JD UP 2026 Day One: 1,673 Photos, Angry Ginge & Bov Boys at Manchester Central

Day one of JD UP 2026 is in the books and what a day it was. Our two Magic Mirrors absolutely smashed it, capturing 1,673 branded photos across a single day at Manchester Central Convention Complex. That is already more than half of what we produced across the entire two-day event last year, and we have still got day two to go.

For anyone who missed our pre-event preview or our JD UP 2025 recap, we captured 3,300 photos with a single Magic Mirror and Selfie Print Pod across two days last year. This year, JD asked us to double our capacity with two Magic Mirrors running side by side, and the results speak for themselves. The decision to scale up has paid off massively.

JD UP 2026: The Biggest One Yet

JD UP is a careers and inspiration event run by the JD Foundation, the charitable arm of JD Sports Fashion plc. Now in its third year at Manchester Central, the event brings together thousands of Year 10 students from schools across Greater Manchester for a two-day experience that blends careers guidance with youth culture, brand activations, and live entertainment.

The numbers this year are staggering. According to coverage from Retail Gazette, TheIndustry.fashion, and FashionUnited, a record 10,000 students from over 70 schools across Greater Manchester are attending across the two days, with roughly 5,000 coming through on day one alone. Nearly 1,000 JD representatives are on hand across 28 different departments, showcasing career pathways spanning retail operations, law, finance, technology, logistics, marketing, photography, and product development.

To put the growth in perspective: the first Manchester JD UP in April 2024 drew 1,900 students. By February 2025 that had jumped to 6,000. And now in 2026, they have almost doubled it again to 10,000. Previous JD UP events in Madrid and London have supported over 17,500 young people combined, but Manchester 2026 is comfortably the largest single edition yet.

Angry Ginge, the Bov Boys, and Absolute Chaos on Stage

Our prediction in our pre-event blog post was half right. We thought Angry Ginge might make a return, and he absolutely did, bringing the house down on the main auditorium stage once again. Fresh off his I am A Celebrity jungle crown and with his even deeper JD partnership heading into 2026, the Salford-born streamer is the perfect fit for this event. He owns an under-18s football club called Winton Yanited, manages his own team in the Baller League, and starred in JD's Christmas advert. The students went absolutely mental when he walked out.

But it was not just Ginge this year. He brought the full Bov Boys crew with him, the five-member streaming collective that has taken the UK creator scene by storm since their official launch in early 2026. The squad includes Tays, Heinz Baines (the Northern Irish streamer with over 156k Instagram followers), Jakey Davies (a Manchester-based gaming and chat streamer), and NYK Chazza (known for his banter and football chat energy) alongside Ginge himself. Their YouTube channel hit 100,000 subscribers after just three videos and they have a full official partnership with JD Sports.

Their energy on stage was infectious, and the queue for our Magic Mirrors went absolutely bonkers straight after their appearance. Every student wanted to capture the buzz of the moment while it was still fresh.

1,673 Photos: The Numbers That Tell the Story

Let us talk numbers because they show exactly what professional Magic Mirror hire delivers at scale:

• 1,673 branded photos captured on day one alone
• Two Magic Mirrors running side by side from doors open to doors close
• Every single print featuring custom JD UP 2026 branding and overlays
• Instant digital sharing so students could post to Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat immediately
• Non-stop queues from the moment the first students walked through the doors

Compare that to JD UP 2025 where we produced 3,300 photos across two full days with one Magic Mirror and one Selfie Print Pod. We are on track to absolutely demolish that number by the end of day two. Having two dedicated Magic Mirrors instead of splitting between different equipment types has made a massive difference to throughput and consistency.

That is an average of over 836 photos per mirror in a single day, which sits right in the sweet spot of what our equipment and team can deliver in a high-footfall environment.

Why the Biggest Brands Choose Magic Mirrors for Corporate Events

Events like JD UP demonstrate exactly why Magic Mirrors have become the go-to photo activation for large-scale corporate events across Manchester and the North West. When you have 5,000 people coming through your doors in a single day, you need entertainment that can handle the volume while delivering a premium branded experience every time.

Massive Throughput Without Compromising Quality

Each of our Magic Mirrors handles 800 to 1,500+ photos per day with our experienced attendants managing the flow. Unlike enclosed photo booths, there is no group size limit and no bottleneck getting people in and out. Students walk up, interact with the touchscreen, get their branded print in seconds, and the next group is already stepping in. At JD UP day one, that meant we averaged over 800 photos per mirror without a single technical issue.

Every Photo Is a Branded Marketing Asset

This is where the real ROI sits for corporate clients. Every single one of those 1,673 prints walked out of Manchester Central carrying the JD UP branding. Every digital share hit social media with the JD logo front and centre. When thousands of students take a branded keepsake home and share the digital version across their social channels, the organic reach is enormous. You simply cannot buy that kind of authentic, peer-to-peer brand engagement through traditional advertising.

Built for High-Footfall Environments

Manchester Central's iconic barrel-vaulted exhibition halls are vast spaces, and our Magic Mirrors are designed to work in exactly this kind of environment. No enclosed booth eating up floor space, no complicated setup requiring hours of rigging. The full-length mirror format is visually striking, draws people in naturally, and the touchscreen interaction keeps guests engaged while our attendants keep the queue moving efficiently.

The Bigger Picture: Corporate Responsibility Done Right

What makes JD UP particularly impressive is the context it is operating in. Youth unemployment in the UK has reached 16.1 percent, a 10-year high, with nearly a million 18 to 24 year olds not in education, employment, or training according to ONS data. With 60 percent of JD employees under 25, the company has a genuine stake in inspiring the next generation.

JD's CEO Regis Schultz summed it up: "Young people are the cornerstone of our success, and we want to empower as many as possible with the confidence and ambition they need as they prepare for their future."

Chief People Officer Nicola Kowalczuk added: "Events like this are powerful because they close the gap between potential and opportunity, helping every young person see a pathway that feels possible, practical, and right for them."

This year's programme has expanded to include a strong AI and technology focus, with JD partnering with Raspberry Pi to give students hands-on experience with computing. Children in Need and the foundations of both Manchester football clubs are also involved. It is corporate social responsibility done properly, not just a press release but a genuine 10,000-person event that changes how young people see their future.

What We Deliver for Large-Scale Corporate Events

JD UP is a perfect showcase of what Candid Camera brings to major corporate events. Whether you are planning a brand activation, conference, exhibition, product launch, awards ceremony, or a youth engagement event, here is our corporate offering:

• Multi-unit deployments: Two, three, or more Magic Mirrors, Photo Booths, and Selfie Pods scaled to match your event
• Fully custom branding: Print templates, digital overlays, start screens, and photo frames designed to your exact brand guidelines
• Experienced on-site team: Our attendants handle everything from setup to teardown, managing queues and ensuring a seamless guest experience
• Real-time social sharing: Guests share branded photos instantly across all major platforms, multiplying your event's reach organically
• Data capture and analytics: With consent, collect email addresses and engagement metrics for post-event marketing campaigns
• Proven at scale: From intimate private events to 10,000-person corporate activations, we deliver consistent quality every single time

Day Two: Ready to Smash the Record

As we write this, our two Magic Mirrors are charged up, loaded with fresh print media, and ready to go for the final day of JD UP 2026. If day one is anything to go by, we are looking at a two-day total that will blow well past 3,000 branded photos, absolutely smashing our 2025 record.

The energy at Manchester Central yesterday was electric. Thousands of young people discovering career opportunities they never knew existed, getting inspired by Angry Ginge and the Bov Boys, and capturing the whole experience on our Magic Mirrors. We cannot wait to do it all again today for the last JD UP day of 2026.

Keep an eye on our JD UP 2026 gallery for photos from the event, and follow us on social media for live updates from day two.

Book Magic Mirror or Photo Booth Hire for Your Corporate Event

Planning a corporate event, brand activation, or large-scale function in Manchester or anywhere across the North West? If you want to create the kind of engagement and buzz we delivered at JD UP, get in touch with Candid Camera today. We will work with you to design a bespoke setup tailored to your brand, your venue, and your audience.

Browse our full range of event photography and photo booth services, check out venues we cover across the region, or explore our gallery to see more of our work in action.