Looking for a unique way to spend a day or night out in Manchester? Think you’ve seen everything the city centre has to offer?
Think again.
From bowling, to axe throwing, and everything in-between, there’s so many fun and quirky activities to get involved right across the city, so whether it’s a first date, a work night out, or you’re just looking for something to do on a rainy day, Manchester never disappoints.
Here’s 10 of the best activities to do in Manchester.
Whether you have a birthday party, family day out, or social with colleagues or friends, Tenpin is the place to be, with an array of indoor activities, from bowling and an arcade room, to pool and table tennis – there’s something for everyone.
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If you’re looking for a night out with friends, the beer pong tables are a must to kick start your night (or day), and the karaoke is a massive hit too with thousands of songs to choose from and specially-designed music pods so you can sing your heart out, embarrassment free.
Experience one of the oldest games in the world while tucking into gastro pub BBQ-style food and delicious cocktails in a truly English style.
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Using cutting edge elite sports technology, at Sixes Social Cricket, you can hire a batting net and take part in the world’s first immersive social cricket experience where you will be able to test your batting skills and compete with friends on a global leader board.
Downstairs is a cosy champagne bar area where bottomless brunch is served on weekends, with beer, cocktails and of course champagne to choose from.
Base Bar
Millow Street
In its own words, this place is for the “fastballin’, batswingin’, ballsmashin’ junkies”.
Base Bar has three batting cages to swing in and each has their own ground baseball graffiti style, so you can practise your swing over a few beers, and it’s also the perfect place to go with family and friends if you want a fun and interactive day out.
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It offers a wide range of hotdogs and snacks, and also serves a fantastic array of cocktails as well as other drinks too, as well as a separate bar area if you have or haven’t got a batting cage booking.
Tenpin / Credit: PrintworksSixes Social Cricket / Credit: Sixes
This over 18’s bar is a strong favourite for gaming lovers.
NQ64 has all the retro games you can think of, as well as classic consoles, so whether you’re wanting a nostalgic experience being transported back to the 80s, or if you’re a video game addict looking for something quirky to try, NQ64 is the perfect place to go.
Dubbed as a geek’s paradise with an amazing atmosphere, there’s also great-value drinks with a strong craft beer and cocktail menu, making it a must-go for anyone.
Think classic darts but reinvented 21st century-style, as with a range of exciting multi-player games, Flight Club will keep you hooked and entertained for hours. Whether you’re an expert at darts, or a complete beginner, everyone has a chance of winning when they play thanks to the multiple throw lines to choose from.
Flight Club has a distinct vintage feel about it, and this unique bar offers a range of bespoke cocktails, tasty pizzas, and delicious sharing boards too.
Flight Club Manchester / Credit: Flight Club
Junkyard Golf Club
First Street
This is a firm-favourite with many people.
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This mini crazy golf club has three themed courses, and each course has a fun name and a different vibe to each of them.
As the name suggests, all the courses are made up from pre-loved and reclaimed junk.
Gary is a course full of tyres, written-off cars and scrapyard junk littered around the course. Pablo is a tropical madness filled with pirate speedboats and skulls. Finally, Bozo is full of creepy clowns and circus freaks with a ferris wheel and hall of mirrors.
Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city? Treetop Adventure Golf is Manchester’s answer to the tropical rainforest with the Tropical Trail course. Or maybe crumbling temples and ancient ruins take your fancy? Visit the Ancient Explorer course instead.
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Each course has 18 holes, and is the perfect way to spend a day with friends and family.
After playing 18 holes, you can take a seat in The Market for well-deserved tropical cocktails, local beer and amazing jungle grub, and there’s also freshly handmade pizza available by Pizza Cabana too.
If you want a night filled with competitive games to soundtrack of rock and indie music, then Roxy Ball Room is the place to be.
Dubbed as an adult’s playground, choose from and array of classic ball games like bowling, pool table tennis, beer pong, or ping pong to name a few, it’s the perfect place for parties and groups and has an amazing cocktail menu and drinks packages to finish off a fun filled night of great games, food, drinks, and music.
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With fantastic service and great value for money, what’s not to like?
Junkyard Golf Club Manchester / Credit: Junkyard GolfPoint Blank Manchester / Credit: Point Blank
Point Blank is the UK’s first shooting speakeasy, and has over 200 simulated shooting scenarios to kickstart your night with a bang. The range has five real replica guns and the systems are used worldwide to train professional shooters, so the experience is fully-immersive and has exceptional realism.
There’s also a great range of bespoke cocktails, beers, wines and snacks to enjoy while shooting or if you’re just at the bar.
This is the UK’s first urban axe throwing venue, and with the vibrant venue, expertly-trained instructors, and a suitably-pumped-up soundtrack, you’ll be slinging axes like a pro by the end of the night.
Perfect for going with a group of friends, or if you want a quirky date idea.
Don’t worry if you’ve never thrown an axe before though, as you’ll have a blast and learn something new, and you can also get involved with mini competitions against your own group, or other groups to become the axe throwing king or queen.
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Featured Image – NQ64
Gigs & Nightlife
Electronic icons Kraftwerk announce first Manchester gig since 2017
Danny Jones
Pioneering German band Kraftwerk have announced their first UK tour since 2017, with fans having to wait almost a decade for another Manchester gig.
Thankfully, they’ll be heading back down the Autobahn and across the channel for a return to our shores soon enough with a long-awaited list of British and Irish live dates.
Kraftwerk remains one of the most groundbreaking groups in the electronic scene to this day, having paved the way for generations of new artists to keep experimenting with the genre in the 50+ years since their formation.
Heading back to Manchester early next year, die-hards will no doubt snap these tickets faster than you can say ‘Das Model’.
For anyone unaware of these veritable legends of electronica and the world of alternative/Euro-synth pop, Kraftwerk formed all the way back in 1970 and went on to shape the modern music industry, bridging the gap between music and the digital age.
Best known for tracks like ‘Computer Love’, ‘The Robots’, ‘Pocket Calculator’ and the aforementioned on named after the national motorway network, they spearheaded futurism in the musical landscape from the outset.
It seems only fitting, therefore, that their upcoming highly anticipated return to the UK comes as part of their ‘Multimedia’ tour.
While they have played a number of live shows all over the globe this year, including an extensive run in the US, next spring will be our domestic visit from Kraftwerk in nine long years.
Credit: Press shot (supplied)
You can see the full list of UK and Ireland tour dates – including a handful of Northern gigs – down below:
Spanning a total of 15 UK dates, as you can see, there will also be tickets to see Kraftwerk nearby in the likes of Liverpool and with our mates over in Sheffield.
Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter famously played a set inside our city’s velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for Manchester International Festival (MIF) back in 2009, and has collaborated with the event on multiple ocassions.
In fact, that very performance was seen as a turning point for MIF, so the Manc Kraftwerk connection speaks for itself; O2 members can obviously get pre-sale, but general admission tickets go live from 9am this Friday, 10 October.
Gig guide | Lady Gaga at Co-op Live – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘The Mayhem Ball’
Thomas Melia
Pop champion Lady Gaga is heading to the notable Manchester music venue, Co-op Live, for two nights of her spellbinding ‘Mayhem Ball’ this October.
Little Monsters, “It’s time to cast your spell tonight” as ‘Mother Monster’, a.k.a. 14-time Grammy-winning singing sensation, Lady Gaga, is treating us lucky lot here in Manchester to not just one but TWO theatrical performances.
This pop mastermind has soundtracked many over the past two decades, and her latest LP, Mayhem, continues this streak with the success of its enchanting and harsh-pop lead single, ‘Abracadabra.’
Gaga has cultivated a worldwide following thanks to hits like ‘Poker Face’, ‘Telephone’, ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Die With a Smile’, which will all receive a huge reception when across the two nights at Co-op Live.
Lady Gaga is playing Co-op Live in Manchester twice on 7 and 8 October as part of her Mayhem Ball tour / Credit: Supplied
Most recently, the US vocalist found her hit ‘Bloody Mary’ trending alongside the coming-of-age Netflix series Wednesday, which led to her creating ‘The Dead Dance’ for the show’s second season.
Now we’re ready to see our much-loved monster in the flesh
Lady Gaga at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Lady Gaga UK tour dates
Mon 29 September – London, UK – The O2
Tue 30 September – London, UK – The O2
Thu 2 October – London, UK – The O2
Sat 4 October – London, UK – The O2
Tue 7 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 8 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Lady Gaga tickets for Co-op Live gig
If you want to see this ‘Perfect Celebrity’ through your own eyes, you’ll have to act fast, as there’s only a handful of seats left to witness the star in action. Get ready to ‘Just Dance’ the night away with tickets HERE.
After avoiding all the ‘Paparazzi’? Then why not treat yourself to exclusive tickets in one of Co-op Live’s luxury boxes on Tuesday 7 October and enjoy premium seats, a dining experience and more HERE.
‘The Mayhem Ball’ marks pop heavyweight Lady Gaga’s first time returning to Manchester in over 10 whole years (Credit: Supplied)
What are the stage times for Lady Gaga in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning that Mother Monster won’t get the opportunity to ‘Marry The Night’ – however, this does mean fans can get an early night.
There is no official support act listed for any date across her UK tour, with doors set to open from 6:30pm and no start time for the show, but her London dates did kick off around 8:30pm.
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
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.
Getting there by car and parking
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:
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
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.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on 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. 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.
Alice Gerrard -
15th October 2021 
