Let’s not lie, we’re all suckers for a bit of a sing-song.
You may do the whole “No, I don’t sing… no really” act, swatting your arms, closing your eyes and shaking your head – but we see you, don’t be shy.
If you’re the type with the spotlight awaiting you, then luckily, Manchester is studded with some cool and quirky karaoke bars for you to release the inner Mariah that’s been hiding inside, and we’ve rounded up some of the best.
Pick one and head down with a mate, partner, stranger, or just your little old self.
Karaoke, nightclub, private rooms, unlimited access to the mic, need we say more?
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K2 is every karaoke queen’s dream as it’s provided with all the essentials to have a cracking birthday, spontaneous night-out, or an unforgettable hen do, with booths to house between two-40 people that are decked out with state-of-the-art touch screen karaoke technology and exclusively-designed sound proofing.
If you’re a weapon on the mic, or maybe need a bit of loosening up before, it doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day, it’s just your mates in the room with you.
Karaoke, bowling, table tennis, pool, shuffle board, and beer pong, and more? These combos are just getting more and more wild.
Tear up the bowling alley, smash everyone at beer pong, and finally unleash Beyonce in the booth as Tenpin in the Printworks is an absolutely class day out for the all the family, and for those 18+, the floor is completely yours after 9pm too.
Crack open the piggy bank because upstairs, all the arcade games are just £1 too – this is what you’ve been saving up for.
That’s your Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sorted then.
K2 Karaoke Nightclub / Credit: K2Vina Karaoke Bar / Credit: Vina Karaoke Bar
Karaoke basically accompanies everything at Brickhouse Social, as it should.
Spice your brunch up with a good-old sing-along and join into a chorus of ‘Wonderwall’ in between mouthfuls of Eggs Benedict, take it too far at a Christmas party by showing your boss your perfected rendition of ‘WAP’, or nurture a hidden talent in a private booth upstairs.
There’s also some phenomenal cocktails on the menu to fuel whatever fun you decide with that Mancunian courage.
If you love karaoke, then Vina is just what you want.
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An unadulterated, not-messing-about, neon cocktail karaoke bar that lets you use your phones to browse the karaoke song library and then submit the request so you’re guaranteed to get your turn under the spotlight, or maybe surprise that special person when “your song” comes on.
Sometimes referred to as the “downstairs one”, Vina is community-driven, which means all are welcome, and there’s no private booths and no judgement.
Soul is the go-to genre over here at The Blues Kitchen, some might say they’re a little biased!
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There’s many reasons you might want to book one of the karaoke rooms at this trusted night-out destination.
Whether your singing voice is just too good for this world or you’re taking advantage of the bottle service delivered straight to the booth, nobody ever has to know!
The party never stops with the rooms available to hire everyday of the week, bliss.
Featured Image – Pxfuel
Manchester
Manchester’s Cat Café is set to reopen four years after its closure
Danny Jones
Feline fans, rejoice, because Cat Café Manchester looks like it is reopening more than four whole years after its unfortunate closure.
The city centre’s much-loved cat café – the only one of its kind in Greater Manchester and among just a small handful in the North West – closed back in 2021 following unavoidable economic struggles brought about by the pandemic
Despite being hugely popular before having to shut its doors, the business was unable to reach an agreement with their landlord at the time and the owners were left with no other choice than to close permanently – or so we thought…
Seemingly back from the dead and published their first post since 11 January 2021, the official Instagram page shared just one line along with a picture of their soon-to-be new premises.
Briefly teasing fans ahead of an official announcement, the post reads: “Manchester we’ve missed you! There’s only one thing this place needs…”
The shot taken across the road from Manchester’s historic Barton Arcade shows the large shopfront unit on the main Deansgate strip where the original Classic Football Shirts store used to be.
As you can see, although the vintage footy kit reseller’s brand and decals still remain plastered on the windows, the two-storey location has been vacant since October 2023 when CFS moved their flagship Manchester branch to Dale Street in the Northern Quarter.
We’ve personally been wondering what might take the old venue’s place for a while now, with the rest of the Grade II-listed Victorian shopping arcade populated by food and drink spaces, a barbershop and fashion retailers like The R Store, but after all this time the last thing we expect was the Cat Café.
This will no doubt come as wonderful news to the countless fans who were gutted to see it disappear just a few short years ago.
At the time, a fundraiser was set up in an attempt to rescue it and the pet-forward coffee shop format also paved the way for similar ventures like this one over Salford.
Although we’re still yet to hear any more details regarding a possible reopening date, we can safely assume their four-year hiatus will be coming to an end sometime in 2025.
When they were still up and running, the café had 10 resident cats at their original site on the edge of NQ, now home to one of two Gooeys in Manchester.
It is worth noting that there were some concerns raised around hygiene and animal welfare, though we’re sure steps have been taken to address these issues in the interim.
World-renowned rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd announce HUGE Manchester anniversary gig
Thomas Melia
Legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd are returning to Manchester for a limited UK tour at one city’s foremost venues.
Six years since their last visit, we’re sure they’ve missed ‘That Smell’ of a Manchester crowd and it’s safe to say safe we’ve missed them too.
Known for our love of live music and gigs, there’s no better place to stop off at other than Manchester when you’re playing a world tour, especially celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation.
Their name needs no introduction, however, if you need a reminder of this band’s remarkable career then ‘Don’t Ask Me No Questions’.
Just kidding, the well-seasoned country and blues veterans from Jacksonville, Flordia are one of the most acclaimed acts to ever come out of the US; in 2006 they received one of the biggest honours any artist could wish for, getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
With 14 official studio albums, several EPs and numerous live recordings, there are definitely more than enough songs to pack into one unforgettable night.
As one of just four dates here in England, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Manchester tour show is taking place at none other than the AO Arena, which has also reached a milestone in 2025 as they celebrate 30 years of unbelievable gigs. What better way to party than with a good ol’ fashioned rock show?
They won’t be travelling solo either, they’re also bringing Georgia-based rockers Blackberry Smoke as a support act, notable for their 2012 single ‘One Horse Town’ along with many others.
Rockin’ it out like they always do, bring on Manchester. That iconic Lynyrd logo will look immense in AO Arena this year.Credit: Supplied
They’ve chosen the right venue to belt the hits too and, ironically, they’ve chosen a Tuesday for their Manchester date, meaning you’ll be able to walk out of the concert singing ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ with more conviction than ever.
One thing is for sure, with a legacy as big as this, the rockers are guaranteed to have a great time. There might not be any founding members left following the passing of guitarist and songwriter Gary Rossington in 2023, but you can bet the current lineup will do the originals justice and then some.
Lynyrd Skynyrd visit the AO Arena in Manchester on Tuesday 15 July 2025 with tickets going on sale from Friday 24 January at 10am. You can grab yours HERE.
Dolly Busby -
15th October 2021 
