What's Hot in England 2018

2018 promises to be a packed year for travel across England to visit brand-new attractions, mark significant anniversaries and follow in the footsteps of blockbuster movie releases. Liverpool, Newcastle Gateshead and Bristol will be hot destinations thanks to a big year of cultural celebrations in the former and a raft of new attractions and activities opening in the latter, while Plymouth, Whitby and Greenwich will hit the spotlight during commemorations of the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's first legendary voyage. Talking of legendary moments, 2018 marks 100 years since women got the partial vote – to be marked with events across England – while a legend of another kind will grace our screens with daring exploits – and leafy Sherwood Forest – when Robin Hood is released in September.

Hot destinations

Liverpool 
2018 is a big year for culture in Liverpool as the city marks 10 years since it was European Capital of Culture 2008 with a year-long programme of cultural events. 'Eighteen for 18' will be a series of events, exhibitions, seasons and performances commissioned from some of the world's best artists, musicians and cultural organisations. In February, the world-famous Terracotta Warriors will arrive at the city's World Museum – their new home until October. It will be the first time in more than 10 years that the spectacular warriors from the tomb of China's First Emperor have been brought to Britain. In a nod to the events of 2008, a fleet of tall ships will return to the city (25 – 28 May), as well as French puppeteers Royal De Luxe. The Liverpool Biennial of contemporary art will also come to town, showcasing thought-provoking contemporary art in the city's public places, unused buildings and galleries (14 July – 28 October). Founded in 1998 – and celebrating its 20th birthday in 2018 – the Biennial has commissioned 305 new artworks and presented work by more than 450 artists from around the world; the 2018 edition is called Beautiful world, where are you? Two other important Liverpool institutions celebrate anniversaries in 2018 too; Tate Liverpool (30th anniversary) and ACC Liverpool (10th anniversary) will all play a role in the celebrations.
www.visitliverpool.com; www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk; www.biennial.com

Bristol
In 2018, Bristol offers something for everyone from Brunel enthusiasts to hot air balloonists. Being Brunel will open as part of a major redevelopment of Bristol's Floating Harbour area; the state-of-the-art museum will preserve Brunel's legacy and inspire future engineers and innovators through its collection of never-seen-before possessions and artefacts, with Brunel's Drawing Office being restored as part of the project. Bristol-based Aardman Animations, the creative force behind Wallace and Gromit, have teamed up with children's charity The Grand Appeal to launch a new public arts trail in Bristol and the surrounding area for summer that will amuse children and adults alike. Bristol's cultural scene is brimming with entertainment options ranging from Britain's oldest continually working theatre, the Bristol Old Vic – undergoing a revamp that will be revealed in 2018 – to the world-class music venue St George's Bristol, also getting a facelift for 2018 that will include a glass sound wave sculpture suspended in the foyer, designed by Bristol-based installation artist Luke Jerram and based on a musical score by the composer Philip Glass. And cameras at the ready for the 40th anniversary of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta in the summer, the city's largest outdoor event and the biggest event of its kind in Europe. Come summertime, you'll be able to stay at the new Artist Residence Bristol; the fifth hotel in the quirky micro chain of boutique British residences will be located in a former boot factory.
www.visitbristol.co.uk www.ssgreatbritain.org/about-us/being-brunel; www.grandappeal.org.uk/news/new-arts-trail-planned-2018-bristol; www.bristololdvic.org.uk; www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk; www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk; www.artistresidence.co.uk

Hot Event

Great Exhibition of the North 2018, NewcastleGateshead and north England
22 June – September 
Science and industry meet art and design for the Great Exhibition of The North, a one-off celebration of everything that's great about the north of England. Expect a summer of amazing exhibits, inspired technology, vibrant street performance, cutting-edge culture and magical experiences, set to the overarching theme of 'The Blazing World – The Fires of Invention'. The opening weekend, 'Get North', is the event's first headline moment and the opening ceremony at the NewcastleGateshead Quayside will feature a bridge of illuminated drones over the River Tyne. The closing weekend promises a powerful Creating the Future theme. Throughout the Great Exhibition, visitors will be able to explore NewcastleGateshead's dynamic cityscape on three themed walking routes: the 'Seeing in Wonder' art route, 'Thinking in Style' design route, and 'Dreaming in WOW' innovation route. Meanwhile, the BALTIC art gallery will invite five northern and five international artists to create work on the exhibition's themes. The Great Exhibition will also be celebrated across the north of England: Manchester has a number of events planned, including a series of water sculptures that are activated every day throughout the exhibition, a two-mile-long soundscape, and a Story of the North in 100 objects, with one object profiled each day in the run up to the exhibition launch.
getnorth2018.com

Hot Hotel Opening

Stock Exchange Hotel, Manchester
Spring
Former Manchester United football stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs (GG Hospitality) have been working to redevelop Manchester's historic Manchester Stock Exchange building into a boutique hotel due to open in spring 2018. Located at Norfolk Street, the Edwardian Baroque building with its impressive central dome will be converted into 39 bedrooms and two restaurants – the intriguingly-named The Man Who Fell To Earth and Are Friends Electric – plus a rooftop bar. Both eateries will be helmed by top UK chef, Michael O'Hare, whose Leeds restaurant The Man Behind the Curtain was awarded a Michelin star in 2015.
www.marketingmanchester.com

Hot Films

Peter Rabbit
16 March
Beatrix Potter's classic tale of a mischievous blue-jacketed rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer's vegetable garden is getting a star-studded live-action and CG motion picture remake. James Corden voices the lead role of Peter, while Rose Byrne stars as “Bea”, and the voices of Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie and Daisy Ridley (of Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will also feature in the film. Some location scenes were shot in the towns of Ambleside and Windermere in the Lake District, which was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in July 2017. Beatrix Potter is synonymous with the Lake District – the area was her home and its natural beauty and wildlife inspired many of her creations. Fans can visit her house, Hill Top, now looked after by the National Trust.
www.golakes.co.uk www.imdb.com/title/tt5117670 ; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop  

Robin Hood
September
This new spin on the legend stars Taron Egerton from Kingsman: The Secret Service as Robin Hood, Jamie Foxx as Little John, Eve Hewson as Maid Marian, and Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlet, half-brother of Hood and husband of Marian. Robin Hood's original stomping ground was Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire and the forest is still the setting for the annual Robin Hood Festival in early August – a medieval gala of entertainment, food and drink and live-action re-enactments, bringing Robin Hood's exploits to life. 2018 will be the festival's 34th year, and follow the opening of the new Sherwood Forest visitor centre in early 2018. Come October, it's the Robin Hood Pageant in Nottingham Castle; step into a medieval village to be entertained by Robin Hood and his Merry Men, with living history demonstrations, archery, falconry, wood carving and spectacular jousting tournaments.
www.imdb.com/title/tt4532826; www.experiencenottinghamshire.com

Mary Poppins Returns 
21 December
It's 53 years since the original Mary Poppins popped onto our screens with her magical bag and flying umbrella. In 2018, she's back – played by Emily Blunt – to visit the grown-up Banks children in this Disney musical sequel, which takes the action forward to London in 1935. Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke (who starred in the original film) also feature in the cast. London filming locations include St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and outside the Bank of England.
www.imdb.com/title/tt5028340; www.stpauls.co.uk/visit; www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingham-palace; www.visitlondon.com www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/museum/visiting

Hot Theme – maritime commemorations

2018 sees landmark anniversaries related to famous sea-bound explorers and adventurers. Cook 250, a programme of events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's legendary first voyage of discovery on HMS Endeavour to the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, will take place nationwide, including in Plymouth, where the expedition set off from, Whitby, where the Endeavour was built (and will return in 2018) and at Greenwich's National Maritime Museum, which will open four new permanent galleries named 'Endeavour Galleries'. 29 October 2018 marks the 400th anniversary of Sir Walter Raleigh's execution. The poet, historian and explorer journeyed to South America in search of the legendary City of Gold; Sherborne Castle in Dorset was built by Raleigh in 1594 and a new exhibition will tell his remarkable story. 2018 is also the 150th anniversary of the birth of Scott of the Antarctic (Captain Robert Falcon Scott), who was born in Plymouth, on 6 June 1868 and who died on 29 March 1912, having been beaten to the South Pole by a Norwegian expedition team; his story of courage and sacrifice caused an outpouring of public grief when news of his death reached home. Plymouth will be the start for more sea-faring adventures in June, the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe Race, when Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail solo around the Globe. Plymouth will host the start and finish of the 2018 race. And with the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower in 2019, the maritime theme is set to continue…
www.visitplymouth.co.uk; www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk; www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum; www.sherbornecastle.com; www.goldengloberace.com

Hot Anniversaries

RAF100: 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force
Throughout 2018
The Royal Air Force will celebrate its centenary year with local, regional and national events and activities. Key events planned include a live broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall, a service at Westminster Abbey and a huge parade of military personnel along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. The annual Royal International Air Tattoo – “the world's greatest airshow”– at RAF Fairford (13 – 15 July 2018) promises to be extra special in 2018. The RAF Museum will transform its London site as part of the Royal Air Force's centenary celebrations; plans include a series of new permanent exhibitions that will open in the summer. Lincolnshire was known as Bomber County during the Second World War and had more operational airfields than anywhere else in the country, but its aviation heritage stretches back to aircraft production in the First World War and is still alive today. New trails and tours are planned for 2018, including a new digital trail, '100 voices over 100 years', which will bring Lincolnshire's RAF and aviation history to life. Also new for 2018, the Dambusters Hangar at RAF Scampton will be transformed into a First World War Airfield (April – August). Worldwide artefacts will be on display at Lincoln's The Collection museum, telling the story of Lincoln's role in the First World War, including the largest model Zeppelin (26 May – 9 September). Over in Staffordshire is the National Memorial Arboretum, the UK's year-round centre of remembrance, and across the border in Shropshire is The Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford, a family attraction where you can get close to more than 70 aircraft for free, including the world's oldest Spitfire and a Lincoln Bomber.
www.raf.mod.uk/raf100; www.rafmuseum.org.uk; www.aviationheritagelincolnshire.com ; www.visitlincolnshire.com ; www.visitlincoln.com; www.enjoystaffordshire.com ; www.thenma.org.uk ; www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford

100th anniversary of votes for women
Throughout 2018 and 6 February
The Representation of the People Act passed on 6 February 1918, allowing some women to vote for the first time; 2018 also marks 100 years since women had the right to stand as an MP and 100 years since the election of the first female MP. To mark these historic events, Parliament will launch Vote 100, a year-long celebration of women's voices in Parliament. Highlights of the programme of themed events, tours and talks include the Voice and Vote: Women's Place in Parliament exhibition (summer) and EqualiTeas, a celebration over tea and cake (30 June – 2 July). Throughout 2018 The People's History Museum in Manchester will mark the centenary of women getting the partial vote with an ambitious programme of exhibitions, festivals and events. The annual Wonder Women festival (March), which takes place across Manchester as well as at the museum, will incorporate everything that makes Manchester the nation's suffragette city and the Working Class Movement Library, National Football Museum and Manchester Art Gallery will all be involved. The museum's headline exhibition Represent! (late-May – 2019) will give a contemporary interpretation of Manchester's radical roots. The museum also hopes to add a rare suffragette banner to its existing collection; if the crowd-funding campaign to secure the piece is successful, the banner will go on public display for the first time in over 100 years.
http://www.parliament.uk/vote100; www.phm.org.uk, www.wcml.org.uk,www.nationalfootballmuseum.com, http://manchesterartgallery.org

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
2018 marks significant anniversaries for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). It's the 60th anniversary of Surrey Hills, Shropshire Hills and Northumberland Coast AONBs, and 50th for Norfolk Coast and the Kent Downs. Key events and activities include a free map and guide with '60 things to see and do in the Surrey Hills', The LifeCycles and Landscapes project in Norfolk, which will place large-scale outdoor artistic and heritage works on sites along the ancient 400-mile Icknield Way from Dorset to the Norfolk Coast AONB, culminating with events at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival (11 – 27 May), plus there will be new Discovering Britain walks along the Kent Downs.
www.surreyhills.org; www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk; www.northumberlandcoastaonb.org; www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk ; activateperformingarts.org.uk/project/life-cycles-and-landscapes; www.kentdowns.org.uk

Hot Adventure Activity

New SUP and foraging tours, Hampshire
Summer 2018
The New Forest Paddle Sport Company is working with Hurst Marine to create exciting new paddle board tours, including one that combines adventure sport with gastronomy! Due to launch in July and run on selected dates through to September, the exclusive new tour for 2-6 participants will include paddle boarding with an instructor and local chef Jesse Wells from the restaurant Hurst on the Hill to collect wild sea herbs and grasses, which you will feast on in the evening back at dramatically-sited Hurst Castle. You can then have a sunset paddle back to Keyhaven or return on the ferry, fully wined and dined.
www.thenewforestpaddlesportcompany.co.uk

For more information visit: www.media.visitengland.com  

Ends

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Evelina Andrews / Louise Ferrall / Sophie Dinsdale
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