With around 80,000 new and returning students set to arrive in the city over the new few weeks, Manchester’s number one entertainment venue has some “fresh offers for freshers”.
The freshers experience is set to be a very one different this year amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
With nightclubs still closed and strict social distancing measures in place in bars – as well as the new rule of six and a 10pm curfew set to be announced by the government this evening – usual bar crawls and club nights are out of the question, but the Printworks is still intent on helping the student experience thrive in a COVID-safe way.
The iconic entertainment complex in the heart of the city centre has a host of offers to suit every student kick-start freshers in style.
With over nineteen venues to splash your student loan on – including food, drink and leisure – students are encouraged to leave enough time to study Printworks’ huge range of deals and discounts.
ADVERTISEMENT
So, what’s on offer then? Here’s everything you need to know.
The Printworks
Treetop Adventure Golf
Tee off with a free bottled beer, cider, 125ml wine or soft drink when you play 36 holes at Treetop Adventure Golf Manchester Printworks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Only valid between 5pm Sunday – 5pm Friday with student photo ID.
Frankie & Benny’s
You can relish in a 25% discount at Frankie & Benny’s Printworks with a valid NUS or Student Beans card.
Escape Reality
Students can get 50% escape games between Monday – Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
All team members must have a valid student ID and the offer cannot be used with additional offers.
Yates
Enjoy a range of refreshing drinks with offers including 2-for-1 cocktails, £1.50 Sourz shots or two jagerbombs for £6.50.
Why not opt for the burger and a pint deal for £7.99 instead?
Wagamama
The noodle union is back open for business.
Bring your own bubble of six with Wagamama’s Student Sundays and get a free beer when you order a main. Plus, there’s the chance to win the entire meal for free too.
ADVERTISEMENT
Valid on Sundays from 20th September – 19th October with student ID.
Tenpin
Nuffield Health
Students can join Nuffield Health Printworks now and get the rest of the month free, with the only thing to pay for is the £20 joining fee.
Students can also get 20% off their membership with valid ID.
Hard Rock Cafe
Celebrate the extended Eat Out To Help Out offer at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester with 50% off (up to £10) on the main menu and non-alcoholic beverages. To redeem, simply quote ‘Eat Out to Help Out extension’ before placing your food order.
The offer is valid all day Monday-Wednesday until 30th September.
ADVERTISEMENT
O’Neill’s
Fancy getting in the Irish spirit?
Head to O’Neill’s and enjoy 50% off mains, or get a classic beef or chicken burger and a drink for £4. Upgrade for a £1 to enjoy a refreshing pint of Brewdog Punk IPA.
Tenpin
Get bowled over with some fantastic offers at newly opened Tenpin, including bowling and a drink from £9, bowling and food from £13 and bowling, food and drink from £15.
Plus, there are group packages available with bowling, food and mocktails for four people from £56.
Vue
Students are invited back the big screen experience with £4.99 cinema tickets when booking online at Vue in the Printworks.
Trending
One of the biggest and best new beer gardens in Manchester drops just in time for the World Cup
Danny Jones
You heard us right: what could very well be Manchester’s favourite new beer garden has just landed over in St John’s, and all can envision is non-stop sun, suds and sporting action all summer long.
This, my friends, is ‘The Green’.
Capturing a kind of mix between the simple combo of wide open space, booze and hopefully sun on the Stevenson Square we all know and love, with a bit of the Boxpark fanfare that will make it perfect come World Cup, we’re big fans of what they’ve put together here.
It’s also worth noting that this place is significantly bigger than you’ll find in most corners of central Manchester, complete with plenty of room to perch, from the rows of deckchairs to even tiered step seating that runs along the edge.
There’s new artificial turf laid down, complete with fresh wooden borders, lamp lighting, big benches perfect for squeezing plenty of mates on each side, as well as a decent number of small parasols. There are even QR codes to save time ordering at the bar.
Speaking of, the bar is already full up and running with a very solid lineup of summery drinks, for beers and fruity ciders to Aperol and plenty more. You are paying the expected St John’s prices, but when the rays hit just right, the footy’s on and you’re with your mates, you won’t hear us complaining.
Not just batch stuff being proud from the tap either – they’ve got cocktails, creative twists on frozen margs and lots of other stuff still in the pipeline.
But understandably, the instant start of the show is that large screen, which has already got us dreaming of the World Cup and tournament season year in year out, for that matter. And when we say large, we really mean it…
Just picture the scenes…
The lawn itself is plenty long, and the massive monitor is high up enough on the old studio wall that not a single soul will be missing a second of that action.
Be it the footy, Wimbledon, F1, rugby – whatever the discipline happens to be, we can’t wait to find any excuse to watch it all here (weather permitting). Only a short distance from Deansgate, Spinningfields, Castlefield and more, we feel like this spot is about to blow up.
You’ll also be glad to know that while you can’t take food and drink from other venues around the beer garden itself, they’ve got a food lineup all of their own coming very soon, centring around Manchester locals and regional indies. That’s what we like to hear.
It’s just what that Grape Street area needed, and regardless of whatever potential seasonal shifts it might need to make, we hope it stays here for a very long time. Good vibes all-round.
Stage and Radio issue defiant statement in response to concerning development plans
Danny Jones
Manchester centre bar, music venue, and nightlife institution, Stage and Radio, has shared an impassioned and defiant statement in the face of proposed plans to be built next to the venue.
And when we say next to, we mean next door – and by that we mean practically on their doorstep, not to mention that of other local businesses.
Situated within one of the city’s most important creative and cultural hubs, in the form of the Northern Quarter, the gig space, club and popular meeting place finds itself under serious threat.
Speaking in the accompanying caption, they said: “Comment below and we’ll DM you a link to take action (It’s also in our bio!).”
They go on to say, “We’re urgently asking for the public to support Stage & Radio by voicing concerns by 10th June 2026 about a future development going up within a few meters of the venue.”
Unsurprisingly, the post has been met with an outpouring of not only shared rage, frustration and confusion, but more importantly, they’ve received a huge amount of support in the comments, too.
Fellow Manc favourite nighttime venue, Hidden, added, “Sit tight @stageandradiomcr you’re not going anywhere; meanwhile, several people across multiple sites have simply written, ‘Stage and Radio 4 Life.”
New developments and residential ventures continue to pop up all over the city and surrounding regions, as they always will, but these potential additions don’t look to be very welcome under the current proposals – a similar case has been made for the regeneration of Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre.
Lots of people are excited by the idea, but not everyone is in total agreement that the prospect of adding new, much taller and likely expensive properties into the mix is what’s best for the area.
Demolition and regeneration plans for a former shopping centre in a popular Manchester suburb are set to begin next month. 🌆🔨
As for Stage and Radio, we’ve had the pleasure of spending a fair few late nights there (not to mention well into the early hours of the next morning) over the years.
Releasing a direct statement to The Manc and Audio North, they told us: “We are deeply concerned about whether residential flats positioned directly beside an established grassroots music venue can realistically provide appropriate residential amenity and conditions suitable for long-term human habitation, while also protecting an existing venue from future conflict.”
S&R also noted these circumstances are not entirely unlike those that have jeopardised the future of fellow NQ neighbours and live music venue, Night and Day Cafe, in recent times.
The countdown is now ticking away for Stage and Radio – quite literally, as you can see by the banner now showing on the homepage of their website.
If you want to help save not just this venue but the culture, community and artistic scene it stands for, you can sign the protest petition and get involved in the fight right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd September 2020 
