He will be hoisted on to a platform outside the town hall and lit up for the first time during the festive light switch-on party on November 8.
The new Santa replaces the much-loved inflatable version, who finally got the sack last year after more than a decade's loyal service.
City council chiefs are confident he will bring a touch of festive sparkle to the city's biggest-ever Christmas celebrations.
"This will be amazing and dazzling," said Pat Karney, the town hall's city centre spokesman.
"Manchester will be the best place to be this Christmas for kids of all ages."
The M.E.N. has reported thatt he lights switch-on will feature a glittering host of stars, led by home-grown X-Factor winner Shayne Ward.
The festive markets will also be returning on November 15 - with a new Selfridges stall taking its place among the usual European favourites.
Centrepiece
But it is the new Santa who will form the centrepiece of the city's celebrations.
He stands 10 metres tall, 8 metres wide and 6 metres deep, and tips the scales at a hefty six tonnes.
Six men will spend two days putting him together before he is lifted on to a 10-metre high platform designed and commissioned in association with Ove Arup engineers.
His debut marks a departure for Manchester, which for the past 21 years has featured an inflatable Father Christmas on top of the town hall.
The earliest 80ft version, which clung to the clock tower, was pensioned off after suffering a series of punctures and being branded `worn out and shabby' by council chiefs.
The most recent version also had his problems and in 2002 was retained only after a hugely-popular M.E.N. campaign.
The new Santa will also form the basis for a major fund-raising drive by the New Children's Hospital Appeal. More details will be revealed in the M.E.N. in coming days.
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who`s paying for this ? i think this is going to be another dip into the council tax pot.when is the pea brain behind these ideas,going to put some of the money spent on these items.into policing,hospitals schools ect.im sure there are bigger issues to address,besides keep blowing valuble money on nice things to look at.what is the cost of this huge monster ?
I thought Councils were supposed to be leading the way in energy-efficiency. What's the carbon footprint of this monstrosity?
Without wishing to be too much of miserly Scrooge, I too am concerned about the energy required to light this thing up from now until the New Year. No doubt Pat Karney, the 'voice of manchester', will retort how they're ultra-efficient LED's, but surely it will still consume a lot of power being on as much as it is? Unless of course it's as successful as that other council idea, the B of Bang. With that in mind, I fully expect half the bulbs to have blown by the second night!
I think it will be great having Father Christmas once again in Manchester. It is great to lift the gloom of winter by having such features. It is a joyous time so lets all make the most of it particularly the children who get such pleasure from seeeing the lights and glamour of the festive season.
AND FURTHER TO THE 1ST 2 COMMENTS RAISED, WHY COULD THIS ITEM NOT BE PURCHASED FROM A UK MANUFACTURER, WHY DID THEY HAVE TO GO TO FRANCE FOR IT.
I personally couldn't care less about the environment or how much energy it will use but what's particularly annoying is that we're getting it from france. I mean has the manufacturing industry in this country now got so bad we can't even build something like this! Saying that if we had built it doubtless it wouldn't work.
Yet another thing for Manchester City Council to waste their money on.
All this for ONE day a year.
BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!
JOHN ADLER
the beer baron
Jobs for europe mate,infact we didnt get much out of the deal with joining the EU exept a big bill each year and lots of jobs for new members of the club.Poland.etc.
Fair point Ace, suppose I better look on the positive side, at least we get german cars, italian clothing, belgian beer and cheap imported fags!
that blown up santa that hung from the town hall was iconic! why do they have to change things - how much will this huge thing cost to light up. I agree - wasted money that could be spent elsewhere this christmas.
France! ? Why ? How much is this lot costing me?
Roll on Jan 25th when hopefully all of this consumer fest and false jollity will be over.
It’s fantastic. Can’t wait to see it and the kids will love it. The old Santa was a good one and I don’t see why they had to change it but, we don’t make those decisions. The city centre is going to look great this Christmas. The only people who don’t like are the whingers who go no about the cost of it (like the first comment on here). For god’s sake, lighten up. It’ll be Christmas soon, not that you could tell by the moaners on here.
Why have Selfridges been allowed to have a stall on the "European" market?
" For god’s sake, lighten up. It’ll be Christmas soon "
Was that a pun ? , ahh yes christmas , a time to buy expensive power hungry decorations that will add to climate change and destroy the earth .... its what crimbo is all about ... aint it ?
Every year we have thousands of visitors flocking to Manchester during the festive period to enjoy the outdoor christmas markets, the excellent array of christmas lighting stretching across the city centre, and now the new fantastic outdoor ice skating ring in Piccadilly Gardens which will arrive again in Novemeber, this
proved last year to be hugely popular with all ages .
And while the new father christmas is bright and colourfull and hopefully eco friendy , it doesnt give the same feeling like the old father christmas did sitting high up on the town hall roof tops watching over everyone,I just wonder if the young kids are able to make out that its father christams and not just a large colourfull french teddy bear,or could it be mistaken for paddington bear out on a night out dress in christmas colours , I shall wait and see
For once Phil Burke half agrees with the comments posted on this issue. WOW .
Glad you noticed it Andy. Are we the only country that is trying to save the planet anyway? No one else seemed too concerned about doing it, particularly "our friends the Americans". It's once a year for a few weeks. Come on, where's your spirit?
Anybody care to try to recall what Christmas is really all about.....or would that be too depressing, and not particularly commercial?
Leo B, christmas is about spoiling the kids, getting drunk, having to put up with visitors you can't stand and watching james bond isn't it? Or am I missing the point.
Looks like Dynamo from Running Man. Hope Arnie doesn't come to town....
Beer Baron, take your tongue out of your cheek...
This will indeed use up a lot of energy. The council should be ashamed of itself.
Do as I say, not as I do.
It does like rather nice though, but children should know as soon as possible that there is no such thing as Father Christmas and that it is just a commercial gimmick.
and also add to the fact that this is being shipped in 89 PEICES!! This thing is onyl 10 Metres high - it aint Blackpool bloody Tower - now think about the Carbon Footprint of the transport!
ABSOULTELY RIDICULOUS - they could have got a blow up one from Argos.
This thing looks quite good in a modern kind of way.
However, the inflatable one, complete with space shuttle, whilst in the most appalling of taste, was rather splendid in it's own right and was so awful but humourous that I grew to love it in a strange kind of way.
Apparently the council got rid of it because of the escalating price of the helium. This was apparently due to the costs of inflation.
Maybe we could make a hot air balloon out of the old one and offer free rides for the orphans at yuletide.
I expect to see it on eBay though with the lucre it fetches from a wealthy Arab going into the council's coffers to pay the legal bills for the B of the Bang fiasco. This is no way for an inflatable Father Christmas to be used and I shall be the first to raise my objections should such an event occur.
flipsterlondon, I don't imagine they'll ship it 89 seperate taxis so I wouldn't worry too much about Santa's carbon footprint.