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A beginner’s guide to the casino scene in Manchester

Manchester is home to some of the best casinos in the UK. Here are some of the top spots to go for games of roulette, blackjack or poker.

The Manc The Manc - 24th July 2020
William McCue / Unsplash

Whether you’re visiting the home of the Red Devils and Man City for the first time or you’re here for the shopping, Manchester is the place to be if you crave some excitement on a night out.

But better yet, it’s also home to some of the best casinos in the country.

We’ve listed the top spots to go for games of roulette, blackjack or poker right here.

Enjoy! 

Grosvenor Casino Didsbury

Located in Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre, this place is open 24 hours a day and doesn’t require a membership card, but you would be wise to observe the casino dress code (smart casual) and etiquette to avoid feeling out of place.

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Inside, you will find a large, open gaming area, a twelve-table room dedicated just for poker, as well as a decent restaurant, bar, and a conference room. Besides poker, you can also play blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or try to hit a jackpot at one of the many electronic gaming machines.

The place is located just a few miles away from the city centre, so it’s best to reach it by car. Fortunately, there’s a free parking area provided for customers. And if you’re looking for something else to do, you’ll also find a cinema, more restaurants, bars, and a bowling alley in the area.

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Manchester 235 Casino

There are all sorts of entertainment options available here, but Blackjack is definitely the most popular card game in Manchester 235 casino. If you’re not entirely sure about how to play, you can sign up for their “learn to play” experience where you’ll sit down with an experienced dealer for a 40-minute intensive learning session for as little as £20.

If you want to develop your skills even further before stepping up to the green felt in a land-based casino, you may also experiment with online blackjack gaming rooms from trusted providers as some of them will even allow you to observe the action as a spectator or even play a couple of rounds for free.

Manchester 235 is not only about card games though. It’s a whole entertainment complex set in Great Northern Warehouse, where you can find a fancy James Martin restaurant or have your favourite cocktail at one of the stylish bars (that are open all night). The venue is open every day of the week, employs friendly staff, and you don’t even need a membership card so you can just pop in to check it out.

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Grosvenor Casino Soames

This is another venue in town falling under the banner of the popular Grosvenor brand. You’ll find it on 35-39 George Street, which is a perfect central spot surrounded by various restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Perhaps it’s not as vast and glamorous as the other casino venues in town, but it’s definitely newbie-friendly. Inside, you’ll find dozens of slot machines, as well as tables for craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. If you’re not sure about the rules governing these games, ask the staff and they’ll be happy to help you out.

Also, if all this casino play excitement makes you hungry, you’ll have free access to a restaurant serving prime quality meals until late in the night.

Genting Casino

Located just a few steps away from Grosvenor Casino Soames, Genting is a perfect place to have some fun during the evening. It’s a sizeable venue where you can roam freely and watch the action at the tables before putting your money on the line.

There are even special spots where you can learn the rules of the game if you need a refresher. The interior is beautiful and there’s plenty of space for a whole group of friends to enjoy the evening, so make sure you don’t miss out on this one.

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So, here they are, the finest casinos not on Gamstop in all of Manchester.

You can find a few more out there, but don’t settle for anything less than the best, especially if you want to impress your friends or date. After all, you want a casino spot brimming with class, where you can not only dress up and feel special but perhaps even win some cash while you’re there! 

If you’d like to find out more, check out 918kiss.

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Community festival Universally Manchester returns this weekend with a FREE day of fun

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A community festival with dozens of free events and activities for all the family is returning to Manchester this weekend.

After what was a successful turnout last summer to celebrate 200 years since the University of Manchester (UoM) first welcomed students through its doors, with more than 150 immersive events on the lineup, Universally Manchester is back this weekend, and the popular festival has a jam-packed day of fun to look forward to.

Oh, and it’s FREE fun, at that.

As part of the university’s civic commitment to ‘enhancing’ its relationship with members of Manchester‘s local communities, the annual university-wide festival will back for its sixth year this Saturday.

Running since 2017, the university’s campus turns into a welcoming space for thousands of visitors from Greater Manchester and beyond, so they can discover all the important work the institution does.

The festival aims to be an ‘inviting and informal space’ for visitors to meet the university’s staff and students, while UoM also gets to play an integral part in conversations that connect people and inspire future generations. 

Kicking off from 11am this Saturday (14 June), you can expect there to be something for everyone during this free day jam-packed with fun activities for all the family. 

Saturday 14 June

Universally Manchester returns this weekend with a free day of fun / Credit: UoM

Universally Manchester is back for 2025 this weekend, and it’s shaping up to be a proper community day for all.

We’re talking everything from creative sessions with poetry, music, and art, right through to special tours and meets-ups with the university’s inspiring curators, lots of different activities for your wellbeing, and load more.

You can even watch and join in with science experiments, and listen to enthralling stories of local history and experiences.

Read more:

Universally Manchester 2025 takes over UoM’s campus and beyond this Saturday 14 June from 11am right through to 4:30pm.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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Pitbull at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, stage times, setlist and more

Danny Jones Danny Jones

People of the world and more specifically Manchester, get ready for the time of your lives because Pitbull is coming to town for his Co-op Live debut, and so is an army of fans in bald caps.

That’s right, ‘Mr Worldwide’ himself is playing his biggest-ever Manc show this Sunday as part of his global ‘Party After Dark’ tour, with European legs starting this month.

His UK and Ireland leg got underway with a double header in Dublin earlier this week, and now Pitbull is coming to Manchester for the first time in seven years.

Safe to say he’s hit on a bit of a renaissance since then, and his fandom – however random it may seem at times – is rampant right now. Exhibit A:

Pitbull gig guide | Manchester – all the important info

As for those of you looking to dress up as the currently viral rapper and singer this weekend, here’s everything you need to know about his 2025 gigs.

Pitbull UK/IE tour dates

  • 5 June – 3 Arena, Dublin
  • 6 June – 3 Arena, Dublin
  • 8 June – Co-op Live, Manchester
  • 9 June – The O2, London
  • 10 June – The O2, London

Are there tickets left for Pitbull in Manchester?

Now, if any of you are looking to score some last-minute tickets for Pitbull in Manchester, we have some good news and some less good news: there are a fair few tickets left, however, they are pretty pricey as verified resale.

The lowest we’ve found clocks in at just under £90 (before fees), and some would set you back even more than VIP packages start from.

Nevertheless, if you’re just thinking, ‘Dale! Let’s make some memories’, then you can see the remaining availability HERE.

pitbull manchester gig guide
Pitbull comes to Co-op Live, Manchester on Sunday, 8 June. (Credit: Press Shot)

Who is supporting Pitbill in Manchester?

Besides already being one of the biggest nights of pop music in Greater Manchester this year, with so many of his shows up and down the country selling out, there’s another big name on the road with him.

If there’s one figure in the genre who has even more Caribbean cache and worldwide status than the Cuban solo star, it’s Jamaican legend, Shaggy.

The now 56-year-old Kingston-born artist is along for the ride on every single one of Pitbull’s EU tour dates, and we can’t wait to welcome him back to Manchester city centre.

For the last time, it wasn’t him…

The two have collaborated on more than one occasion.

What are the stage times for Pitbull at Co-op Live

In terms of when you’ll get to see both of these legends, doors to the venue will open from 6:30pm, and the show is due to get underway an hour later (7:30pm).

Although we don’t know exactly how long Shaggy’s set will be, you can expect at least a 15-minute intermission between the superb support act and your headliner, with Pitbull set to take the stage around 9pm for the main event.

Co-op Live‘s curfew is 11pm, so you can expect approximately two hours of non-stop hits out ‘on the floor’ spanning years of international chart hits.

Pitbull after-party

But don’t worry, the dancing doesn’t have to stop there, as the arena is also hosting one of their increasingly popular after parties for anyone with a valid event ticket.

Pitbull after-party tickets are separate from general admission and are strictly 18+, with tunes kept going until late right after the main show ends, courtesy of multi-genre Manc DJ, Just Yaz. You can secure your spot for the after-party ahead of time.

Book yours HERE.

Pitbull setlist 2025

Now, while we obviously don’t have a fully confirmed setlist for Pitbull’s upcoming Manchester tour date, nor has the running order from his first pair of performances at the 3Arena been published, we can give you an average setlist based on his most recent shows.

Courtesy of Setlist.fm, here you are:

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  • Don’t Stop the Party
  • Hotel Room Service
  • International Love
  • Rain Over Me
  • I Feel Good
  • The Anthem
  • Gasolina (Daddy Yankee cover)
  • Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)
  • Shake (Ying Yang Twins cover)
  • I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
  • On the Floor (Jennifer Lopez cover)
  • Feel This Moment
  • DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love (Usher cover)
  • Fireball
  • I Like It (Enrique Iglesias cover)
  • Timber (Kesha cover)
  • JUMPIN
  • Time of Our Lives (Ne-Yo cover)
  • Give Me Everything (AFROJACK and Ne-Yo cover)

Be honest, did you realise he actually had this many bangers!?

A taste of what Co-op Live can expect from a Pitbull concert.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.

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Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.

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There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Audio North/slgckgc (via Flickr)

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