Entertainment News

Today is National Libraries Day, and Wolverhampton is holding a series of free events for all the family in support. From 10.30am, Central Library kicks off a day of activities with Pop up Poetry with Jane Seaborne. At 11am, Tony Perry will be giving a historical talk about The Folds of Wolverhampton while magician Alec Powell will be providing some Magic Moments in the Children's Library from 11.30am.

After the success of the inaugural Signature Awards, the 2016 scheme was officially launched as specially invited guests gathered at a special event at the Punjabi Resoi restaurant in Acocks Green, in Birmingham. The awards show cases Asian professionals in the region. Love Brum was the chosen charity for the night. Organised by Ninder Johal, president of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, the awards will take place at Edgbaston Stadium, home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club, on March 11.

Do you have professional expertise in tracking down wanted or missing people?  Have you recent experience working in the world of intelligence, surveillance, policing, or  criminal manhunts?  If so, Shine TV are looking for experts from all professional backgrounds to take part in the second series of Channel 4’s Hunted.  

Struggling for Valentine’s Day ideas? Don’t worry, think outside the box of chocolates this year and go for a day at the races at Wolverhampton Racecourse on 13 February and take advantage of the two-for-one adult tickets.  That means if you buy a ticket you can take your Mr or Mrs Perfect to the races with you for free. And don’t worry if you can’t book a babysitter, as all children under the age of 18-year-old can go racing for FREE as well.

Jay Z's company, Roc Nation, is suing Rita Ora for $2.3m after the company issued a countersuit in response to Ora’s demand to be released from the label – but a settlement is expected soon. According to Billboard, Ora’s lawyer says Roc Nation had to file it to avoid losing standing in the case. The claim is that Jay Z had called Ora after she filed her suit, agreeing to release her, and that the two parties were finalising the details.

The Bhangra Showdown will be heading to the Barclaycard Arena this month. Now in its 9th successive year, this will be the first time ever the World's Biggest Bhangra competition has been hosted outside of London. It all began as a venture, organised by the Imperial College Punjabi Society, with the aim of raising money for charities whilst enjoying the traditions of the vibrant Punjabi culture.

The 10th anniversary of SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL has just got bigger with 8 new bands announced and some huge exclusives.  These 8 bands will join the headliners Panic! At The Disco and the likes of Of Mice & Men, New Found Glory and many more for the May 2016 bank holiday weekend.

An explosive plane crash is heading for the stage of the Butterworth Hall at Warwick Arts Centre. Following sell‐out performances in London, Regent’s Park Theatre’s critically-acclaimed production of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies flies into the Coventry venue from Tuesday 23 February - Saturday 27 February 2016 as part of a major UK tour.

In celebration of the Easter weekend children’s favourite Peppa Pig will be coming to Victorian Arcade in Walsall to see her fans on Saturday 26th March. Providing the perfect opportunity for some family fun, the cheeky little piggy will be making personal appearances at intervals between 11.30am and 4.30pm and will be hoping to find some muddy puddles to enjoy. Shoppers are invited to come along and say hello to their favourite pink piggy friend.

There are no fewer than five local history talks next month, as the popular series of events organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council continues. Its Arts and Museums Service organises regular talks on a wide variety of historical subjects – and they are proving a hit with the public, regularly attracting full houses. February's programme begins on Tuesday (2 February) with Wolverhampton's Oldest House: A Survey of Graseley Old Hall, taking place at Bantock House Museum from 1.30-2.30pm.

Birmingham Royal Ballet Soloist William Bracewell this week won the Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) award in the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2015. William was nominated for his role as King Louis XIV of France in David Bintley’s new one-act ballet The King Dances, which received its world premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome in June 2015. Bintley created the role of King Louis XIV on William, a role which saw him take on the character of the 14-year-old King of France.

Buy Plant a Tree and give the fun of a day out together, planting a young tree in a new woodland in Leicestershire. The woodland will always be open for you to visit, so you can return to see the woodland as it grows, becoming a glorious habitat for birds and other wildlife, and a lovely place for you to walk and enjoy the outdoors.

City of Wolverhampton Council housing officers will feature in the new series of BBC One daytime show, The Housing Enforcers. Everyone’s house should be fit to call a home, but for many that is far from reality.This new series of 20 45-minute episodes over four weeks will see consumer champion Matt Allwright teaming up with Britain’s housing officers to help tenants in need. The series, produced by Twofour, begins on Monday, January 25, with Wolverhampton first featuring in the third episode on January 27, both at 9.15am.

Inspired by several local Warwick and Coventry community groups, The Roadless Trip by Sarah Woods comes to Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday 3 February 2016.The Roadless Trip debuts an exciting and unique mother and daughter performance of Sarah and Lil Woods alongside filmed interview footage from local people across five regions of the UK. The production conveys that amongst the chaos of modern life there is an opportunity to imagine a positive future for us all, asking the public directly ‘What would you take into the future?’

People can discover the fascinating story of how the Staffordshire Hoard was found and saved for the nation in an interactive exhibition now on show at Bilston Craft Gallery. Treasure! Discovering the Staffordshire Hoard features high quality replicas of objects in the Hoard, showing how they might have looked when first crafted. A short film includes an account of how this incredible find was revealed by metal detectorist Terry Herbert, while visitors can also try their hand at detecting metal, cleaning a piece of the Hoard or don a costume to help bring the Anglo-Saxons to life.