Everyone’s favourite singalong karaoke cabins are coming back to Manchester for Christmas, it has been confirmed.
Bar Hütte, the magical Alpine cabin experience with cosy furnishings, twinkling lights, live music sessions, and flowing drinks, will return bigger than ever this year – with not one, but two locations in Manchester city centre.
Inspired by some of Europe’s coolest après ski bars, Bar Hütte combines super-snug karaoke hüttes with a vibrant and cheerful alpine atmosphere.
Now in its seventh year, Bar Hütte is seen as a festive staple in the city.
Bar Hütte’s singalong karaoke cabins are coming back to Manchester for Christmas / Credit: Bar Hütte
With two magical Christmas courtyards sweeping across the city, the beloved ‘carol-oke’ cabins will be returning to their home at Greater Northern Square, as well as moving into a brand new canal-side location at Kampus.
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While Bar Hütte at Great Northern Square is heading back to Deansgate, with 15 cosy private hüttes neatly-positioned under a heated stretch tent and twinkling lights, Bar Hütte at Kampus will also see a new outdoor terrace, comprising of eight snug, wooden karaoke hüttes nestled beneath the trees, and an ‘Aprés Ski Bungalow’ serving as an indoor alpine bar.
Bar Hütte at Kampus also teamed up with its neighbours, Nell’s and Great North Pie Co, so that hungry foodies can order pizza and pies delivered straight to their hütte via a QR code system.
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As well as an entertainment schedule of live singers and DJs, there is a new drinks menu to include winter serves, Instagramable cocktails, plus the legendary Bombardino, and the famous Bar Hütte shot-ski.
This year, there’ll be two city centre locations / Credit: Bar Hütte
Those heading down can enjoy karaoke for up to eight people in a Cosy Karaoke Hütte, or celebrate on a larger scale in a Party Lodge for up to 20 people.
Adam Brady, from HBD – which is one of the Kampus developers, said ahead of Bar Hütte’s arrival: “Bar Hütte will transform the Kampus garden from the perfect summer spot to the go-to festive hangout [and] we’ll be swapping festival bunting for fairy lights, with the cosy hüttes nestled within the trees, and Après Ski Bungalow providing a proper slice of winter escapism in the heart of Manchester.”
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At the weekends, and in the lead-up to the big day, there are family-friendly Santa Claus Club sessions too – which includes a karaoke hütte for one hour, hot chocolate, and colouring pads for the kids, plus the chance to get a picture with Santa Claus.
15 cosy private hüttes will be neatly-positioned under twinkling lights / Credit: Bar Hütte
There are also wreath-making sessions to get involved in at both locations, complete with a complimentary glass of prosecco or mulled wine.
Both Bar Hütte at Kampus and Bar Hütte at Great Northern Square will be open to the public on Wednesday 8 November, and bookings have just launched.
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
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All Greater Manchester boroughs to have 24-7 night buses from next month as new services launch
Emily Sergeant
Extra night buses, new routes, and more frequent bus services are being rolled out across the Bee Network at the end of this month.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy, and now plans to introduce these from September onwards have been confirmed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford will all get a 24-hour bus service by next month, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that once the new services have launched, it will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
Some of the other changes set to be introduced from next month include a selection of brand-new bus services, and more frequent buses during the day and at the weekends.
All Greater Manchester boroughs will have 24-7 night buses from next month / Credit: TfGM
There will also be better connections overall to key employment and leisure destinations like Manchester Airport, Trafford Centre, MediaCity, Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton, Kingsway Business Park, and Logistics North.
“The Bee Network belongs to the people of Greater Manchester and it needs to work for every community,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.
“As we build it, we’re listening and responding to what residents want with the biggest set of improvements we’ve ever made in one go.
🚌 More improvements are on the way across the #BeeNetwork.
36 service changes will benefit around 740,000 people across Greater Manchester, helping more communities access reliable, convenient public transport.
“We’re bringing night buses to every borough, launching new routes and ensuring buses run more often in the mornings, evenings and weekends. In doing so, we’re making it easier than ever for people to get around the city region by bus, but we’re also supporting our businesses, whose staff and customers need a reliable and safe way to reach them.
“Almost three quarters of a million people live within walking distance of a bus route we’re improving over the next few months, and we’ll continue improving connections for even more communities based on the feedback we get.”
Georgina Pellant -
7th September 2023 
