WINTER Island markets will come to Manchester after annual Christmas Markets have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Escape To Freight Island - which opened earlier this year - have announced the festivities today which will see a seated family-friendly festival filled with food, drink and entertainment.

In it's next stage of the evolution at Depot Mayfield this week, Winter Island joins The Ticket Hall with the event set to begin on Thursday 12th November/

Winter Island will become the UK’s largest fully outdoor, heated winter market which will also see the cities first curling ice rink.

The outside space will be turned into Winter Island, a fully heated outdoor event space with a 1500 sq ft tent installed beneath a 45ft Christmas tree.

Current traders, including Baratxuri, Krum, Voodoo Ray's and Madre, will all move inside to the Ticket Hall to make space for more local traders to set up stalls.

Joining the festivities will be a new outpost for Ancoats cocktail bar The Jane Eyre, which will have a cosy bar positioned above the hall with views across the site.

Belzan Pasta Kitchen, Plant Grill, Forever Changes wine bar, and a Rapha bike cloakroom will also open in the new indoor area.

With mulled wine and hot cider, a traditional hog roast, an artisan cheese stall, a bratwurst grill, and a local chocolate shop, the set-up will include so much of what people will be missing from the official Manchester Christmas Markets.

As well as all of this, Heaton Park's lantern festival Lightopia will install a one-off installation at the site, while the huge glowing circular canopy overhead will be lit up with festive projections.

Six people from the same household are able to book tickets for the indoor Ticket Hall, while six from different households can book to sit outside at Winter Island.