Entertainment News

British Airways i360, the world's tallest moving observation tower, will open on Thursday 4th August; and tickets are now on sale for the new attraction on Brighton seafront. When it opens, visitors will be able to glide up to 450 feet in a fully enclosed futuristic glass viewing pod to admire the unfolding views across Brighton and the south coast. 'Flights' are 20 minutes during the day and 30 minutes after 6.00pm, when the pod transforms into the Nyetimber Sky Bar serving the finest drinks from the region.

The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RSBA) has announced a brand new festival for 2016, opening up the world of printmaking to artists, beginners and families. Printmaking is an art form in which an image is made on a block, stone, plate or screen from which the final print is produced, either manually using an implement such as a wooden spoon, or with the help of a printing press. Birmingham has a rich history of printmakers, including John Baskerville, inventor of the Baskerville font, which is still used across the world today.

Sea Life London Aquarium is declaring August 'Shark Month' with jaw-some free games and activities in celebration of one of the oceans' most misunderstood and vitally important predators. Guests will be entertained with shark-themed fun, from pinning the fin on the shark to shark inspired crafts, whilst learning fish-tastic facts along the way. The expert staff will be giving regular talks, sharing their detailed knowledge, answering guest questions and challenging many of the false myths about these magnificent creatures. And of course, there are real sharks aplenty too!

Broadway Casino, Birmingham's leading independent casino, has won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the third year running, a testament to their stylish venue and excellent customer service. Broadway Casino is the only casino venue in Birmingham to have won the TripAdvisor Certificate award with customers leaving glowing reports on the incredible gaming floor and stunning poker room. TripAdvisor awards it’s much sought after Certificate of Excellence to organisations that repeatedly earn great reviews from travellers through consistently high levels of service.

Families visiting Victorian Arcade in Walsall were treated to a special Superhero Fun Day featuring a whole host of fun activities including a visit from the iconic Batmobile. Throughout the day a replica of the famous Batmobile from the original 1989 movie starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, was situated at the entrance of the shopping arcade for shoppers to pose and take pictures with.

The Library of Birmingham, along with local writer development group Writing West Midlands, is looking for a talented poet to become Birmingham’s next Poet Laureate. Alongside the city-wide search for a successor to Adrian Blackledge, the hunt is also on for a new Young Poet Laureate to follow on from Serena Arthur. Anyone living, working or studying in Birmingham can apply for either of these honorary posts. B

Colourful tractors slowly chug through a barn and past fruit and vegetable gardens. A small rollercoaster crawls past rugged rocks, before smoothly gliding down over green hills and passing grazing sheep. The scent of freshly baked pies rises from an old timber framed house. Ireland – Children's World is just waiting to be discovered by explorers of all ages. Exciting adventures, new attractions, and almost 4,000 plants turn the 14th European themed area into a lush, green Emerald Isle.

It sounds like every child's dream…spending the summer testing out holidays. And now Eurocamp are offering one lucky pre-schooler the chance to do just that with the launch of their new 'Little Boss of Big Fun' role. The travel specialist is looking for a junior reviewer to give their verdict on the extensive facilities and activities at one of their parcs this summer.  Eurocamp are keen to hear from pre-schoolers (and their families) with a love for holidaying and a keen spirit of adventure.

Astonished visitors looked up in amazement as two roaring prehistoric beasts faced each other in the Battle of the Biomes at the Eden Project. Onlookers were transported back 67 million years as a newly-arrived giant Triceratops – the biggest dinosaur ever to roam the Eden gardens – grappled its arch nemesis the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. The face-off on the grassy rooftop between the bubbles of the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes comes in advance of  Eden's summer holiday spectacular Dinosaur Uprising: Land, Sea and Air, from July 23 to September 4.

Excited guests gathered in Universal's Islands of Adventure to help mark the official opening of Universal Orlando Resort's newest mega attraction, Skull Island: Reign of Kong. Skull Island: Reign of Kong brings the next generation of the King Kong legend to life on an unprecedented scale. The adventure begins as guests are transported deep into a mysterious world, where their mission is to discover creatures of unknown origin with the 8th Wonder Expedition Company, the research team leading the excursion.

William Shakespeare’s last will and testament will be making its way back to Stratford-upon-Avon this summer for the very first time since it was written in March 1616. Cared for by The National Archives, the original will of the world’s greatest playwright will be displayed at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust from 16 July – 4 August as part of a major exhibition celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare’s legacy.

Stonewall, Britain’s leading lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity, has named Birmingham City Council as one of the best local authorities in Britain for tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and celebrating difference in its schools. This comes as the charity today publishes its annual Education Equality Index, listing the Top 10 local authorities in Britain, with Birmingham City Council coming in eighth position.

Wolverhampton has made the top ten in a major survey of the best live music scenes – thanks to venues like the Civic Hall and the Robin2. It is a ringing endorsement of the city, which is currently in the middle of an exciting ten-day ‘Enjoy Wolverhampton’ programme of free or purse-friendly activities showcasing its gems. Leading entertainment listings site Ents24 places Wolverhampton in the top ten alongside London, at number one, Manchester, second, and Bristol, third, for live music venues.

Graffiti Spirits, widely regarded in Liverpool as prime innovators behind Liverpool's progressive new cocktail and independent eating out scene has revealed that Santa Maluco will open tomorrow. Director Matthew Farrell, one of the partners behind the fiercely independent group who already operate city centre bars Santa Chupitos, El Bandito, Salt Dog Slims, 81 Ltd and their 'smokehouse and cocktails' venue Slim's Pork Chop Express said guests can expect the team to bring a touch of Brazilian Rodizio to their Neapolitan pizza joint.

Mark Quartley has joined the cast to play Ariel in the RSC’s forthcoming production of The Tempest, which opens in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in November 2016 to conclude Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary year. Mark will be taking on a whole new area of stage craft by wearing a motion capture suit provided by The Imaginarium Studios, live on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage for the very first time. This allows the movements of his ‘avatar’ Ariel to be projected on and around the stage, including flying and morphing into different versions of the spirit which are delivered by using Intel technology.

The prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is coming to Wolverhampton Art Gallery later this month. Visitors to the Lichfield Street gallery can take in some of the world’s most astonishing sights and see nature at its most staggering in this blockbuster show, which runs from Saturday, July 23 to Sunday, September 18. Now in its 51st year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition provides a showcase for the world’s very best nature photography.