There’s loads going on in Manchester on December 31, with tickets still available for a lot of the city’s biggest parties.
We’ve rounded up some of the best – including a slightly more relaxed option for those of you who would prefer to mark the occasion with a knife and fork in your hand.
ADVERTISEMENT
‘Come As You Are’ at The Refuge
Credit: The Refuge
Without a doubt, this is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties to take place in Manchester. The Refuge, co-owned by local DJ and party legend Luke Unabomber, throws a huge bash every year hosting sets from a fistful of selector heroes in its public bar.
This year, the NYE lineup features a full takeover from original Hacienda resident DJ Paulette and four-piece collective Supernature Disco, both part of the venue’s ‘very special DJ family’.
ADVERTISEMENT
Expect everything from uplifting party hip hop, raw funk and rare grooves, to soulful vocals and diamante strewn disco, jacking/deep house and tearing techno.
One of Manchester’s newest and biggest venues will be throwing a show-stopping New Year’s Eve party this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
The entirely free entertainment will be hosted by Cheddar Gorgeous, and will include a peep show at the Mini Cini with a burlesque performance from Lady Wildflower.
There’ll also be a fortune teller, contortionists, fire palm dancers, disco divas, a lit-up dancefloor, and music from The Untold Orchestra and DJ Neil Diablo in a thoroughly avant-garde knees-up.
It’s the first NYE party Manchester bass night Hit & Run has put together in some time (maybe nearing a decade?) – and it looks set to be a big one.
Sets come from the likes of Biome, Daseplate, Dogger B2B Mindstate, Ghoulish, Johnny Opo, Mako MCR, Kaz and more, with guest MCs still to be confirmed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Early bird tickets have sold out but there are still three staggered releases left – priced at £20, £25 and £30 respectively.
Following last year’s sell-out event, Ibiza institution Cafe Mambo is heading back to Manchester.
The Albert Hall will be turned into New Year’s Eve extravaganza, featuring performances from Todd Terry, Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, Erik Hagleton & House Gospel Choir.
There’s a VIP experience available too, which gets you access to your own VIP loos, bar, and a separate area, as well as queue jump and champagne.
For the 25th year running, Funkademia will host its belting New Year’s Eve party in Manchester at Mint Lounge in the NQ.
Head down for bashment, disco and funky floor fillers spun by residents David Dunne and Les Croasdaile from 10.30pm until 4am. Last entry is 1am.
This night sells out every year, and by the way that ticket sales are going since Monday night’s announcement promoters are pretty confident it will again.
New Year’s Eve at Escape to Freight Island. Credit: Supplied
It’s going to be a busy evening over at Escape to Freight Island, which is also celebrating its first NYE in Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
Their plans span right across the day and night of December 31, and will include all the usual fare (the festive Winter Market is still going too) soundtracked by DJs.
Then as night draws in, the indoor Ticket Hall will be transformed into Freight Island’s very own Revue – a homage to and celebration of soul, funk, disco, house and everything in-between.
Girls On Film will take over The Plantroom outside with 80s and 90s classics – including confetti, glitter stations and silent discos.
A truly legendary place to party in Manchester, The White Hotel never disappoints – and this New Year’s Eve is set to be no different. The guaranteed last entry for advance tickets is 4am, just to give you a flavour of the vibe here.
ADVERTISEMENT
Split into three parts, NYE celebrations start at 23.59pm on 31 December with Club Martyr (feat. Bitzer Maloney, Lupini, Rosa Menthol, Sonice, Hesska, Conor Thomas) running until 6am New Year’s Day.
From 6-10am it’s $hotta Rave with Tom Boogzim holding it down, then W.O.M takes over from 6pm to 2am with a headline set from High Hoops (world disco, psychedelic house, acid and electro), plus more from Handle (live), Proteus, Vendel, Nova and Rose A.
Promising a mix of afrobeat, dancehall, R&B, trap, funky and UK garage, Habitat makes its return to Lever street venue Off The Square with a solid lineup featuring the likes of AK Gramm, Yung OMZ and Tone Rarri.
The dress code here is ‘no effort, no entry’ – but that doesn’t exactly mean shiny shoes and a tie. Check out their Instagram for some inspiration.
Port Street Beer House is collaborating with The Crafty Cheeseman for a night of free cheese and beer tastings kicking off from 10pm; The Beagle is chucking out pizza slices and hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s; and newcomer BOX on Deansgate will have a ‘game-changing’ party.
Featured image: Escape to Freight Island
What's On
A ‘disco for grown ups’ party is coming to Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
A disco party for ‘grown ups’, centred around 70s, 80s and 90s music, is making its way to Manchester this year.
The wildly popular Discos for Grown Ups will be heading to town in May, encouraging some serious boogie action with its playlist of soul, disco, pop and dancefloor from across the decades.
The night out has been created for those who feel ‘too old to go clubbing, but still love to dance’, with people your own age, and with a sensibly early finish time.
When the night is still young but you might not be, you can let loose under a light and laser show featuring the fabulous Discos for Grown Ups stage dancers.
Whether you’re a ‘Material Girl’ who craves the spotlight or or a shy dancer who comes out of their shell after catching a case of ‘Night Fever’, this night will be spoiling you with its array of tracks.
Credit: Supplied
Discos for Grown Ups was founded by Simon Stanford after discovering there was nowhere for a ‘grown up’ to go that played the music he loved.
Simon Stanford from Discos for Grown Ups says: “We are really looking forward to bringing our Discos for Grown Ups 70’s 80’s 90’s Disco Party back to the O2 Ritz Manchester this year.
“Our first show was an incredible night of dancing and sold out very quickly, so we can’t wait to bring our full production with dancers, lights and lasers back – it’s going to be another amazing night of boogie!”
Expect a night of fun-filled dancefloor bangers spanning three golden decades of music.Credit: Supplied
Five beautiful blossom filled walks to try this spring in and around Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester is full of wonderful walks and as we race headlong into spring, let’s make the most of those gorgeous blossom trees while we can.
It’s blossom season! No, not the iconic Stockport five-piece you can never get enough of – it’s that time of year when the skies get a little more colourful thanks to those lovely blossom trees.
Manchester is filled with fun things to do all year round, but now the weather is starting to hit double digits again, what better way to enjoy it than to go for a nice walk admiring nature?
If one of 2024’s biggest films was anything to go off, it’s safe to say that “green goes well with pink”, so get your walking boots on and go exploring.
Five of the best spring walks in and around Manchester
1. Fletcher Moss Gardens – Didsbury
A 20-minute drive from the city centre, Fletcher Moss Park has some stunning scenery and it’s nestled in the lovely suburb of Didsbury.
This park has its own botanical gardens and tennis courts, as well as a glorious array of cherry blossom trees, this needs adding to your Manchester walks list.
If the spring weather isn’t warming up the way you’d like it to, you can stop off at the on-site truck providing walkers with food, treats and coffees with a selection of syrups that just sweeten the deal.
Spanning over 600 acres, this park has its own boating lake, lots of prime picnic spots and a cafe for a hot drink and a pastry to pair with it.
If all is on your side, you might even catch a glimpse of that Manchester sun peering through the cherry blossom flowers hanging in the sky, lush.
3. Castlefield Viaduct – Castlefield
This next walk is a little bit different and one we’re sure you’re all familiar with because it’s not too far from the hustle and bustle, located in Castlefield.
Our next stroll also doubles as a National Trust site and we couldn’t be more grateful as each year the blossoms that appear around this trail get lovelier and lovelier each year.
This place is the best of both worlds, offering an urban walking route with potted planters, hedges and flower walls that are good for the mind and live music events over at Castlefield Bowl – which is pretty good for the soul too.
If we put the gearstick in reverse and park our cars back in Didsbury for the day, just down the road from the famous Fletcher Moss Park is the equally beautiful Parsonage Gardens, which is just as colourful come the springtime in Greater Manchester.
Not to be confused with small municipal green space located just off Deansgate in the city centre, though they do share a name, these gardens are operated by The Didsbury Parsonage Trust which looks after the Grade II-listed building on its premises and offers a nature-filled community hub to locals.
Walk through the archway located not too far from the start of the Didsbury Dozen and follow it round to find a wonderful little floral escape that has won gold in the annual RHS competitions multiple times and is the perfect length for a casual stroll.
As well as leading the way in terms of Christmas trails, Dunham Massey on the border of Altrincham and Cheshire knows a thing or two about spring walks too.
Alongside the park’s stunning manor house, there are plenty of green fields and blossom trees to get lost in, if you stay long enough you’ll forget the fact that Manchester is less than an hour away.
Being a National Trust property, there will be guides in the park to answer any queries about the park or manor that comes with it and of course a cosy little cafe where you can scoff a cake slab or two, delish.
So, this spring why not venture for a stroll into somewhere new in Greater Manchester while treating your eyes to some pretty blush pink views as we prepare for the summer ahead?
Georgina Pellant -
29th December 2021 
