Entertainment News

The actor James Phelps, who starred as 'Fred Weasley' in the Harry Potter film franchise, has turned a surprise trip to London into a magical experience for a young family of Harry Potter fans. The Johnson family, from Los Angeles, California, received the once-in-a-lifetime trip to London, and a one-off VIP tour of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with James Phelps, after the city's official tourism body, Visitlondon.com identified them as genuine 'super fans' of Harry Potter.

Sharpen your pencils, the trend for colour therapy books is taking on a new brain teasing turn as high street giant, WH Smith, launches Querkles, a colour by numbers craft which has grabbed Australia by storm. Buoyed by promising sales of its colour therapy ranges for adults, WH Smith has branched out into challenge colouring in which budding artists develop and decipher pictures by following numbers and codes.

Up to 30,000 people will descend on Shrewsbury for the town's annual food festival – the biggest of its kind in the West Midlands. It will take place on June 25 and 26. The event has overtaken Ludlow Food Festival as the region's premier celebration of fine food and will play host to a glittering line-up of star chefs, live music and free activities for kids – as well as more than 200 artisan producers.

Six months on since the launch of Grand Central Birmingham, one of the city’s most talked about developments in decades; the centre provides a nationwide platform for young, talented filmmakers.  In a recent partnership, Grand Central has been working with The Year of Arts & Young People in Birmingham (YAY 16), to help engage more young people to take part in opportunities offered by theatres, galleries and concert halls.

The Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Ian Brookfield, is hosting what is believed to be the city’s very first all-day indoor rock festival – to raise money for his chosen charities. The Wolves Mayor Rock Fest takes place at The Slade Rooms this Saturday, April 9 and Cllr Brookfield has teamed up with Facebook fan group Rockers Through The Ages to organise an event celebrating his love of rock music and showcasing some of the best upcoming rock talent in Wolverhampton.

Elvis Costello and US alt-rock legends Mercury Rev headline a stand-out music programme that also features rising star Ry X, MOBO Award winning saxophonist YoLanda Brown, the beautifully melancholic Tindersticks and plenty of folk from The Young’Uns and Teddy Thompson.

Simmer Down Festival has been held in Handsworth Park since 2010 and has grown over the years to become one of the country’s most well respected reggae festivals, it is a flagship event in Birmingham’s calendar of free public events, attracting a diverse family audience from across the city and nationally, whilst retaining a true feel of Handsworth.

Opera aficionados, arts enthusiasts and eager visitors will come together in Sydney when Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour's world-class production of Turandot opens. NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres said Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has introduced a new legion of fans to opera.

From 30 April – 2 May, fans should get ready to join in a galaxy of Star Wars™ themed activities, featuring the brand new 500,000 brick Lego Star Wars Death Star model, as the Force returns stronger than ever to the Legoland Windsor Resort. Guests are invited to dress up and enter the daily costume competition and Lego Star Wars™ characters will meet and greet guests throughout the weekend.

This Easter, Tesco has launched a 'guess what's in the egg' competition to raise money for Help for Heroes. Tesco created an exclusive Help for Heroes chocolate Easter egg in 456 of its Superstores and Extra's stores across the UK donating all 100% profits to the charity.  To celebrate the charitable egg, Tesco has designed a giant six foot replica which took centre stage in the foyer of its Sandhurst Extra store.  

2016 marks the 300th anniversary of the original celebrity gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Compton Verney - which re-opened for 2016 on the 19th March – has a packed programme of unique events to celebrate. Brown literally changed the landscape of 18^th-century England; designing stunning vistas for the gentry by moving hills, creating rivers and lakes in his quest to shape nature to his remarkable vision.

Opening at Sydney's Capitol Theatre on 12 August 2016, this Broadway spectacular is set to be another stage success.  So visitors, theatre buffs, and Disney fans are encouraged to start planning their trip to experience this much-loved story and world-class production featuring exhilarating choreography, show-stopping musical numbers and astonishing visual effects.

With an estimated 122% increase in complaints received by the RSPCA over the last five years, a premium on pedigree animals could be behind the rise. Competitions such as Crufts showcase purebred dogs from a variety of breeds but a lack of awareness on the part of those looking to buy an animal may be helping to boost the trade in trafficking.

Chocolate lovers are in for a treat this year as Grenada's Chocolate Festival comes to Mount Cinnamon Resort and Beach Club from 13th-22nd May. With Grenada ranked as one of the best producers of chocolate in the world, this festival is a mecca for chocoholics and the famous export will be celebrated with a series of events taking place over the week.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the name given to the fear of Friday 13th, a superstition dating back hundreds of years. The 'unlucky' date was feared by 18th Century Pirates too. Superstitious swashbucklers refused to set sail on Fridays in fear of bringing bad luck to their voyage… but all that's about to change.