A special drive-in Christmas panto is coming to Manchester this year

This Christmas a special drive-in festival is coming to town with a big programme of films, party shows and family events – including a socially distanced panto. 

Brought to you by the Parking Lot Social team, the Winter Festival will bring the first parking lot pantomime to Manchester, keeping the centuries-old tradition of the Christmas panto alive.

With theatres set to be closed over the winter months, organisers have commissioned a brand new, 2020 drive-in version of the panto classic Cinderella, with all the essential elements that make the tale so special, as well as a few twists unique to the special ‘drive-in’ format. 

A troupe of nine professional actors will melt hearts as audiences follow Cinders on her adventures, helped by the Fairy Godmother. The specially written show has song and dance routines a-plenty, audience participation galore and a script that takes a light-hearted dig at some of the challenges thrown up by this strangest of years.

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As it’s a drive-in event, there will be a crew filming the action and broadcasting the panto from the stage directly onto two massive 40 foot screens – meaning that there’s not a bad seat in the house. 

Safety is at the heart of the event, and audiences take part in the immersive, interactive shows from their own cars. It’s also a completely contactless event ensuring a safe and socially distant experience.

The Winter Festival will feature a 60ft tall rainbow coloured Christmas tree, a giant DJing Santa Claus and the coolest Reindeer to have ever left the North Pole – if the panto isn’t enough for you.

On top of that, a selection of classic and modern Christmas films for all ages will be shown on two gigantic screens with the sound broadcast straight to cars.

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There’s also the ‘Big Weekender’, a Silent Disco, Live Cam ‘Car-A-Oke’, Party Bingo and Interactive Quiz, and a Social Kids event for the youngsters, featuring ‘Christmas car-a-oke’, an interactive quiz, three DJ silent disco and Party Bingo hosted by Santa Claus himself.

If you get hungry some of the best local food trucks around will be on site, with customers able to have their orders delivered directly to their cars. Expect classic gourmet burgers, loaded fries, wood-fired pizzas and hot dogs alongside sweet winter warmers including hot chocolate, donuts, toasted nuts, gingerbread men and more. 

To top it off, each night, events finish with a fantastic, festive firework finale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Winter Festival in Manchester, which will take place at the Trafford Centre from December 1st to the 6th – head over to the Parking Lot Social site here for more info and tickets.