The brand new city centre opening Courts Club is giving away a whopping 500 free coffees this Thursday to Mancs in need of a mid-week pick-me-up.
Let’s be honest, the only thing better than a shot of much-needed caffeine is a freebie.
Courts Club opened last month over in the ever-growing St John’s district just down from Deansgate and next door to Spinningfields, bringing a refreshing combination rarely seen in Manchester: basketball, tennis, boules, a bar, butties, lights bites and more – all in one space.
Bringing a sense of almost beachside Florida meets laid-back Lawn Club (they are the same team behind it after all) to the bustling city centre, and to mark not only their first month of business but a new loyalty scheme, they’ve decided to hand out a shed load of free coffees to celebrate.
The offer is simple: the first 500 people to attend between 8am-12pm this Thursday, 22 August will earn a free coffee as well as an intro to their loyalty scheme, which offers a free drink for every seven stamps collected.
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Plus, they will also be given a headstart with not one but two stamps added, meaning they can collect another free drink after their next five visits.
Opening from 8am and closing at 11pm every weekday, Courts Club is an all-hours venue but, especially whilst the weather is still nice, it’s a great little sun-trap to sit and have your lunch.
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With that in mind, as part of this new promotion under the Courts Club loyalty scheme, they’re also launching the Courts Combo lunch deal, which offers a soft drink or hot beverage with a toastie and a small salad for just a tenner.
Customers can also upgrade their drink to a cheeky alcoholic bev for an extra £2 if they fancy, and the toastie menu includes a selection of gooey sarnies made with a mix of mozzarella and American cheese with garlic butter using local tin loaf bread from independent supplier Half Dozen Other. Oof, go on then.
Credit: The Manc Group/Supplied
Ant Everatt, General Manager over at Courts Club said: “We were given such a warm welcome last month when we opened our doors, and saw over 500 people come down to our launch party.
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“We’re keen to keep growing our relationship and community connections within the neighbourhood and with so many businesses and residents nearby, we’re the perfect spot to grab a coffee – and even better that you can grab a free one on us!
“We’ve already shown we can be the perfect post-work meeting spot and a place to shoot some hoops or play tennis, but now we’re here to show we can serve up coffee, brunch and be the ‘go-to’ morning hangout too.”
It’s certainly going to be our go-to this Thursday if there are free coffees up for grabs, put it that way.
Courts Club is now open seven days a week, with courts available for hire and the space itself open for large group bookings.
Part of the Shiko Group – a boutique hospitality company that manages several bars, cafes and event spaces across Manchester and Leeds such as Canary Bar, Fearns Leeds, Side Street Studios, Deck & Dome, Foleys XYZ, Foleys ABC, The Stables and the aforementioned Lawn Club – there’s real Northern roots behind this latest venture.
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You can get another look at all the fun they have on offer down below:
Five’s Manchester arena shows – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
English boyband Five are heading to Manchester not once but twice for two pure-pop performances and perfectly-mastered choreography.
Manchester, “get up!” Because Five are about to make you get down when they bring their epic reunion tour to the music capital of the North this November.
Scott, Ritchie, Sean, J and Abz have chosen to play out in both the mighty 21,000 capacity AO Arena AND impressive 23,5000 Co-op Live for their 90s and 00s pop party celebration.
This boyband has sold over 20 million records worldwide and swooned a fair few of our hearts over the years with hits like ‘Everybody Get Up’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Got The Feelin”.
Five – Manchester gig guide
Now, after 25 years apart, these cheeky chaps are heading back on the road for their ‘Keep On Movin” tour, where we’re sure they’ll play all your favourite hits.
Five are coming to AO Arena on 7 November and Co-op Live on 18 November in Manchester. (Credit: Supplied)
Five UK tour dates – winter 2025
Wed 29 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 31 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Sat 1 November – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre
Sun 2 November – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Tue 4 November – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
The official songs might not have been announced yet, but we expect it won’t differ much from this setlist taken from their Aussie ‘Greatest Hits Tour 2024’ below:
Let’s Dance
We Will Rock You
Kick That Wall Down
Got the Feelin’
My Song
Until the Time Is Through
When the Lights Go Out
Keep On Movin’
Written in the Sun
It’s the Things You Do
Slam Dunk (Da Funk)
Reset
Human
Lay All Your Lovin’ on Me
If Ya Gettin’ Down
Everybody Get Up
Keep on Movin’ (21 Remix)
What are the stage times for Five’s Manchester arena shows?
If you’re worried that ‘When the Lights Go Out’ you won’t be getting home til the early hours of the morning, then fear no more as both AO Arena and Co-op Live have a curfew of 11pm.
Support comes in the form of chart-topping DJ, Naughty Boy, whose behind some of the biggest tracks of the 2010’s including ‘La La La’, ‘Runnin” and ‘Wonder’; you do not want to miss his set.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
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The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
You can see our interview with Five after their recent AO Arena residency down below.
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How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Car and parking info
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
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Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Five are doing a clean sweep of Manchester arenas. (Credit: Audio North)
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Once again, the Beryl app is available for those looking to bike over to the venue; there are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images — Press Shots (via Supplied)/The Manc Group
City Centre
Police appeal for information after pedestrian killed on Mancunian Way followed earlier welfare concern reports
Emily Sergeant
Police are continuing to appeal for information after a pedestrian was killed on Mancunian Way during the early hours.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that the shocking incident occurred at approximately 12:50am on Friday 31 October when it was reported that a Volkswagen Passat had collided with a man in his 20s.
Sadly, the collision was fatal and the pedestrian died at the scene.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 40s, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Following the incident, subsequent police enquiries have established that a call was made to the force shortly after midnight which reported concern for a man walking on the carriageway, and GMP says it believes the man in that report was the man who was involved in the fatal collision.
Officers were sent out as ‘high priority’ to carry out an extensive search of the surrounding area after the report was made, but it was said that they couldn’t locate him.
#UPDATE | Officers are continuing to appeal for information following the fatal collision on Mancunian Way this morning.
We have referred ourselves to the IPOC after reports that the victim was possibly spotted on the carriageway earlier that morning.
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) October 31, 2025
Due to this earlier report, GMP has confirmed that it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to look into its response to the search.
The victim’s family is aware, have been updated, and they are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is still appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward, and are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have CCTV footage, dashcam, or mobile phone footage from the area in the moments leading up to the incident.
“This is a tragic incident for all involved and we express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who has lost his life, and whom we are doing our utmost to support at this time,” commented Sergeant Andrew Page.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 111 of the 31/10/25, or by using the ‘report tool’ or LiveChat function on the GMP website – www.gmp.police.uk
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Danny Jones -
20th August 2024 
