Last weekend we were invited to the Manchester Evening News arena in exchange for a Monster Jam Review and here it is, along with a few top tips to help you get the most out of your visit. I hope you find it useful.
For those of you that don’t know what Monster Jam is, it is a show put on using monster trucks, those great big, colourful, noisy and very impressive trucks and this was pretty much all we knew before we arrived. The actual show is set up like a competition between the drivers and divided into segments with various rounds and the best bit, which we weren’t expecting, was that the competition is judged by us, the viewers. You can log on to a website from your mobile and using the code they provide you with during the show you can rate each performer out of 10 and then an average will be created and displayed on the screen so you can keep track of who is wining.
The rounds include
an ability to complete a course
skills achieved on two wheels
donuts
and freestyle
I think our favourite event was the freestyle as there was a real mix of skills showed in this round and it was amazing to see what the drivers could achieve in these incredible vehicles. I was astounded by how high of the ground they could get these trucks and how fast they could spin them around as they look as if they would be really heavy and hard to manoeuver.
Half way through the show there is an interval which is great for the kids who need to stretch their legs or have a loo break and it also allows Monster Jam to change up the course for the second half. When the second half returned we were really surprised to see that there was a bike show being put on as we thought it was going to be all monster trucks. The bikes were stomach churning and heart stopping as they rode up one ramp, flew through the air, before landing at the top of another ramp. Their skills were so impressive as they let go of their bikes mid air, turned round, flicked their legs one way and the bikes another and our boys loved it. You also get to vote on these too making the whole show a really interactive experience.
Overall we had the best time at Monster Jam and I would highly recommend that you have a look at getting tickets if you and/or you kids like monster trucks, bikes, or adrenaline fueled shows as this one has it all.
Top tips
1. Make sure you take ear defenders for the kids as it is crazy loud, especially if you have seats close to the pit. You can bu them there f you do forget but they are a tad over priced at £25 a pair.
2. At the M.E.N arena you are allowed to take food in but not drinks so i would recommend that you take snacks with you as again food and drink is overpriced inside like all arenas.
3. If you think you or your kids would like to join in with the voting then make sure you take a fully charged phone.
If you are planning a trip to the North West then we have a great round up post here full of ideas for things to do in Manchester.
(We were gifted tickets to the M.E.N in exchange for a Monster Jam review, all opinions and top tips are my own).