Were you forced to celebrate your birthday inside your four walls this year without the company of your family and friends?
There’s plenty of high street retailers and chains that want to make it up to you.
Most of us can pretty confidently say that the concept of a ‘lockdown birthday’ is not one that had ever really entered our heads before March this year, but it’s a reality that many have had to come to terms with over the past few months. Whether it was a socially-distanced celebration through Zoom, a household/social bubble party, or a quiet day to yourself, birthdays during lockdown have undoubtedly been different.
Now that an element of normality is beginning to resume though, there’s a number of high street retail chains and restaurants/bars that are offering belated freebies, treats and loyalty perks to those who marked their big day cooped up indoors.
It’s never too late to celebrate right?
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Here’s everything you need to know and all the details on how to redeem your reward:
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Greggs
Free Sweet Treat
Greggs UK
It’s time to satisfy that sweet tooth craving.
If you sign up to Greggs Rewards via the bakery chain’s free app, then you’ll be sent a voucher on your birthday for a free sweet treat. Not only does this include a doughnut, cookie, or yum yum – costing up to £1 – you don’t even have to buy anything else to get this freebie either.
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What’s more is that as Greggs closed its branches for the majority most lockdown, it has automatically extended the birthday treat vouchers until the end of 2020 too.
You just need to show the date of your voucher on your phone when you next pop into your nearest branch.
More information can be found via the Greggs Rewards website here.
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Build-A-Bear
‘Count Your Candles’ Discount Scheme
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Build-A-Bear
A little something for the kids.
Build-A-Bear’s Count Your Candles scheme is free to join and lets all Bonus Club members buy a bear for the same price as the age of their child on their birthday, so for example, if your child turns two, you would only be pay £2 as opposed to the usual price of around £14.
For members whose children had a birthday during lockdown, you’ve now got until 30th September to redeem the offer (although the scheme could be later extended) and you can get your discounted bear from any store that has reopened by just letting a member of staff know you are redeeming the offer.
You can find more information via the Build-A-Bear website here.
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Pizza Express
Free Prosecco
Facebook / Pizza Express
What’s a birthday without some bubbly? Pizza Express knows this all too well, which is why the Italian chain restaurant is offering those who create an online account a free bottle of Prosecco on your birthday when you buy two meals.
Pizza Express has also confirmed that anyone with a birthday between March and August can still redeem the freebie retrospectively and members will be sent an email this month detailing how to do so, and the deadline it must be redeemed by.
The offer is subject to availability and you unfortunately cannot stack this offer with any other discounts.
There’s plenty of birthday perks for those who register with the Frankie & Benny’s Rewards scheme.
Diners can get two mains for the price of one on their birthday, or a bottle of Prosecco for the reduced price of £10 down from £16.49.
To redeem the offer, you just need to show the code emailed to you ten days prior to your birthday and you normally have 50 days to use the discount. You usually get the cheapest meal free when you eat in and the scheme is valid on any mains, although the discount only applies to two meals. The scheme is currently paused due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but Frankie & Benny’s has said will allow customers to redeem vouchers that expired during lockdown when it is back, although there is no date for this yet.
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You can register with the Frankie & Benny’s Rewards scheme here.
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Brewer’s Fayre
Free Birthday Meal
Brewer’s Fayre / TripAdvisor
Are you a member of the Brewer’s free ‘Bonus Club’?
If not, you might want to consider signing up as members of the restaurant chain’s rewards scheme can redeem a free meal on their bithday.
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This can be redeemed in-branch by either using a printed voucher that has been emailed to you prior, or by displaying a copy on your phone. Those who had a birthday during lockdown were previously given extra time until August 31 to redeem belated vouchers, so if you’ve missed this new deadline, you may have to wait till next year.
You can find out more information via the Brewer’s Fayre website here.
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H&M
25% Off Birthday Discount
Wikimedia Commons / Billie Ward
To make the most of this birthday benefit, all you’ll need to do is download the free H&M app and become a member to get 25% off one item on your big day.
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As this voucher can be used both online and in store, the fashion chain hasn’t extended this particular extended as shoppers could still use the discount on its website during lockdown. The discount unfortunately cannot be used on designer collaborations, special collections or on gift cards, and you must also select standard delivery if ordering online.
You can find out more information about H&M Membership here.
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Paperchase
£5 ‘Treat Me’ Loyalty Card Discount
Paperchase
This one isn’t just exclusive to lockdown birthdays.
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Ever-popular stationary retailer Paperchase lets shoppers pick up a free Treat Me loyalty card in stores and activate it online to get a range of perks, crucially including a free £5 voucher to use on their birthday.
The £5 off is applied to cards automatically on your birthday and can be used both in store and online for 28 days, but if you did turn a year older during lockdown, you now have until 30th September to use the discount (although some stores may extend this further).
There’s no minimum spend, but do be aware you won’t get the difference refunded if you purchase something for less than £5.
Find more information about the Treat Me loyalty card via the Paperchase website here.
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Krispy Kreme
Free Doughnuts
Krispy Kreme UK
Did you know Krispy Kreme UK is offering a free Original Glazed doughnut to everyone who celebrated a birthday during lockdown?
If it was your birthday during lockdown until 31st August, you’ll have been given 150 loyalty points – known as Smiles – which is enough to redeem a free doughnut of your choice as normally you’ll need 100 for the standard Original Glazed version. For those with birthdays from 1st September onwards however, you’ll be sent a voucher on the first day of the month you were born, which lasts until the end of the following month.
This offer is only available from Krispy Kreme stores and you can find out more information here.
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Hordes of people dressed as giant poos run through Manchester for bowel cancer awareness
Danny Jones
If you happened to be in town on Thursday and noticed a bunch of people dressed as giant poos running through the city centre and wondered, ‘What the hell is going on?’, it was this…
We know Manchester has a serious case of the runs, what with the annual Marathon and Great Manchester race, both just around the corner (one literally just next week), but this takes the cake.
On a more heartfelt note, although there is an obvious and innate silliness to this now annual get-together, it’s all for a very important and worthwhile cause.
Uniting for a fourth time, the Pall Mall Medical team (along with a couple of us here at The Manc) are hoping to flush out the stigma and silence surrounding bowel cancer awareness.
Credit: The Manc Group
Starting from Pall Mall’s very own clinic on King St, more than 105 runners laced up their shoes and popped on emoji suits, toilet costumes, daft poo hats and more for a 5k jog around the city centre alongside local run club, Blaze.
They even tried to make the route in the shape of a poo, too.
Why such a specific number, you ask? Well, that’s the exact number of people who are sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer across the North West every single week.
It’s an alarming statistic, but once you pair it with the fact that they make up the rising number of new cases being reported in the country – more than a whopping 41,000 each year – you can see why they’re desperate to get more people talking about the disease.
Moreover, the rate among under 50s has also seen a concerning rise since the 90s, but this also means that the earlier it’s caught, the better people like Pall Mall can help with treatment.
The sooner it’s spotted, the greater the chance of survival, with 90% of those diagnosed at the earliest possible stage surviving for five years or more; that’s why these lot are hoping to better the discourse around bowel-related issues.
Besides offering important scans and blood tests for numerous health conditions, they also boast the dedicated and revolutionary ColoAlert® testing service, which is a German import that’s more accurate (around 85%) and effective than most others here in the UK.
It has quite literally proved to be a life-changing bit of kit for so many, and for Pall Mall’s Dr Chun Tang, this whole initiative has a deep personal connection.
Having sadly lost his father to the illness, as well as his brother being diagnosed with bowel cancer, he knows all too well how important increasing the conversation is – bowel cancer being the second biggest killer in the UK after lung conditions.
Even before you book in a check-up, Dr Tang says it’s simple to spot noteworthy signs at home: “Any blood in the stools, streaks in your poo, on the pan or on the paper; any changes in your digestion such as diarrhoea, constipation and [continued] fatigue, then see your GP or come visit us at Pall Mall.”
Best of all, the money raised with the latest ‘Poo Protest’ all goes towards Bowel Cancer UK, so well done to everyone involved.
For once, we couldn’t be happier to hear so many people talking sh**.
Throughout April, Pall Mall are offering £75 off the ColoAlert® Bowel Cancer stool test, and 20% off the Virtual Colonoscopy in Aprilo. To find out more about the event and book an appointment, you can click right HERE.
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Emily Sergeant -
3rd September 2020 
