exhibition of Yayoi Kusama inflatables and a new work by the pioneering Japanese experimental composer Ryuichi Sakamoto will take centre stage at this year’s Manchester international festival, which runs from 29 June to 16 July.Artistic director John McGrath said that this year’s festival, which will also feature a citywide artistic Easter egg hunt for collectable coins by artist Ryan Gander, a three-day Janelle Monáe residency, and the world premiere of…

Three months after announcing that they were open to selling one of the most prized assets in sports, the Glazer family received a set of preliminary bids for soccer giant Manchester United before a deadline on Friday evening. Though two were made public by the bidders, several more offers poured in for both partial stakes in the club and to acquire the team outright, according to a person familiar with the process. United itself hasn’t commented on the sale process since the initial deadline…

Rising British Blues star Connor Selby will perform shows at Manchester’s Gullivers and London’s Amazing Grace this Spring, it has been announced.The new shows have been announced off the back of Selby being nominated in four categories at the UK Blues Awards. The singer-songwriter is nominated for UK Blues Artist of the Year, UK Blues Vocalist of the Year, UK Blues Instrumentalist of the Year, and UK Blues Acoustic Act of the Year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYi2t3k7T0Y2023 is shaping up to big a big year for the…

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 28: A passenger aircraft landing at Manchester International Airport approaches the runway on 28 January, 2008, Manchester, England.Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe U.K.'s Manchester Airport said Thursday it has temporarily closed both runways following a period of "heavy snow fall.""Health and safety will always be our top priority and operations will resume at the earliest opportunity," it said.The U.K. has been seized by a cold snap this week, with the…

Sony, Manchester City building a metaverse.Tech giant Sony has shown a brief look of the metaverse experience it is building with the football club Manchester City at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023.Sony and Manchester City are calling this experience a "proof of concept" (PoC), which will allow players to participate in activities at a virtual version of the team's Etihad Stadium with their own custom avatars, reports The Verge.Read AlsoIn an official video posted by 'Sony-Global', virtual avatars are running…

Sony builds incredible virtual worlds for its PlayStation games, and now the company is starting to dabble more seriously with building metaverse worlds, too. At CES 2023, the company showed a brief look at a metaverse-y experience it’s building with the soccer club Manchester City. But so far, Sony seemingly isn’t bringing the same high-quality, must-play approach it’s known for to this soccer-focused hangout.The experience, which Sony and Manchester City are calling a “proof of concept,” will let fans participate in…

The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity shared on social media that Ariana Grande has donated Christmas gifts for patients at its hospitals.  On Monday, the hospital charity tweeted, thanking the singer. They also said the presents were distributed to babies, children and teenagers at four area hospitals — Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Trafford General, Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital.  The multi-Grammy-winning artist has maintained a close relationship…

Singer Ariana Grande spread some holiday cheer across the pond to Manchester, England, more than five years after a suicide bombing at her 2017 concert in the city left at least 22 people plus the bomber dead and injured dozens of attendees. On Monday, the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity shared on Instagram that the “Just Like Magic” singer had donated Christmas gifts for “young patients across our hospitals.”“The Christmas presents were distributed to babies, children and teenagers at Royal Manchester…