2024 is already shaping up to be a big year for new openings here in Greater Manchester and the city centre, especially, and we always look forward to welcoming the latest additions to 0161.
We smell another list coming on…
From new restaurants and food halls to state-of-the-art live music and entertainment venues, not to mention one of the world’s most famous private members clubs and more, there’s a little bit of everything shaping the local landscape this year and we genuinely can’t wait.
Here are just seven of the biggest new openings arriving in and around Manchester in 2024.
What’s opening in Greater Manchester this year?
1. Royal Nawaab
The iconic Stockport Pyramid is finally getting a transformation. Award-winning restaurant group Royal Nawaab has been serving authentic curries in Manchester for years and is now moving its expertise over to one of Stockport‘s most well-known spaces.
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Specialising in banquet-style all-you-can-eat, Royal Nawaab will be creating a grand hall serving up Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It’s the stuff of legend in South Manchester.
With elegant surroundings throughout, a warm friendly atmosphere and great food, you’re going to want to put them on your wishlist. The kitchen is set to open this summer.
Manchester’s latest fine dining restaurant is one of 2024’s most anticipated openings, creator Tom Barnes aims to bring an unpretentious yet ambitious dining experience to the North West.
The former executive chef at Simon Rogan’s three Michelin-starred L’Enclume has only ever worked around stars and is tipped to be bringing another when the kitchen fires into life at his debut solo project, Skof.
Located in the heart of the NOMA district, Barnes is taking over the terracotta tiled, Grade II-listed Hanover Building hosting 36 covers to remove some of the seriousness out of tasting menus.
The hit London steakhouse is making its move up North. For all you steak lovers this is one to look out for. Opening up on Deansgate, it’s going to have to compete with some stiff competition including Fazenda, Gaucho and just a few doors up the road, Hawksmoor.
One thing that Flat Iron does incredibly is affordability, their signature flat iron steak currently sets you back £13 — and that’s even the capital’s 12 current branches. Pair that with their beef dripping chips or their bone marrow and garlic mash and you’ve got yourself a slap-up steak dinner without breaking the bank. They aim to make ‘remarkable steak available to everyone’; now that we can get behind.
Flat Iron is also famed for its quirky little touches. On arrival, you’ll be handed a miniature meat and a pot of sweet and salty popcorn to a cleaver that can be traded in for a free soft-serve ice cream cone on the way out. How about that for a treat!
Nestled in the heart of a rapidly transforming neighbourhood for arts and culture, the ‘Soho House experience’ is coming to five floors of the former Granada Studios in Spring.
The luxury members-only club has absolutely everything. Soho House will offer some of the best wellness amenities in the city, with an extensive gym and free weights area, studio space for classes, plus a steam room, sauna and rooftop pool that will open onto a balcony to take in those skyline views.
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If you are after a spot to eat, the members-only restaurant is perfect for elegant formal dining, but at Soho House, they do it both. There are plenty of casual lounge areas for food and drink including a bar with live DJs inside and up on the roof for a late-night boogie.
The brand-new multi-use space is the latest in the city’s independent food and drink boom. Created by the team behind GRUB, known for their weekly rotating lineup of street food, they’re bringing new flavours and new sounds to Green Quarter, opening its doors on Friday, 1 March.
Located just off Angel Park Meadow it will be a stone’s throw from the city centre and expected to embody Manchester’s modern industrial vibes as well as all the perks of a big green beer garden — and should you fall it love with it as much as you are with your partner, you can get even married there!
Taking advantage of an open, 500-capacity space, the relaunch of Fairfield Social Club will also hold a range of events spotlighting local talent from DJs to live comedy and much more. They’re also doing warm-up events as they prepare for the full launch later this year.
Credit: Fairfield Social Club (via Facebook)
6. Co-op Live
A new massive music venue in Manchester – yes, please! Set to open its doors in April 2024, they’ve already got some of the world’s biggest stars taking to the stage including The Killers, Olivia Rodrigo, about a dozen Take That shows; Liam Gallagher, Keane, Nikki Minaj and many, many more.
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The 23,500-seater arena is plotted opposite the Etihad Stadium and is even backed by a pretty big star of our own, Harry Styles. Yes, the former 1D man is an entrepreneur now.
The global superstar said, “I was drawn to this project on every level, from the opportunities it brings to the contribution it will make to the city, and most importantly, that it will allow even more live music to thrive in Manchester.” If it Co-Op Live is good enough for the Styles, it’s good enough for us.
Last but not least on this list, all the glitz, glamour and entertainment might be well and good, but the importance of a brand new transport hub not only with links to Manchester city centre but all of the neighbouring boroughs and a lot more cannot be overstated.
The Stockport bus station closed back in 2021 to make way for a huge overhaul and brand new Interchange, including the town centre’s first new green space in decades. It’s costing over £1 billion and is on course for completion in spring 2024. There’s even talk of a tram line in the future.
The massive development will feature 196 new neighbouring one and two-bedroom apartments, retail units, 18 new bus stands, cycle storage, a Travelshop with info screens as well a two-acre public park on the roof. Huge not only for locals but the Bee Network as a whole.
That’s just a very small glimpse at the new openings coming to Greater Manchester across all sectors in 2024 and, as you can see, we’re taking that whole ‘levelling up the North’ very seriously.
We’re no strangers to pioneering culture, infrastructure and innovation in general, but it’s just nice to kick off the year by looking at all the cool things materialising in the city and its surrounding areas in the coming months.
Central Cee at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ tour
Thomas Melia
Alright. UK rap act Central Cee is bringing his usual charm and witty bars to Co-op Live for a night of rap caviar, fully catered for by the Shepherd’s Bush native.
Cee, a.k.a. ‘Cench’, has been gaining traction since dropping freestyles on social media before eventually releasing his breakout hit ‘Day in the Life’ back in 2020.
This gig will be packed with everything from a stellar setlist to a powerful stage presence from the London MC, you’ll be up on your feet from the first song right through to the encore.
Don’t fret because this guide will have you covered with everything from A to B to make sure your night is nothing less than ‘5 Star’.
Central Cee at Co-op Live gig guide
Credit: Press Shot (supplied)
Central Cee UK tour dates
Fri 18 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sat 19 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Thu 24 April – London, UK – The O2
Sun 27 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Arena
Are there tickets left for Central Cee at Co-op Live in Manchester?
Tickets for this show aren’t ‘Limitless’ but there are still a handful of tickets left for this highly anticipated UK arena tour, including Cench’s Co-op Live date.
Fans can pick from a range of seating and standing options starting at £42.50 and reaching £81.95, so you’re really getting lots of value for your ‘GBP’ – I’ll stop now, I promise…
Anyone looking at grabbing a ticket or two can take a pick from their limited selection HERE.
Central Cee setlist
Limitless
5 Star
Day in the Life
6 For 6
Cold Shoulder
Ruby
Commitment Issues
Loading
St. Patrick’s
Ten
Straight Back To It
Gbp
Obsessed With You
Did It First
Me & You
Mrs
gen z luv
Now We’re Strangers
LET GO
Doja
Truth in the Lies
Overseas
Must Be
CRG
UK Rap
Sprinter
BAND4BAND
No Introduction
What are the stage times for Central Cee in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can get ‘Straight Back To It’ the following day without having to stay up all night to hear the rapper’s huge tunes.
Doors for the event will be open from 6.30pm, with those famous drill beats filling the massive Co-op Live venue from 8pm onwards.
There are currently no confirmed support acts as of yet, but with Cench appearing in the hometown of Manc rapper Aitch, who knows, maybe the pair will work it out on the remix and squash their squabble once and for all?
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily, 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 and until 01:00 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 through the Beryl, 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 southwest corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
More than 300 ‘suspected’ domestic abusers arrested across Greater Manchester in just a week
Emily Sergeant
More than 300 ‘suspected’ domestic abusers have been arrested across Greater Manchester in just a week alone.
Each week, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) deploys resources in every borough that are tasked specifically with targeting those perpetrating domestic abuse, and now, some new data released by the police service shows just how effective those resources are at protecting victims.
Between 31 March and 6 April alone, a total of 326 people who were wanted for domestic abuse offences or were reported during incidents were arrested.
Of those arrested, more than a third have already resulted in what GMP has called a ‘positive outcome’ for the victim.
#DomesticAbuse | Tonight on @granadareports showcased how we’re using Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to safeguard victims and survivors.
We encourage anyone struggling to reach out to us or a support agency – we are here to help you. pic.twitter.com/bppyq60NdO
Many of those cases remain under further investigation, so that police can build ‘strong evidential packages’ to present to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Again in the same week, police successfully secured 30 Domestic Violence and Domestic Abuse Protection notices and orders, which effectively prohibit the perpetrators from committing further offences, and a further 85 ‘welfare or compliance checks’ were carried out on orders already in place across the region to ensure victims are safe and perpetrators are sticking with the prohibitions.
Information under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – otherwise known as Clare’s Law – was also disclosed by police to 59 people, with the intent of enabling them to make informed choices about the relationships they are currently in.
#NEWS | Our pilot of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders has seen us protect 119 vulnerable victims and survivors so far, and five men (below ⬇️) who have breached these orders, have been jailed.
“Over the last four years, we have made significant improvements to the way that we deal with this devastating issue and support those suffering, as we recognise that our past response was simply not good enough, and let people down,” commented Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker, who is GMP’s lead for Protecting Vulnerable People.
“These improvements have been across the board – from the first moment of contact we have with a victim or survivor, all the way through to taking cases to court.
“What was achieved last week is just a glimpse into the work which happens continuously behind the scenes to tackle domestic abuse and protect vulnerable victims across the region.
“Domestic abuse is one of the most complex crimes that we in policing deal with.
“Protecting those who are vulnerable will always be our top priority, whether victims are women, men, or children. It’s important that we recognise we still have more to do, but also that the GMP of today is much different, and much improved, than the GMP of the past.”
Harry Quick -
19th January 2024 
