Smirnoff, the world’s number-one vodka brand not to mention a leading force in wider music culture, has officially partnered with Co-op Live to mark the opening of the new state-of-the-art venue and its debut calendar.
The partnership will see the new ‘Co-op Live Summer Series presented by Smirnoff‘ run until 13 September 2024. As part of the collaboration, the vodka brand will surprise and delight guests visiting the venue with great-tasting drinks and the ultimate night out, with VIP packages and more.
Co-op Live has curated a stacked lineup of popular bands, singers and entertainers, including some of the biggest names in music, who are set to perform at Europe’s largest indoor entertainment venue.
Starting the Summer Series off with a bang presented by Smirnoff celebrations, the brand is offering friends a chance to win tickets to see their favourite stars perform live, hosted by celebrities including TV favourite Callum Jones, as well as social media and makeup virtuoso Mitchell Halliday.
Alongside their hosts, winners will enjoy access to the exclusive Decibel Club and enjoy the concert from a private suite hosted by Smirnoff, fully immersing themselves in the ultimate venue experience. Competition details (18+ only) can be found on Smirnoff’s Instagram page.
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Attendees at the 23,500 capacity Co-op Live arena will have the opportunity to choose from a range of Smirnoff favourites, including Smirnoff Raspberry Crush, Smirnoff Mango and Passionfruit Twist, Smirnoff No.21 and more.
These drinks will be available to guests over 18 at bars and grab-and-go stations throughout the venue, including the Smirnoff Founders Bar. Guests can also try the newest addition to the range, Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind, at the bar located on the concourse – fingers crossed there’ll be plenty of sun too.
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There is a unique must-try experience for all gig attendees: a 360-photo booth on Level 3, where guests can use fun props to snap the best and most high-end selfies they’ve ever taken, and have a chance to get their tickets upgraded that evening.
Operated by holding group Diaego, the aim of Smirnoff’s Co-op Live Summer Series is to reflect the vodka brand’s ongoing commitment to making music more accessible to everyone.
Smirnoff recently rolled out its ‘WE DO US’ campaign, activated through a series of initiatives that aim to reignite social connections and lower barriers to socialising.
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Tyler Monk, Smirnoff Brand Manager at Diageo Great Britain, said: “Smirnoff is on a mission to make music more accessible and create unforgettable experiences that bring people together through live music. We’re proud to partner with Co-op Live and be part of Manchester’s vibrant music scene, offering great-tasting Smirnoff drinks, music, and unique experiences to a wider audience.”
Check the website for the full schedule of events at Co-op Live HERE.
Featured Images — Smirnoff (supplied)/The Manc Group
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Selfridges Manchester to host an out-of-hours dinner in the middle of the shop floor, plus the city’s chicest book club
Daisy Jackson
Selfridges will be hosting a series of exclusive events in the coming weeks, including a supper club in the middle of a shop floor, and an evening with the city’s chicest book club.
Up first, on Thursday 23 April, Selfridges Exchange will welcome acclaimed local supper club A-Kin for an exclusive dining experience on the menswear shop floor.
Guests will enjoy a five-course menu inside the luxury department store, long after the doors have closed.
You’ll be tucking into dishes like short rib doughnut with horseradish cream, breadcrumbs and chives; bone-in ribeye with cafe de Paris butter and shoestring fries; and a tarta de Santiago.
A-Kin will be bringing together like-minded guests for an evening of exceptional food, music, and style, fittingly in the surrounds of Selfridges Exchange’s menswear department.
Club Culture is Selfridges’ take on what’s bringing people together, now, building on the new movement of hobby-led and community-centric social gatherings and clubs.
But Selfridges has always had its roots as a social space – when the London store first opened in 1909, founder Harry Gordon Selfridge opened a Journalist’s Club with a room equipped with typewriters, telephones and a bar, later hosting an All-Girl Gun Club on the roof in the 1920s and 1930s; and even later, hosting screenings with Club Cine.
Run clubs, a comedy club, boxing club and nightclub have all featured as part of Selfridges creative programming in recent years – and now, a book club and supper club.
Selfridges customers can collect keys for attending Club Culture events and experiences, as part of its membership programme, Selfridges Unlocked. Customers join and collect keys by shopping and spending time at Selfridges to unlock perks at every level.
The Akin Supper Club has now sold out, but you can still book tickets for The Read Room HERE.
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum announces FREE programme of space-themed activities
Emily Sergeant
National Space Day is coming up, and you can celebrate with a bunch of free space-inspired activities in Manchester this bank holiday.
Ever wondered what astronauts eat in orbit? How they use the loo in zero gravity? Or why crumbs are bad news on the International Space Station? Well, to celebrate National Space Day – which is taking place this year on Friday 1 May – you’ll now get to discover the answers to those questions and so much more down at the Science and Industry Museum early next month.
The popular Manchester city centre-based museum has unveiled a programme of free ‘out-of-this-world’ events and activities this upcoming May bank holiday weekend.
The programme of free events are set to accompany the museum’s latest special exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos – which you do have to pay for – and will give visitors more ways to explore the ‘wonders and weirdness’ of space.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a free programme of space-themed activities / Credit: Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
Launching on National Space Day (Friday 1 May) and running through to Monday 4 May, the special bank holiday weekend programme is especially timely following the recent return of Artemis II astronauts from their history-making mission around the moon.
Families can get a taste of space during new live shows by sampling real foods used to feed astronauts, and discover more about how humans live and work beyond Earth, while budding space explorers put their skills to the test in interactive activities designed to ‘spark curiosity’ and ‘stretch imaginations’ to the moon and back.
Stargazers can enjoy the night sky as its projected across super-sized screens, or get creative by crafting their very own constellations and designing a mission patch for an astronaut’s spacesuit.
The events accompany the museum’s latest special exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos / Credit: Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
“2026 has already been a stellar year for space,” commented Tash Camberwell, who is the Interpretation and Content Developer at the Science and Industry Museum, as the programme of free events was announced this week.
“We’ve been so inspired by the amazing Artemis II astronauts, so I’m especially excited to bring space back down to Earth with an action-packed programme for the May bank holiday.
“Just like the exhibition, our holiday activities have been created for young people and their grown-ups to enjoy together by blending humour, hands-on science and spectacular experiences to spark curiosity in space and inspire the next generation of space explorers.”
More information on the bank holiday weekend activities can be found on the Science and Industry Museum’s website here, and free general admission tickets, as well as £10 tickets to Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, can also be booked online too – with under threes going free.
Following what was a popular spring school holidays, museum staff say early booking is ‘advised’.
Featured Image – Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
Danny Jones -
26th July 2024 
