Book now: Festival of the Dead at Bowlers Exhibition Centre

Festival of the Dead comes to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Trafford in Janurary 2017. The event features carnival-style pageantry, a giant skull procession, acrobats, dancers and ornate costumes. If it sounds a lot like Mexican ‘Dia de los Muertos’ party, that’s because it is. The organisers ran a similar event for Halloween, and it was hugely successful, so they’ve brought it back at a somewhat less apposite date. They stress that there’s no reason to take offence, as this time it won’t have the religious elements of the Day of the Dead event. However, it will have DJs, live music and fairground rides. Adding to the Central American atmosphere, there will be piñatas and free skull face-painting. Early bird tickets are already sold out. The venue can be reached by road, via junction 9 of the M60, or by the 19, 54, or 270 buses.

Sat 28 Jan, Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Longbridge Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1SN. Tel: 0161 876 0007, 9pm – 3am, £17.89 – £21.90, www.fatsoma.com