Something For The Weekend

The People's Choice: winners revealed

Sixteen thousand votes later and your winners have been announced. Our theatre team have been out and about in London handing out the illustrious People's Choice awards. See what the stars and theatres had to say to their fans:

Favourite Theatre Actor
Lee Mead - Joseph

Lee told us he was thrilled to receive the award as it's his first real award. He said:
"I just want to say thank you really to everyone who voted for me. It's just a surprise to win! It's really nice to be appreciated for what you're doing. I wouldn't say that awards drive me, but it's so nice to be appreciated for what you do. It's going right here in my dressing room (places it down)...next to my rear of the year award. Thank you all who voted, its cool...my mum started crying when I told her, she was really happy for me."

Buy tickets for Joseph from £22.50

Favourite Theatre Actress
Connie Fisher - Sound of
Connie was stunned by the number of people who voted for her: 'Really? Wow! How cool is that? I've never been popular and this makes me feel really popular. I jumped up and down when I heard that i'd won.'

We asked Connie how many children she'd mothered so far during the role so far:
'Well, three lots of six, plus another eighteen, plus one, plus nineteen... Fifty-eight!'

Buy tickets for The Sound of Music from £35

Favourite Play
Equus
Daniel Radcliffe was unavailable to collect his award. If you fancy owning this bespoke trophy, send us your best Radcliffe lookey-likey photo. We'll be giving the award to the person who looks the most like our beloved teen star.
Email us here.

Favourite Musical
Wicked
We asked Kerry Ellis who plays Elphaba what sets Wicked apart from other musicals:
"It has everything, most musicals have a main area that they have done really well but Wicked is a good all rounder. It's got the music, costumes, the set and the story. The story has so many hidden messages that keep you interested.
People can identify with the friendships in the story; it appeals to everyone and keeps them coming back. One of our fans has been to see the show 35 times."

Michael McCabe, Executive Producer sent his thanks to the people:
"On behalf of everyone involved in WICKED, I'd like to thank all the lastminute.com customers who have voted for WICKED and to offer my personal congratulations to our incredible London cast led by Kerry Ellis and Dianne Pilkington. It is very exciting that WICKED has been honoured by the theatregoing public whose support of, and reaction to, the show has been so fantastic from the outset. We are thrilled to have won both 'Favourite Musical' and 'Favourite Theatre Moment' of 2007 and delighted that the Apollo Victoria Theatre has also been named 'Favourite Venue'."
Buy tickets for Wicked from £15 

Favourite Theatre moment
Defying Gravity from Wicked
We asked Kerry how long it took her to learn how to fly:
(Laughs) "Hydraulics are the magic to flying... I do fly, It's magic, pure magic. Children ask me all the time. The lights go down, you can't see anything then the towers come in, there's smoke and so many things going on, its so important that it all goes together."

Favourite Theatre
Apollo Victoria
Richard Brown, general manager at the Apollo theatre  was delighted to receive the People's Choice award for Favourite Theatre.

Favourite Pre-Theatre Restaurant
Pizza Express Haymarket


Favourite Song from a Musical
Music of the Night - Phantom Of The Opera
When our theatre guys visited Ramin Karimloo he was already looking very scary in full make up and costume. We asked him what his favourite song from the show was:

"Well its got to be Music of the Night, that or Point of No Return... this is really cool. Thanks guys.'

Buy tickets to Phantom of the Opera from £40

And last but not least, the person our customers most want to see back on the West End stage - Daniel Radcliffe

KuBu leaves Koulla walking on air

KuBu Spa is a city spa in Henley-On-Thames, which offers treatments based on Balinese ‘rituals’. From the moment you step inside out of the busy street the calm and serenity envelops you along with the very pleasant scent of incense.  At reception I was asked to take a seat and complete a form asking me various questions about the treatment I was having and if I had any allergies etc.  After that I was given 4 bottles of massage oil to smell.  These are the various oils, which they use for the massages and I was asked to pick my favourite. Now I have had a few massages in the past and I had never been given the chance to pick the oil before.

There were two oils which were more relaxing and two oils which were more rejuvenating. I had to take a train back to London and didn’t want to have to deal with that in zombie mode so I opted for the rejuvenating Orange and Clove massage oil. It smelt amazing and I was also informed that the oils are totally organic and are blended exclusively using organic ingredients from Bali.  I had the choice of a 60-minute massage and a 30-minute body scrub or a massage for the whole time without the scrub. I opted for the massage and scrub. I thought this is a good start to the day and I was right! 

I then was led through the relaxation room to the back room where I could get changed. A robe and slippers were waiting for me in my locker, which I slipped into. I took a seat on one of the relaxing loungers and waited to be collected by my therapist Laura. She led me to my room where she asked me to take a seat and put my feet in a bowl of warm water, which was filled with rose petals. It was so relaxing and I felt like a queen!  She gave my feet a lovely massage in the warm water while she had a chat with me about the massage and scrub I had chosen.

I had chosen the Balinese massage which is apparently the most vigorous out of the three, the other two being Aromatherapy and Hot Stone Massage. I had never had a Balinese and thought when in Bali do as Balinese. I told her that was totally ok but to go easy on my shoulders as that is my most tense and sensitive area. She was very friendly and then explained the whole treatment process in a really nice way. So then the massage started, it was a full body massage and I could really feel her working the knots out of my muscles.  She did my front and then asked me turn over so she could do my back.  The whole massage was so relaxing and I felt so totally serene that I almost fell asleep.  Once the massage was over she asked me to stay on my back and then began the scrub working in the opposite way so at the end I was in the same position as when she had started.  My skin was tingling from the scrub and while I was coming around she let me know that my bath was ready.

There was a glass of champagne and some chocolates next to the bath.  She pointed out all the toiletries on hand and extra towels. She said she would come back in about 20 minutes or so when I was finished. I stepped off the bed and went over to the massive white tub in the room, it was filled with rose petals and flowers and I couldn’t actually believe that this was all for me. I felt so special. I stepped in and the water was perfect…I laid back and submerged myself in the hot water. I sipped my champagne and ate my chocolate. I don’t think I have ever felt so utterly relaxed and beautiful. I really felt like a queen being pampered in the most royal and amazing way.

They do say all good things must come to an end but I left the room feeling relaxed and totally rejuvenated. I didn’t have a headache and I didn’t want to fall asleep, which is what sometimes happens to me after a massage. I made my way down to the relaxation room and had a lie down on the lounger while I flicked through a magazine. When I was ready I got changed and put my crown away, my day of being a queen was over but I had a massive smile on my face and felt like I was walking on air.

The whole experience is so totally professional and what I noticed the most was the huge attention to detail that the staff pays; it really makes a big difference. Everything was exactly where it needed to be and everything ran just so smoothly that it really added to the calming air of the experience. You also have access to the facilities pretty much all to yourself, the staff stager the treatment times so you don’t feel like you are in a cattle market and its in out in out. You really do not feel rushed at all and are encouraged to relax on the relaxation bed as long as you like. The bed made for two along with all the furnishings are all originally from Bali and really add to the ambience of the experience. 

KuBu is not the kind of place you would come to for your everyday bog standard facial/wax/massage, this is a place where thought and emphasis has been put on a specific and very special kind of treatment. The Balinese ritual is well worth a visit for an amazing treat as the staff are just so good at what they do.  I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who needs to de-stress and get away from it all for the afternoon…a trip to Bali via Henley-on-Thames is well worth it. 

Win a weekend at the Parkes Hotel, Knightsbridge

The mansion house Parkes Hotel in Knightsbridge has an air of antique respectability. Sitting in the lounge among the rich brocaded fabrics and tasselled sofas, admiring the leatherbound library and the artwork, you might begin to feel as though you should be wearing a powdered wig - if it weren’t for the fact that you’re flicking through a copy of Esquire or Vogue.

The air of grandeur carries through from the wooden-clad reception throughout the hotel too. Though in the rooms, the emphasis is more on luxury, creature comforts and all the mod cons. For example, not only is there wifi (free of charge) throughout the building, but the large flat panel TVs in the rooms can also be used to access the internet using a keyboard remote.

Creature comforts don't stop at Egyptian cotton and Molton Brown cosmetics either – the marble bathrooms have underfloor heating to make sure your feet don’t get chilly during your morning shower and the mirrors are even steam-proofed. The shower itself, is like standing underneath a giant’s watering can the head is so big. Add to that an astoundingly varied minibar (mini doesn't describe it) and you might find you get a little too comfortable in your room to leave at all.

There are 32 spacious rooms in this seven floor hotel. They range from the superior suites, which are considerably larger than your average London flat and some even have balconies, to single rooms which have English-sized double beds and still enough space to swing a cat (though you’re not allowed pets so you can’t put that to the test).

The location has to be one of the best in London, just seconds from Harrods’ ornate dome and the high-end shops of Knightsbridge. It’s also a great area for restaurants with dozens of choices for an evening meal. The Parkes Hotel doesn’t have it’s own kitchen, but it has a lovely breakfast room where you can enjoy anything from Swedish pancakes to a full English. When it comes to fresh, hot food, you won't be disappointed though. The staff are extremely accommodating; if you don’t want to leave the hotel, they have an arrangement with a number of the nearby restaurants and will bring you in any meal you choose, beautifully presented with everything you need from napkins to wine glasses. They also cater for ad hoc requests and will go out of their way to find you what you fancy. So whether it’s cream tea for two or a buffet lunch for a group of people, you won’t be left doing the shopping yourself.

If you'd like to spend the weekend at the Parkes Hotel, just email us with your name, address and daytime phone number to be in with a chance of winning a two night stay.

Or, if you'd rather not leave it to chance, book your stay here.

A Macbeth to be reckoned with

“So fair and foul a day I have not seen”

When Patrick Stewart’s booming baritone fills the Gielgud with Macbeth’s first line, you can’t help but feel you’re in for a rip-roaring piece of theatre. This is the man, after all who staged “A Christmas Carol” playing every part himself to rapturous critical acclaim.

Stewart's Macbeth is highly theatrical, yet very human and intensely magnetic; as he descendes into insanity, you find you're dragged down with him, so that despite the blood and gore (and despite the fact you know the outcome of his dreadful deeds) you find yourself willing him on to sanity and secrecy.

It’s a brave production with some outlandish, stylised touches - like the huge splashes of blood which seem to emanate from the perpetrators own throats and even a scene where a trio of corpses, with the help of the witches, become puppet-mediums for the voice of the devil.

The action takes place in the gloomy, clinically-tiled kitchen of Macbeth’s castle - the underbelly of the house where Macbeth and his wife plot and scheme and bare the ugliest recesses of their souls. It’s a bare, simple set, which compliments the historical setting. Rather than the distant struggles of feudal kings, this production is brought forward to Soviet Russia; a context that modernises the way you think about the power struggles. When there are military uniforms all about, the blood and gore and ambition seem so natural. But the historical context isn’t rammed down your throat either – it’s there in the costumes, attitudes and mannerisms but there’s no attempt to change the feudal titles or modernise the dialogue. (Heaven forefend! The purists would be livid.)

Watching this production of Macbeth, I was pretty sure that if I had brought someone who wasn’t familiar with the play they would have understood it perfectly. Sometimes, the archaic language can be a real stumbling block, but the standard of the delivery is extremely high and you find yourself totally absorbed in the action as though the dialogue were written yesterday.

Some of the actors (Stewart’s masterful Macbeth aside) breathe a new life into their characters. For example, the reserved family-man Macduff, played by Michael Feast and the amiable, dignified Banquo, played by Martin Turner, are both very full, clear and memorable performances. Kate Fleetwood’s Lady Macbeth is cold, calculating and alienating from the get-go, but as her character crumbles you even find yourself drawn into her feverish regrets.

If you love Shakespeare then you’d be a fool to miss this consummate performance of one of the great plays. If you don’t normally go for anything this “heavy” I’d probably recommend it even more. If there’s a performance that can show how gripping and thrilling Shakespeare can be, this is it. If you’re an aging Trekkie, though, give up now – he won’t say “make it so”, no matter how many flowers you throw.

Tickets for Macbeth are selling fast, so get in quick if you want to see this phenomenal performance.
Buy tickets from £27.50

Sara Sha'ath

Win a night at the 4* Marriott Liverpool South

Set in a magnificently restored Art Deco building, the Liverpool Marriott Hotel South offers everything for a modern traveller: it's in a prime location close to motorways and the main business district with plenty of car parking; the rooms are air-conditioned  and kitted out with luxurious bedding for a great night's sleep; there's a David Lloyd Leisure Centre right next door with a swimming pool and sauna (free to use for hotel guests) and after a tiring day exploring the city you can unwind at Starways, the hotel restaurant and savor our chef's specialties.

Did you know that Liverpool was crowned European Capital of Culture 2008? So while you're there make sure you check out the fabulous architecture of the Anglican Cathedral, get a little pop-culture at the Beatles Story Museum or go a little more high-brow at the Tate Gallery.

If you'd like to spend the night at the Marriott Liverpool South, just email us with your name, address and daytime phone number to be in with a chance of winning a night's stay.

Or if you'd rather not leave it to chance, book your stay here.

48 ways to stretch your weekend

Struggling to supplement your weekends with jam-packed fun? Let lastminute.com help you stretch your weekend. Take a sneaky peek at the coolest ways to make the most of your 48 hours.
All prices are correct at time of post but are subject to change. See individual products for terms and conditions.

1. Grab yourself some Caribbean sun and escape to Barbados for the weekend. Leave on Friday, arrive just in time for cocktails in St James, and leave on Sunday night to be at your desk on time on Monday morning.

2. Treat yourself and a loved one to a cup of tea, but not just any cuppa. Enjoy the opulent surroundings that can only be The Ritz from £90 as you indulge in cucumber sandwiches, the finest pastries and of course the best tea in town.  .

3. Enjoy watching other people sweat? Then why not take a trip to the Emerald Isle and support the runners of the Dublin Marathon on October 29.

4. Don’t spend Saturday mornings watching cookery programmes, become part of them. Learn how to cook a curry with the legendary presenter Pat Chapman that will have you rivalling dishes in your local Indian restaurant. 

5. Jet away to Las Vegas and try your luck with a flutter at the world famous Caesar’s palace.

6. Grab your walking boots and explore the real London. There is no need for a map, simply print one of our nine London Walks and take in London landmarks as well as some hidden gems. And the best bit is it’s free!

7. Take a huge suitcase and your favourite credit card and splash out on shopping in cool Toronto. With the strength of the pound, the trip should satisfy any shopaholic.

8. Had enough of Cheddar and Blue Nun? Then visit Paris and experience the Cheese and Wine Tasting lunch at O’Chateau.

9. Forget driving a Ferrari...these days everyone is trying their hand at JCB racing.  Challenge fellow competitors through a series of heats and then take them on over a specially designed obstacle course. 

10. Go to the garden party of the year and see Cape Town in bloom on 25th October as the city puts on its annual flower show.

11. Embark on some animal magic at the world famous London Zoo. Set in leafy Regent’s Park, you can discover over 650 species right in the heart of the capital.

12. Live the life of a Sheikh in stunning Oman, stay in luxury hotels and Bedouin tents and experience the mesmerising desert.

13. If you’ve seen the film then you must visit Copenhagen’s statue of the Little Mermaid.. Make the most of your 48 hours and visit Sweden by the Øresund Bridge, which is the only bridge to connect two countries.

14. Need to brush up your knowledge of postmodern Decontructivism architecture? The best place to start is Bilbao to view the world’s leading Decontructivist building, the Guggenhelm Museum.

15. Sample Chinese, Malay & Indian traditions in Singapore. Or why not even visit the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on the 20th October for the Hindu festival of Navarati.

16. Celebrate New Year with a difference, go to 2008’s most talked about city, Beijing and see the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China before the Olympic hordes.

17. Take a gourmet break to New York for the Feast with Famous Faces event on the 22nd October - join leading New York chefs for this top-tier culinary event as they prepare and serve their signature dishes.

18. Stay at the ultra sleek One Aldwych from £224 per room in the heart of Covent Garden and buy your own piece of contemporary art at the Frieze Art Fair in Regents Park.

19. Surprise yourself and your partner with a night in a Top Secret Hotel. From £45 per night you can stay at some of the leading four and five star hotels in Europe at a fraction of the cost. The deal is that you will only find out the name of the hotel once booked.

20. Have a romantic weekend in Prague and stay at the unique 987 Design Prague Hotel from £80 per room per night with its sunken lounge, gold-velvet sofas and loft-type bedrooms.

21. Round up everyone for some family fun at The London Dungeon.  Transport yourself back in time and find out what happened in the depths of London’s dark past. It will have you screaming for more.

22. Release your inner child and roll down a very steep hill, only this time in a giant inflatable zorb. You will literally fall head over hills for this addictive activity and you’ll be rushing to the top to do it all over again. 

23. Country manors come no grander than Edinburgh’s five-star Prestonfield Hotel. Live the high life.

24. If you’re a guy looking for love then there’s no better place to start than Munich’s real life fairytale castle Schloss Neuschwanstein. If you’re lucky you might even meet your Princess.

25. Wash the worries of the working week away with a Cleopatra bathing experience.  At the newly refurbished May Fair Spa, you will be covered in mineral-rich muds before relaxing in your own private steam chamber for two.

26. Let your hair down and enjoy the nightlife of the northern most party town Reykjavik. If you’re up in time, take a trip out of town to see the Geysers on the famous Golden Circle tour is a must.

27. Don’t just watch Bond at the weekend, be Bond. Learn everything you need to know to be the ultimate spy from how to use specialist surveillance gadgets, firing machine guns to testing your skill at axe throwing. 

28. Laughter is good for the soul and so is a comedy club.  Watch some of the UK’s best stand up comedians as they have you in stitches.  Just make sure you avoid the front row or the joke will most definitely be on you.

29. Go to the Barcelona International Jazz Festival and stay at the uber urban Hotel Omm from £171 per room per night. Don’t forget to take a dip in their stunning rooftop terrace, the view is amazing.

30. Inject some life into your relationship at the weekend and learn a thing or two in the process at the Amora Academy of Sex and Relationships. Seven virtual zones will take you on an interactive journey through each stage of love.

31. Dazzle at the Glasgow Fireworks Night in November and make your stay special at the ABode Arthouse Hotel from £89 per room per night in the historic art district of the city. The hotel décor is a fusion of classical architecture with sleek contemporary interiors.

32. Visit Europe’s up-and-coming destination of Tallinn. 3* break for two nights from £163. The Estonian capital is fast becoming Europe’s ‘must visit’ city. Impress your friends by being ahead of the pack.

33. Quit clowning around at the weekend and learn some real circus skills. Enjoy taster sessions including juggling, trapeze and acrobatics during a three-hour course at Britain’s top circus school in London.

34. Don’t stay glued to the TV all weekend.  Take a seat at the theatre and sing a long to some of the world’s best loved shows. Make a night of it with one of our dinner plus show deals from £20.

35. Get lost in the mazes of the Marrakech souks, and party like there is no tomorrow at the Puro Desert Lounge festival on the 19th October. Set in the stunning Badi Palace at night with DJs Claude Challe and Basement Jaxx’s Felix Buxton.

36. Go and see the Boss at home. Check out Bruce Springsteen in Madison Square Gardens, New York. Stay at Manhattan’s ultra hip Bryant Park Hotel and blast his songs from the Bose SoundDock in your room.

37. Visit Istanbul (2 nights from £176) and stuff yourself on Turkish Delight. To relive that bloated feeling walk around the rich architecture dating back from Roman times and the Ottoman Empire.

38. Don’t settle for yet another boring Sunday dinner in front of the TV.  Take a Sunday lunch cruise along the Thames and enjoy a three course lunch whilst taking in some of London’s best landmarks. It definitely beats watching the Eastenders omnibus. 

39. Fly to Dubai from £264 and surf the sand dunes on a desert safari and if that’s not enough visit the UAE Desert Challenge on 28 October.

40. Experience vibrant Tokyo, practice your singing skills in the world capital of Karaoke, learn how to make proper sushi and experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony.

41. Ever wondered if you could survive the weekend without your usual takeaway and hangover? The survival and bushcraft course will teach you all the basics you will ever need to survive in the wilderness and there is not a kebab in sight.

42. Fly to Amsterdam for £84 and watch the city’s marathon on the 21st October. While you’re there you can also cruise on the world-famous canals, down a beer and maybe even buy a diamond ring for your loved one.

43. Hit the slopes with our 3 night ski breaks in Val D’ Isère, France. Hone your skills at the outstanding ski school and have a crack at the world famous Olympic downhill run ‘The Face’.

44. Fly to Bangkok from £429 and learn the ins and outs of a proper Thai massage.

45. Innsbruck has some of the best Christmas markets for the early Christmas Shoppers. Equally for last minute shoppers it’s the perfect destination to combine a city and ski break.

46. Get a history lesson with a difference during your weekend. Board a RIB voyage and hit the water for a fast and exhilarating tour of the Thames. Scare yourself stupid and at the same time learn about one of the most famous rivers in the world.

47. Get out in the country for a weekend and stay at the peaceful Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club from £125 per room per night in the heart of the Ashdown Forest in a manicured deer park.

48. If you think weekends should be all about chocolate and pampering then indulge yourself at The Savana Urban Spa in Notting Hill.  Treat yourself to a chocolate rub and wrap, pedicure and top it off with a nice cup of cocoa of course.

Our top five ways to stretch your weekend:

It's all very well telling you to stretch your weekend, but there's no point skipping work on a Monday or Friday if all you're going to do is sit in your pants watching Richard and Judy. Here's what we think you should be doing instead:

Spend a night at Prague’s 987 Design Hotel
Located between Wenceslas Square and Prague’s historical old town, the four-star 987 Design is a witty and sophisticated collision of influences. Among the plasma TVs and hip wooden floors, you’re even encouraged to personalise your room with the interactive light display.
from £68 per person, per night

4* romantic break to Venice
It might be a cliché, but few cities can take the breath like Venice. Truly spectacular in its architecture and packed full of cultural treasures, it’s the small things that really make this place special. Soak in everyday life on the canals, sip coffee in a piazza and you’ll turn the biggest cynic into a hopeless romantic.
2 nights from £128 per person

4* Istanbul city break
Straddling the border of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a shimmering maze of opulent palaces and mosques; a world where silk, gold and spice bazaars are the size of Cotswolds villages and you don’t need to drink six pints before you eat a kebab.
3 nights from £190 per person 

3* city break to Chicago Life in Chicago is rarely quiet. The city that gave us Al Capone and prohibition is now a melting pot of smoky juke joints, buildings of breath taking modernity and world class museums. Throw in the Great Lakes next door and you’ve got an essential American experience.
3 nights from £409 per person


4* city break to Tokyo
Brace yourself. This is going to be a hell of a ride. Anyone seduced by the dream-like culture shock of Bill Murray in Lost In Translation will not be disappointed. A stunning meeting of Western neon and Eastern tradition, Tokyo is a 24 hour city in the truest sense.
5 nights from £615 per person

Terms & conditions: prices correct at time of going to print & post and are subject to availability & conditions. Offers are limited, once they've gone, they've gone.  price  includes flights ( except Prague hotel) & accommodation, based on 2 sharing in  Oct, Nov  & Dec  07.  Booking fees may apply. lastminute.com acts as an agent for ATOL protected operators.

Columbus Day Parade, Chicago

When old Christophorus Columbus’s look-out first spotted America from the good ship Pinta back in the fifteenth century, he probably  didn’t imagine a troup of brightly costumed school children, dance groups, bands and American politicians parading down Fifth Avenue in his memory. This highly patriotic event, which is also a celebration of Italian-American unity, is a federal holiday and a great time to see New York in party mode.

3* New York break - 3 nights leaving 5th Oct from £499*
Fly Heathrow to New York with American Airlines from £238*
Stay in the 2* Pod Hotel from £112*
*prices are correct at time of post but subject to change.

Nuit Blanche (White Night), Paris

A Parisian social initiative to bring culture to their less educated Vampire community. For an entire night on the 6th (through to the 7th) of October the museums, libraries, monuments, parks, gardens, cinemas, places of worship, tourist attractions, hospitals, swimming pools and other tourist attractions will stay open the whole night through. So not only can the ordinary folk enjoy the fun of a midnight outing, but those nocturnal blood-suckers can get a good eyeful of the Louvre too.
Get yourself over there to join the parties and if you've got the stamina you could even join one of the banquet breakfasts hosted for those who last the night through.

3* Paris break - 3 nights, leaving 6th Oct from £192*

Fly Heathrow to Paris with Air France from £93*

Stay in the 3* Hotel Wallace, Paris from £100*

*prices are correct at time of post but subject to change.

Chicago Film Festival

If you love a movie that stretches a bit further than your average Hugh "BK4454813" Grant rom-com, don’t miss two weeks of cutting edge film from around the world (4th –17th October). The festival boasts a prolific line-up of over 150 movies from trusted industry artisans to young, hopeful rookies. The feature films and shorts entered (from 35 different countries)  compete for a variety of prizes, the most coveted of which is the Gold Hugo “a standard of excellence in the world of film and film festivals, and a true symbol of discovery”.

3* Chicago break - 3 nights, leaving 4th Oct from £397*

Fly Heathrow to Chicago with Virgin Atlantic from £288*

For more info on the festival, check out the official website for more info.

*prices are correct at time of post but subject to change.

Munich's famous Oktoberfest

When a city that produces world-renowned beers under the strictest purity laws puts on a 6 million-litre knees-up, there’s no self-respecting beer lover who’s going to turn them down. The festival is made up of a series of giant tents, fourteen main ones to be precise, which are run by different Munich breweries. Most of the breweries actually produce a special Oktoberfest beer, which is a bit darker and more potent than the rest they’ll have on offer. The tents have food, music and entertainment, which ranges from live bands in the trendy Hippodrom tent to the yodelling in the Bräurosl tent. It’s a chance to eat yourself silly, try some great beer and be a big kid in Europe’s largest temporary funfair.
The festival starts on the 22nd of September, when there’s a grand opening ceremony and parade.

4* Munich break - 3 nights, leaving 29th Sept from £274*

Fly Heathrow to Munich with Lufthansa from 83*

For more information about Oktoberfest, head to the official website.

*prices are correct at time of post but subject to change.