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 favourites hosting a heartwarming festive social for those alone this Christmas
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester bar and cafe, Haunt, have announced that they will be hosting a special social to spread some much-needed seasonal cheer to those who are spending Christmas apart from their families and/or friends this year.
Wholesome stuff from a wholesome bunch.
That’s right, friendly neighbourhood ghosts Haunt will be putting on a little free shindig for the 2025 festive period in an effort not only to share the typical kindness with locals based in and around the city centre but to help create “a sense of community, no matter what your situation”.
Announcing the completely open-to-the-public Christmas Eve party over the weekend, the team are looking to provide those who might otherwise be lonely or struggle during the holidays with a warm, arms-wide welcome, plus plenty more.
Writing on their social media account this past Sunday, bar manager JJ said: “People, it’s time to connect this Christmas! We will be providing free coffee and sweet treats from 12-5pm on Christmas Eve, as well as some games and workshops.
“We’ve put a lot of work into this, so it would be amazing to see as many of you there as possible! Also need this to reach the people that need an event like this most, so please share and repost.
“As always, look out for your people, I wouldn’t be anywhere without mine – JJ xoxo”
Come on, who doesn’t love seeing heartwarming stuff like this on their feed, especially when it comes to a time of year where so many suffer quietly amid the majority having a good time?
This isn’t the first time they’ve held a pop-up that’s caught our attention in 2025, either; it was only last month that we were surprised to stumble on a mini padel court in the middle of the room.
Once again, there’ll be brews and fresh bakes, as well as plenty of other activities to keep people entertained on the night.
As described in their post, Christmas can be tough for a lot of people, and if they can make even just one person looking for some kindness and companionship feel better for a few hours this year, then they’ll have done above and beyond their job.
It goes without saying that we love seeing local businesses taking the social and community side of their work like this to heart and putting in serious effort to make a difference.
Well done to JJ, the Chosen Family support group, and everyone at Haunt for setting this up; if you know anyone who might be interested in coming along, please do pass on the information.
You can grab your free tickets via Eventbrite right HERE, and maybe we’ll see some of you there.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Haunt (via Instagram)
Manchester
The full lineup for the Strictly Live tour has been revealed
Danny Jones
Yes, ballroom lovers, it’s here: the full lineup of dancers for the ‘Strictly Come Dancing Live’ tour has finally and officially been revealed.
It feels like fans have been waiting ages to find out the entire roster for the Strictly Live tour next year, with only limited waves having been released thus far.
However, the patience has paid off, and we now know who’ll be starring both on the stage and on down on the floors of some of Britain’s most beloved venues, including our very own AO Arena.
You can see the latest raft of additions down below.
As you can see, the final four couples who complete the next Strictly Live tour lineup for 2026 are social media personality George Clarke, Emmerdale face Lewis Cope, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and another actor in Layton Williams.
This quality quartet will be paired up with Alexis Warr, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley and Nikita Kuzmin, respectively; it has already been confirmed that much-loved trio Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood will be returning as judges, with Janette Manrara remaining as host.
Strictly‘s still ongoing season – the 23rd in the show’s history – is due to conclude this weekend, following the final on Saturday night (20 December), and it remains to be seen which of the current cast will be crowned champion, with several of those above and below now signed up for the live tour.
The rest of the Strictly Live dancers for 2026 here:
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey aka ‘Nitro’
Alex Kingston
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Balvinder Sopal
George Clarke
La Voix
Chris Robshaw
Ellie Goldstein
Thomas Skinner
Vicky Pattison
Stefan Dennis
Ross King
Karen Carney
Lewis Cope
Amber Davies
It isn’t guaranteed that each of these contestants will be taking part in EVERY single one of the tour dates, but either way, you’ve still got ‘The Professionals’ to come next spring, too.
The annual Strictly Come Dancing UK tour has become a firm fan favourite, not only among die-hard viewers of the BBC show but lovers of live entertainment in general.
Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and others confirmed the dates for their live shows earlier this year, with the AO set to host the two days’ worth of moves across Saturday, 31 January and Sunday, 1 February.
Hosting both normal evening shows as well as matinee slots, it’s simply up to you at what time of day you fancy panto-booing Craig…
If you’re interested in securing tickets for the typically fabulous festivals, you can grab yours HERE.