By Joseph Crutchley
Picture this. It’s 1996, alternative rock and hip-hop are dominating the music charts, Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales have announced they’re getting a divorce, and a sudden frenzy of “Spicemania” is upon you.
The Spice Girls exploded onto the British music scene on the 8th of July 1996, when they released their debut single “Wannabe” to record-breaking sales. Together, Ginger (Geri Halliwell), Scary (Melanie Brown), Sporty (Melanie Chisholm), Baby (Emma Bunton) and Posh (Victoria Beckham) have sold over 85 million records worldwide, produced 9 number one singles in the U.K. and received 5 Brit awards.
Over 20 years since their first single was released, Spice Up, an exhibition that showcases a variety of Spice Girls memorabilia, has come to Manchester. Situated at the Great Northern Shopping and Entertainment Complex, the exhibition was created by Alan Smith-Allison and made its debut at the Business Design Centre in London. The memorabilia ranges from iconic stage costumes to dolls and even the Spice Girls’ collaboration with Cadbury!
As soon as you set foot in the exhibition, you are immediately transported to a world of nostalgia, 90s aesthetics and a whole lot of spice. Cardboard cut-outs of the members greet you as you enter, while numerous iconic costumes, such as Ginger’s Union Jack dress and Scary’s leopard print jumpsuit, are displayed on mannequins. Memorabilia such as umbrellas and jigsaws are neatly sprawled across a table, with notebooks and calendars propped up behind them. The highlight, though, comes at the end of the exhibition, where a very 90s mock-up teenage girl’s bedroom strewed with Spice Girls merchandise give you a taste of the life of a devout fan – or perhaps a reminder!
Standard tickets are £10, with a £3 discount for students, and can be purchased via the official website. The exhibition is running from 8th September – 14th October.
Featured image and gallery: Hoang Phan Notebooks were carried from one workshop to another. Writers from different generations sat around tables, sharing manuscripts and listening to each other. Outdoors, small groups strolled along Oxford Road, pausing before buildings steeped in literary history. This was the scene during the Manchester Writing School Summer Festival 2026, held…
Featured image: Katja Ogrin With many sore heads and limbs this morning after the most hardcore day of the festival taking place yesterday, many are recovering from the moshing and pit brutality of the previous day’s antics. As the tradition of a morning movie in the Serpents Lair prevails, the crowd sprawls out onto the plush,…
Featured image: Abbi Draper After an electrifying start to the weekend, with temperatures slowly climbing, many lather themselves in suncream, shed their band shirts and rise from their tents to trek towards the arena. Saturday has big things incoming for the humans of Bloodstock 2026. Some pace themselves for the day and hide from the early…
Featured image: Abbi Draper After a memorable Thursday opener, Bloodstock 2026 opens its gates once again onto the Hallowed Grounds of Catton Park, kicking off day two of its 25th-anniversary celebration of metal. As the sun rises on Catton Park, festivalgoers emerge from their tents to prepare for another day of mayhem. The morning brings…
1 Comment
#SPICEUPMANCHESTER – A SPICE GIRLS EXHIBITION – Joey Crutchley