The ConventionsManchester:1999 2026
The ConventionsManchester:1999
Manchester, UK
11 - 13 September 2026
The hotel was the Holiday Inn Manchester-Oldham, on the Ashton Road between Ashton-Under-Lyme and Oldham, about 7 miles from Manchester. It was a fairly small hotel, with just 70 rooms. While there was not much around, the Dog & Pheasant pub 10 minutes away had a nice atmosphere and very good, well priced food. The convention was split between a large exhibition room, a smaller room upstairs for talks and the lounge bar which was always packed. The hotel staff were very helpful and cheerful. This was apparently around 200 attendees, but it never felt very busy (apart from the bar). Breakfasts were very good, regular menu was good although the local pub was even better.
Events started around 1pm on Friday, with each day having special ticketed events with additional fees (Meet and Greet with Nick Tate on Friday evening, Banquet on Saturday evening, cinema excursion on Sunday afternoon). The exhibition started to be dismantled from Sunday afternoon. Autographs with the guests also had an additional fee. As well as guest talks, there were screenings of the Breakaway "workprint" and "theatrical print" (as seen in the 2024 convention, and the Jeffrey Morris documentaries The Eagle Obsession and Beyond The Eagle Obsession. The other big screening was the aforementioned Breakaway-Metamorph 4k restoration, at a cinema in Stockport.
The exhibition room was often closed, particularly on Friday, because they were filming a fan film, Return To Moonbase Alpha on the Eagle and Command Center sets.
An air traffic control problem in the UK a few days before the convention delayed the flights of several attendees, particularly those from the US and Canada, such as Nick Tate.
As with the 2024 convention, the registration pack included a lanyard, black tote bag with "Manchester 1999" logo, and a card folder with three pictures, suitable for collecting autographed photos. The hotel also made up an information sheet.
