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This underground Manchester bar is celebrating its birthday with cocktails, live music, and more next week

Arcane is one of our city's most bold and eclectic cocktail bars, and its celebrating its sixth year still standing.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 1st June 2022

One of Manchester’s most bold and eclectic cocktail bars is throwing a series of parties to celebrate its sixth birthday next week.

It may be just off the beaten track and tucked away in the basement of a Grade II-listed Victorian building on South King Street – just off Deansgate’s main thoroughfare in the heart of the city centre – but Arcane is no secret and has definitely made a well-deserved name for itself since opening its doors back in 2016.

Arcane was built off longtime friends and owners, Mark Taylor and Gary Kilroy’s, vision for bringing something “creative yet unpretentious” to the city’s nightlife scene, and it’s fair to say that since then, it has more than earned its place as a bar worth hitting up when you’re out in Manchester.

Given that it’s known for having an extensive menu of drinks prepared by some of the city’s most-knowledgeable artisans, and has been surprising even the most seasoned cocktail connoisseurs for the past half-decade, Arcane has got a lot to celebrate.

Read more: The best ‘secret’ bars hidden away in Manchester

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And next week, six years after the self-proclaimed “drinking den” first opened in the city, it’s going to do just that.

Arcane is one of Manchester’s most bold and eclectic cocktail bars / Credit: Arcane

To celebrate six years in style, Arcane will be throwing a big birthday party on Thursday 9 June from 7:30pm – 4am, and you can expect live music from 10pm, a live DJ afterwards for the rest of the party, and of course, an eclectic mix of drinks and cocktails.

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There’ll also be a couple of spirit brand events throughout the week too, with Jaegermeister Monday 6 June, Ocho on Tuesday 7 June, and Makers Mark on Wednesday 8 June.

After what has been an undeniably difficult two years for the city’s hospitality scene amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners and staff at Arcane are also keen to use the sixth birthday party to mark the industry’s return to near normality and “celebrate the fact that we’re still here and we’re still going strong”.

There’ll be plenty of drinks deals to make the most of throughout the big birthday party night, and in a fitting nod to what was available back when the bar first opened, guests can also grab some old industry “throwback” offers too.

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How does a Tom Collins and a can of Tiny Rebel 313 for just £6 sound?

You can also expect  beer provided by Tiny Rebel, plenty of cocktails featuring tipples by event sponsors, Sipsmith Gin, as well as some limited-edition cocktails that will be mixed and served especially for the night, and even an ice luge for cask-aged Negronis too.

Read more: Some of Manchester’s best independent bars to sip a cocktail at

Staff will be suited and booted for the occasion, and there even promises to be a free welcome drink to any guests who want to get into the swing of things and come down dressed to the nines too.

Fancy it then? Head on down to Arcane from 7:30pm on Tuesday 6 – Thursday 9 June.

Featured Image – Arcane

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Deliveroo is knocking 25% off takeaways for parts of Greater Manchester this month

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Deliveroo is going to be slashing takeaway bills by 25% for people in parts of Greater Manchester.

The delivery giant is offering up the discount from today all the way through to the new year.

It means that locals in the city centre, as well as Chorlton, Didsbury and Rusholme, will be able to save 25% on their Deliveroo order.

The deal follows Deliveroo’s Black Friday discount which was offered up to customers last week.

There are loads of local restaurants and cafes taking part, including the ever-popular burger and shake joint Archie’s and long-standing favourite Tampopo.

Archie’s. Credit: The Manc Group
Yum Cha. Credit: The Manc Group

Yum Cha, which opened at Kampus this summer after 11 hugely successful years in Liverpool, is also taking part, with its incredible roast meats cooked for 24 hours in a custom-made roasting oven, plus Chinese small plates and dim sum.

Manc favourite Rudy’s, home of arguably the country’s best pizza, are included in Deliveroo’s 25% discount, alongside chicken legends Yard & Coop.

Read more: New restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this December

Then there’s Zumuku Sushi, Bondi Bowls and Zaxx Fried Chicken, to name a few.

The 25% discount applies to residents in Manchester city centre, Didsbury, Chorlton and Rusholme, and applies to order of £20 or over.

The deal is available between 5 December and 2 January.

Featured image: The Manc Group

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Watch live: Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Steve Rotheram and more take part in DJ battle

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Andy Burnham is set to take to the DJ decks again, facing off against Angela Rayner, Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram, and Manc legends including Clint Boon and Rowetta.

The huge event has been created with the support of Warehouse Project to raise funds for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity for A Bed Every Night.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has now been added to the bill and will be getting behind the decks at the charity event, alongside Manc music legends.

The event will see Burnham battling against Steve Rotheram in a musical head-to-head between Manchester and Liverpool.

It’s taking place at Depot Mayfield, the home of Warehouse Project, on Friday 2 December – and we’ve got an exclusive discount for £1 tickets for The Manc readers.

All proceeds from bar sales on the night will go to support those who are experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping in Greater Manchester.

The line-up will be headlined by Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram (who first battled behind the DJ decks in lockdown), with guest appearances from Angela Rayner, Nihal Arthanayake, Stanley Chow, Clint Boon and Rowetta, plus guest DJs from the Warehouse Project.

Andy Burnham doing a live-streamed DJ set during lockdown. Credit: GMCA

Angela said: “I can’t wait to get on the decks and show everyone why Manchester is clearly the best city when it comes to music. I’ve got a lot of love for Scousers, but Team Liverpool will be second best on Saturday night.

“I’m delighted to be taking part in this event and helping to raise money for such a fantastic cause. I hope you like the songs I’ve picked. It was hard to narrow it down to three because there are so many Manchester music legends!”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “We all know Manchester has the greatest musical heritage and I’ll be giving it my all in the set to prove that point once and for all. There’s serious pride at stake here.

“But competition aside, our passion for music unites our two city regions. What better way to put on an amazing celebration of our region’s culture and raise money for important causes, to support those who need it most at what is a really difficult time.”

Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram said: “There can be no debate: the Liverpool City Region is the undisputed home of British music. We’ve given the world some of the greatest artists, albums and songs of all time – no area has had more number one hits than us.

“The fact we beat off competition from cities across the UK to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine speaks to our world-leading reputation as the UK’s premier music scene – and it’s a legacy we’re continuing today.”

The battle is supported by The Warehouse Project, Elevate and Badger & Combes.

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Launched in 2018 by Andy Burnham and supported by the Charity, A Bed Every Night provides emergency accommodation for anyone rough sleeping across the city-region, regardless of status, as well as vital personal support.

Since its launch, A Bed Every Night has helped over 4,000 people and been instrumental in reducing rough sleeping in the region since its peak in 2017. But due to the current cost of living and energy crisis, there is an increased need to offer support this winter.

Currently, there are 619 people in A Bed Every Night accommodation across Greater Manchester who would otherwise be at risk of rough sleeping, with 21 organisations across the region providing accommodation.

To get your ticket for £1 (plus fees), use the code: TheManc – get yours here.

Featured image: Ramona / Supplied

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