A new gaming bar with Pokemon cocktails is opening in Manchester
Think 18 different gaming-themed cocktails, plus consoles, arcade games, high-spec PCs and a downstairs club room playing early 00s pop punk until the early hours
A new gaming bar is opening in Manchester’s Northern Quarter this November with a fun drinks menu featuring cocktails inspired by its bartenders’ favourite games.
Pixel Bar will open next door to Trof in the Northern Quarter on Saturday, 20 November, bringing numerous consoles, high-spec gaming PCs, and gaming-inspired cocktail menu to the former TV21 site later this month.
Founded by Craig Ryan, Edward Ta and Lee Davies, the latter of whom hails from Manchester originally, the bar will be open late all week – closing at 1 am on week days and 3 am on weekends.
It’s also offering a great happy hour deal, with cocktails priced at 2-for-£9 until 9pm everyday.
Pixel Bar’s signature cocktail, called ‘Who’s that Pokemon?’ features a combination of vodka, lemon juice, soda and your choice of flavoured syrup / Image: Pixel Bar
There will be a fully-themed cocktail menu with choices like ‘Jigglypuff’, ‘Princess Perch’ and the ‘Yoshi’s Island Iced Tea’, plus a selection of ‘magic potion’ shots – promising do deliver ‘full health’ and ‘stamina’ to the drinker.
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The bar also has a signature cocktail called ‘Who’s that Pokemon?’ – a combination of vodka, lemon juice, soda and your choice of flavoured syrup.
Garnished with a Pokemon card for ultimate gamer touch, it comes in a range of different flavours like strawberry, blue curacao, green apple, bubblegum, pineapple, blackcurrant or elderflower.
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Who’s that Pokemon?’ comes in a range of different flavours, like strawberry, blue curacao, green apple, bubblegum, pineapple, blackcurrant or elderflower. / Image: Pixel Bar
If cocktails aren’t your thing, don’t worry – there’ll also be a good selection of beers, wines and spirits on offer at the bar.
But it’s not all about the drinks – there’ll be pizza too, in the form of huge 16″ pies with wacky toppings created by Bolton pizzaiolos Basic Kneads.
Whilst full details of the pizza menu are still under wraps for now, Director Craig Ryan tells us there will definitely be some wild, ‘out there’ topping choices available when Basic Kneads takes over the kitchen later this month.
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Console booths upstairs will feature the newest PlayStation 5, Xbox X Series and Nintendo platforms / Image: Pixel Bar
First launched in Leeds two years ago in a basement on George Street, the popular Pixel Bar is now crossing the Pennines to open a second site in Manchester.
Known for its console booths and high-spec gaming PCs, Pixel Bar’s owners also plan to introduce a few retro arcade games to the new Manchester bar which will be free to play.
Console booths and bespoke PCs, meanwhile, are priced by the hour.
Upstairs, you’ll find the newest PlayStation 5, Xbox X Series, and Nintendo platforms. These will be available to rent out from £8, and come with a host of the newest games must-play games as well as old school favourites like Tekken, Mortal Combat and Mario Kart.
Perfect for hardcore gamers, the high specification gaming PCs can be rented out from £4.50 an hour / Image: Pixel Bar
Downstairs, meanwhile, the bar has partnered with bespoke computer company PC Specialist to install a host of super high specification, custom-built gaming PCs.
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Perfect for the hardcore gamer, these will also be available to rent out by the hour from £4.50.
As well as playing on these individually, every month Pixel bar will host LAN tournaments (a bit of a rarity in Manchester) where PC gamers can come together to play in groups – and potentially win up to £1,000 in prize money.
The downstairs space will also house a club room with space for a DJ, playing pop punk and early 2000s tunes every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night until the early hours.
Originally due to open in October, the launch has been slightly delayed due to the fact that the bar required a lot of work doing – including having all of its electrics ripping out and rewiring.
As Craig explains, though, it’s worth doing it right – especially when you’re opening a gaming bar.
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He tells us that the founders had long wanted to open a bar in Manchester, and that when a unit opened up after the pandemic they just decided to “go for it”.
Saying that it’s “good for geeky culture to stick together”, he tells us that they’re looking forward to joining the nerdy community of the Northern Quarter – which is also home to arcade bar NQ64 and the cosplay and manga stylings of Afflecks’ Animaid Cafe.
Pixel Bar will open in the Northern Quarter on Saturday, 20 November. Its opening hours will be 4 pm – 1 am Monday to Thursday, 4 pm – 3 am Friday, 12 pm – 3 am Saturday and 12pm – 1 am Sunday.
To find out more, follow the bar on social media here.
Manchester
A brand-new immersive ‘walking theatre’ and XR experience has landed in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We hear the word immersive thrown around a lot these days, but if the notion of walking through some of your favourite fantasy and sci-fi worlds in a state-of-the-art XR tour doesn’t fit the definition, we don’t know what does.
Get ready to pull on a headset and be dropped into a different universe, Mancs.
This is Immersia XR: an industry-leading immersive entertainment and XR (extended reality) experience has just been unveiled right here in Greater Manchester.
Anyone for a ride on a magic carpet?
Credit: The Manc GroupCredit: Immersia XR (supplied)
Immersia XR specialises in what they call ‘Walking XR Theatre – a new term for a new kind of experience’, and boasts big plaudits across the board, with an average Google rating of 4.8 from dozens of reviews already.
Having just made its Manchester debut to the public at Trafford Palazzo (located right next to 0161’s famous Trafford Centre) this summer, the new addition brings cutting-edge technology blended with iconic family-favourite tales in an “unforgettable walk-through format.”
A lucky few have been treated to our first time, including us here at The Manc, and you’ll have to take our word for it when we tell you it’s a truly incredible experience.
It’s the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and although there are other similar VR and AR offerings around the region, you won’t find anything quite like ‘walking theatre’ and this free-roam experience.
Credit: Supplied
As you can see above, there are a number of experiences to be enjoyed right from the off, including two modes inspired by childhood classics, Alice in Wonderland and Tales of Aladdin.
Ever fancied trying your hand as an astronaut and walking on the surface of the moon as you look back at the Earth below? Course you have! No training involved in this one, either.
Take that, Katy Perry, you can keep your short-lived Blue Origin nonsense to yourself.
Immersia XR’s ambition doesn’t stop there, though, as they are also preparing to introduce the exciting new ‘Terracotta Army’ experience in the near future.
Here’s a glimpse at how it looks inside the goggles:
Already open to the public and running up until Sunday, 6 July 2025, Immersia XR is fun for all ages, with kid-friendly zones and accessible narratives built into the experience.
Best of all, there are actually very few bells and whistles; no screens, no controllers – it’s just you walking through the story of your choice.
Immersia XR’s founder, Ian Xiang, said: “We’re not just launching a new attraction—we’re pioneering the future of storytelling. Walking XR Theatre is where cinema, theatre, and technology converge to create magic. You don’t just watch the story—you walk through it.”
Tickets are on sale now, with adult prices starting from only £17, children (ages 3–15) from just £12, and family tickets (2 adults, 2 kids) from £54. Great value for money.
Concession tickets are also available for students and over-65s, priced from £16, and group bookings of 10 or more receive 10% off. You can even get 20% off all ticket types with the early bird code: PRESS20. You can grab yours HERE.
There’s a farm in Greater Manchester where you can meet Lilo and Stitch
Thomas Melia
Any fans of the Disney classic Lilo and Stitch are in luck because there’s a farm in Greater Manchester which is hosting a special meet and greet event.
Who doesn’t love a sci-fi comedy drama film, especially one where the lead character’s sidekick is none other than the adorable little blue experiment with a voice we still imitate to this day?
Originally released in 2002, the Lilo and Stitch film is receiving a live-action version in 2025 and we’re sure to fall in love with Lilo and her little blue fur ball pal over again, 23 years later.
Ahead of the new live adaptation, Cockfields Farm in Greater Manchester is hosting a meet and greet event dedicated to this huge Disney film.
This is the perfect opportunity for little ones and grown-ups alike to come and meet two of their favourite Disney characters while also getting a chance to venture around the farmland as well.
As the event is taking place at a farm, this means that the Lilo and Stitch experience won’t be the only event guests will be able to take part in; there’s also a handful of fun farm-based activities to try your hand at too.
There are tractor rides, a giant bouncy pillow and a carousel running all throughout the day for any kids looking to let off some steam.
And those after a quieter and less energetic itinerary can head on over to the cuddling corner, feed meerkats and handle some reptiles too, this farm is catering for all.
With the meet and greet experience occurring during May, meaning more chance of that gorgeous sunshine, anyone attending is also advised to come dressed in their ‘Hawaiian best’.
Lilo and Stitch are coming for a special meet and greet at Cockfields Farm in Ashton-under-Lyne on 17 and 18 May, with tickets already live HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
9th November 2021 
