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Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
The eight English cities hosting the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 – and what to do in each place
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Women's Rugby World Cup is taking place across the UK next month. And for the first time, it will take place across eight English cities - and VisitEngland have shared their top tips on what to do in each. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The Women's Rugby World Cup takes place next month Credit: Getty Running from August 22 to September 27, the eight cities are Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Exeter, London, Manchester, Northampton, Sunderland and York - with Anne Marie headlining the opening ceremony. Here is the full guide of what to do in each - and the rugby-themed events taking place. Brighton & Hove Brighton & Hove previously hosted three UEFA Women's Euro fixtures in 2022. But beyond the pitch, Brighton offers a rich mix of experiences from panoramic views atop Brighton i360 to the adrenaline of the Brighton Zip. Read more on UK cities SINK A FEW Quirky UK city named one of the top foodie destinations for 2025 with pub crawls The colourful Lanes entice visitors with eclectic boutiques, artisan coffee shops and bakeries, while Shelter Hall on the seafront provides a contemporary twist on the traditional food hall. No visit to Brighton is complete without a trip to the iconic Palace Pier with its exhilarating roller coaster rides and views of the English Channel. Top Tip: The Red Roses take on Australia on September 6 whilst New Zealand go head-to-head with Ireland on 7 September. Head to the fan zone in Victoria Gardens between September 4 and 7 for a free, family-friendly, female-focused festival including local music and rugby taster sessions. Bristol The city's engineering legacy is front and centre at the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Brunel's SS Great Britain. Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium, home to Bristol Bears and Bristol City FC, is set to host both semi-finals and two quarter finals – and has already made history with England's highest attended women's rugby game outside of London. Ellie Kildunne: Defying Odds and Inspiring a Generation For a creative fix, dive into the immersive world of Wake The Tiger or create your own masterpiece with Graft's graffiti workshops – a must-do in Banksy's hometown. Top Tip: A dedicated Rugby World Cup walking route will link the two fan zones at Ashton Gate and Bristol Amphitheatre to allow visitors to take in the sites en route. Quarter finals will take place on the weekend of September 13 and semi-finals on the weekend of September 19. 8 The colourful Bristol will host the semi and quarter finals Credit: Alamy Exeter The tournament's most south-westerly venue, Sandy Park in Exeter has been home to the Exeter Chiefs for the past 18 years and will host seven matches this year, including two quarter-final fixtures The Devonshire city offers a culture-packed break with riverside walks, Gothic architecture and top-notch local food. Start with the awe-inspiring Exeter Cathedral, boasting the world's longest uninterrupted medieval stone vaulted ceiling, before heading beneath the city's surface on a tour of the Exeter Underground Passages. Back above ground, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum offers a rich collection of art, archaeology and natural history. If the sun's out wander down to the scenic quayside, home to indie shops, artist studios and riverside pubs. Top Tip: Exeter's free and accessible Princesshay fan zone will show all matches on a big outdoor screen for the duration of the tournament with plenty of seating options, a pop-up bar and nearby street food vendors. 8 Exeter will host seven games but there is a lot to explore in the city too Credit: Alamy Twickenham, London The legendary Twickenham Stadium will host both the Women's Rugby World Cup final and bronze final on September 27. In nearby Richmond, discover natural beauty and regal heritage with walks and wild deer spotting in Richmond Park, explore the UNESCO-listed Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew or step into history at Hampton Court Palace. For a tranquil meal in a secret garden setting, enjoy lunch or afternoon tea at the charming Petersham Nurseries hidden away along the River Thames. Top Tip: Organisers are anticipating that the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 final could sell out Twickenham Stadium and surpass England's record for the highest attended women's rugby game. If you do miss out on a ticket, you can still soak up the sporting atmosphere at one of Twickenham's rugby pubs, such as The Barmy Arms or The Cabbage Patch, which always come alive with fans on match days. 8 Twickenham Stadium is likely to sell out, but there is lots going on elsewhere Credit: Alamy Salford, Greater Manchester Manchester is no stranger to ball sports, but it's rugby that's set to shine in the city this summer with the Salford Community Stadium hosting four Women's Rugby World Cup fixtures. Make a post-match visit to Salford Quays, where the city's industrial past has been transformed into a cultural and culinary hub. Sample the 19 independent kitchens at Kargo food hall or take in the creative legacy of L.S. Lowry at The Lowry arts centre and theatre. Top Tip: To align with the four games being played at Salford Community Stadium on August 23 and 30, Piccadilly Gardens in the heart of Manchester's city centre will host a fun filled fan zone experience with more details to be announced. 8 Salford Quays is now a cultural hub Credit: Alamy Northampton Northampton, the Midlands' only Women's Rugby World Cup host city, will see six matches staged at Franklin's Gardens, a venue dating back to 1880. Northampton has plenty to explore between games too, such as the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, or enjoy a countryside escape at the gardens of Castle Ashby. Motorsport fans can head to the world-famous Silverstone Circuit to explore its museum – or even drive the iconic track in a single-seater racing car. Top Tip: Across weekends that the tournament is on, Northampton Market Square's fan zone will be celebrating with live music and street entertainment – along with an all-important big screen and a licensed bar. The fan zone will have a different theme each weekend, from technology and innovation to art, music and culture. 8 Northampton will host six games this year Credit: Alamy Sunderland The North East is all set to welcome fans with the tournament's opening show and first game – a must-watch match between England and the USA – taking place at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on August 22. Beyond the pitch, Sunderland offers sandy summer escapes at Roker and Seaburn beaches. For cultural exploration, visit Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens – keep an eye out for Wallace the lion – and the National Glass Centre, where you can watch live glassblowing in action. Top Tip: A mini music festival will take place at the city's Keel Square fan village on the evening of August 21 – featuring a lineup of female-led live music. The celebrations continue at Keel Square for the next two days with live entertainment, interactive games, food, drink and big screens. They'll also be plenty of community events taking place locally, including touch rugby festivals on nearby beaches. 8 Sunderland will host the games at the Stadium of Light Credit: Alamy York One of the tournament's newest venues, the York Community Stadium previously hosted the Women's Rugby League World Cup in 2021 and this year will have six matches taking place during the tournament. York is a city layered with history – visit the 7th Century York Minster, uncover Norse heritage at the Jorvik Viking Centre or brave the thrills of York Dungeon. For something more modern, enjoy food and drink at creative community venue SPARK* or join a craft beer tasting tour at Brew York. Top Tip: The Red Roses' captain is North Yorkshire-born Zoe Aldcroft, who hails from Scarborough and started playing at her local rugby club aged eight. It takes under an hour to reach Scarborough from York by train, and the coastal town (touted to be England's first seaside resort) offers rich heritage, outdoor adventures and plenty of water sports – perfect for a breezy break away from the pitch.
Metro
24-05-2025
- Metro
A weekend in Brighton through the eyes of a child
It's not the Med, but Brighton was the perfect choice for introducing our children to the sea (Picture: Getty Images) Before they moved in with us, our children had never seen the sea. We had thought about taking them to somewhere in the Mediterranean, or even the Caribbean to give them an extra special memory. But realising that we would be setting ourselves up for a fall – they would expect white sands, warmer water and wall-to-wall sunshine every time we took them to the beach – we chose Brighton. It's not far from home and gave them a more realistic taste of the kind of coastline we're more likely to take them to. Pure joy We had spoken about what beaches look like, but nothing could prepare me for the look of joy and excitement when I told my four-year-old son that we were actually going to see the sea. Sign up to The Getaway newsletter Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. His face lit up and I could see he had a thousand questions to ask all at once. After a recent trip to a science show where he saw a life-size inflatable orca, the first thing he asked was: 'Will there be any whales?' Delivering the news to his older sister sparked equal excitement. Perhaps telling them just before bed wasn't the best idea – we still had three more sleeps to go before they actually got their first glimpse of the ocean blue. By this point, I had lost all feeling in my feet, but sometimes you've got to choose your battles (Picture: Richard Hartley-Parkinson) Spaceships and sunsets The excitement on our journey to the hotel peaked at their first sighting of the sea and the minutes on the satnav weren't counting down fast enough. As sunshine reflected off the sea and filled our car with light, my daughter told me that she understood where Brighton got its name. You can also get there by train; for our family (including children aged 10 and 4), the ticket would have cost £44.70. Meanwhile, my four-year-old complained several times as we drove along the beach hut-lined coastal road that he had spotted a whale. I didn't have the heart to tell him that this was very unlikely. In any case, he was easily distracted by the spaceship we could see from our room – aka the Brighton i360; a sky tower that takes you 450ft into the air with commanding views across Brighton and the sea (still no whales). Our children thoroughly approved of our hotel the DoubleTree Brighton Metropole and got their wish of a room with a balcony looking out to sea. (Double superior rooms start at £130, with breakfast.) We were even treated to an incredible sunset over the fast-disappearing Brighton West Pier. After a grey day, we were treated to a spectacular sunset (Picture: Richard Hartley-Parkinson) They were, however, a little disappointed by the lack of sharks and daddy's insistence that we wouldn't be swimming in the English Channel this time around. Looking out from our room, the water was too tempting for our kids. Despite the grey sky and drizzle that was slowly getting thicker, they were desperate to get closer. So we popped down to the beach and I battled in vain to prevent them getting their feet wet as we ran away from the waves. They were fascinated by the white foam left on the beach as the waves retreated and wanted to see what it felt like. So, finally, I relented and we whipped off our socks, rolled up our what my son calls 'trouser sleeves' and froze our feet off. They found it great fun, quickly learning to recognise which waves might reach them and running back up the steep stony beach before the water got them. Thankfully it didn't take too long before they also wanted to get back into the warmth – much more appealing was the swimming pool back at the Metropole and the promise of a slap-up meal in the hotel bar. They're not into fish and chips yet, but, in the spirit of teaching them about trips to British beaches, one step at a time. Brighton's best attractions We were only in town for a couple of days and will be sure to take the children back there as there's so much more to explore. But we packed a lot in. Here's a quickfire look at the things we did manage to do, in pictures: Sea Life Brighton: My youngest didn't quite understand why I wasn't too keen for him to go swimming with the sharks (Picture: Merlin Entertainments) Getting lost in The Lanes: I've always enjoyed visiting The Lanes, but it was a bit less attractive to the children who would much rather walk to and from our hotel along the Promenade (Picture: Visit Brighton) Brighton Palace Pier: You'll either need to be armed with a lot of money or the ability to say things like 'just choose one ride' or a flat out 'no' to some of the attractions along the pier (Picture: Visit Brighton) Richard Hartley-Parkinson was a guest of DoubleTree by Hilton. Arrow MORE: Move over Dubai – the Middle East's 'Pearl of the Gulf' is more interesting Arrow MORE: I visited the UK's best service station — couples even go on dates here Arrow MORE: Universal's Epic Universe theme park is finally open – the queue was my favourite part
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Brighton i360 owner Sarah Willingham reveals purchase price
The new owner of the Brighton i360 viewing tower says she paid £150,000 for the company Nightcap, run by ex-Dragons' Den judge Sarah Willingham, announced its purchase of the site in Willingham claims to have spent £400,000 to get the pod working again, in addition to £150,000 to take the attraction out of administration, a spokesman confirmed to the BBC, after The Argus first reported the story on & Hove City Council wrote off £51m worth of debt in January to facilitate the purchase. Brighton i360 entered administration in November 2024 before closing suddenly the following month, with the loss of over 100 reopened in March following Nightcap's company plans to invest an additional £1.5m in hospitality space at Brighton i360 by September 2026, according to a March trading city council agreed to finance construction of the observation tower in 2014 after planning permission was originally granted in 2006. The tower opened in 2016.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buyer confirms takeover of Brighton i360
A buyer has been found for the i360 viewing pod in Brighton. Hospitality group Nightcap Limited, which runs 46 venues in England and Wales, has taken on the remaining 115-year lease of the i360 for an as-yet undisclosed fee. Sarah Willingham, founder and CEO of Nightcap, said: "We couldn't be happier to welcome the i360 to the Nightcap family." The i360 went into administration in November. Brighton & Hove City Council then announced in January it would be writing off the attraction's £51m debt. Brighton-based Nightcap said clearing the debt and any "historic liabilities" would give the i360 a "fresh start" after significant investment from the new owners. "We pass the i360 every day and were as disappointed as everyone else when it went into administration and no buyer was found," said Ms Willingham, a former star of TV show Dragons' Den. "The impact of its closure would have been catastrophic to our local businesses and a blemish on this important part of the Brighton seafront. "We hope we will get the support of our tight-knit local community as we embark on this new chapter for the i360." Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the city council, said the sale was the "best option" for Brighton. "We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident," he said. Rachel Clark, chief executive officer of the West Pier Trust, said she was looking forward to a "fruitful and collaborative partnership" with Nightcap. Nightcap confirmed it would operate both the viewing tower and hospitality areas. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Brighton i360 £51m debt written off to secure sale Brighton's debt-hit i360 files for administration 'Financial disaster' Brighton i360 suddenly closes
