Upcoming BBQ, bourbon and blues music venue The Blues Kitchen has officially announced a star-studded lineup of music acts set to perform at the venue’s Concert Hall this summer.
One of Manchester’s most highly-anticipated new openings in 2021, The Blues Kitchen is set to welcome its first customers from May 20 – moving into a beautiful two-storey building on Quay Street.
Huge portions of BBQ-style food will be served at its restaurant on the ground floor – with blues, soul and jazz musicians taking to the stage seven nights a week.
The 500-capacity first-floor Concert Hall will play host to a diverse range of artists – initially opening for seated entertainment before further restrictions are lifted on June 21.
A medley of transatlantic legends and homegrown talent has been booked for the summer bill – with The Blues Kitchen’s live music programme set to “bring a flavour of the deep south” to the city with jazz, hip hop, blues, disco, house, folk, RnB music.
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Roy Ayers, Crazy P Soundsystem, DJ Yoda, Evelyn Champagne King, Riot Jazz and Norman Jay have all confirmed sets, along with Slum Village, Omar, Billy Cobham and Jarrod Lawson.
When restrictions permit, live shows will be be programmed Sunday through to Thursday – with DJ-led club nights until late every Friday and Saturday.
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The Blues Kitchen is set to move into Quay Street
The Blues Kitchen will specialise in “flavours of the deep south”
The Blues Kitchen will also have a bespoke ‘Danley Sound Labs’ sound installation to deliver superb audio quality for the events programme – backed by lead designer Tom Danley (who spent time working for NASA).
The specialist equipment has been deployed at globally-renowned festivals including Glastonbury’s Temple Stage, We Out Here, and Outlook & Dimensions Festivals.
Sam Smith, Venue Programmer for The Blues Kitchen Manchester, said: “Manchester’s music scene is what always has and continues to put the city on the map.
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“Curating the summer line-up for the Concert Hall has been a really exciting opportunity to put a really diverse range of artists up on our stage – from local to global, across a variety of genres, there’s definitely something for everyone.
“Our state-of-the-art sound system also means each gig is going to make for an incredible experience!”
Tickets for all shows will go on sale at 12pm on April 7 to those exclusively signed up to The Blues Kitchen Manchester (you can register here).
To keep up with the latest news follow The Blues Kitchen on Instagram @blueskitchenmcr.
What's On
A much-loved Manc grassroots venue is hosting a live screening of The Traitors final
Danny Jones
A beloved grassroots venue here in Manchester city centre is holding a big screening of this year’s The Traitors final.
Consider already there with bells, whistles and a big hood on.
Yes, following the return of The Traitors mainline show this month, not to mention even more versions of the show landing on the BBC in 2026, we’re expecting record-breaking numbers of viewers for this year’s highly anticipated ‘Grand Final’.
With that in mind, Manc favourite arts and entertainment venue, Fairfield Social Club (FSC), will be playing The Traitors season four final on the big screen.
You do not want to miss this, and we don’t just mean the episode: we’re talking about the unparalleled and often unhinged vibes at Fairfield.
Having been to plenty of live events at FSC over the past 18 months or so, from live viewing parties and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia quizzes to nights out with other social clubs and community organisations, we can personally vouch for their hosting chops.
As for this particular watchalong, they’ve promised they’re “going all in for The Traitors Finale 2026, live on the FSC big screen with a full crowd, big reactions and plenty of drama.”
With the team set to deliver a full pre-show Traitors quiz with plenty of prizes up for grabs, and even free drinks for anyone who turns up in a cloak or top-notch Claudia Winkleman fancy dress, there are so many reasons to make this gaff the place you choose as your venue for the final.
We’ll also be making sure to attend their upcoming Lily Allen line-dancing show, because we’re still obsessed with West End Girl.
Like with The Traitors final, don’t worry, they’ve done this dance MANY times before.
Honestly, this place never disappoints when it comes to variety or enjoyment.
As if any of the above wasn’t already convincing enough for you, tickets are just a fiver, and they also include a welcome drink. Doors will open 6pm, and seating plans are simply first-come first first-served.
Not only is that a great deal across the board, but it’s also probably one of the cheapest drinks you’ll find in town these days…
If you fancy joining in the chaos and inevitable chorus of gasps when the Grand Final goes live, you can grab your tickets for the conclusion of this season’s Traitors at Fairfield Social Club right HERE – and we promise you that it will sell out fast.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via BBC)/Fairfield Social Club (supplied)
What's On
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you’re still struggling to come up with a New Year’s resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you’re at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third-party app, Recycle at Boots, uses a ‘Scan2Recycle‘ system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can’t usually be recycled at home, such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you’ve followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store at your nearest location, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you’re also an eco-warrior.
There’s even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs, which gives customers 100 Advantage Points when they spend £5 in-store.
Brilliant.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood, with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Manchester Market Street – 32 Market Street, M1 1PL
Salford Regent Park – Regents Park, M5 3TP
Manchester Didsbury – 736-740 Wilmslow Road, M20 2DW
The Trafford Centre – 10 Peel Avenue, M17 8BD
Trafford Retail Park – Neary Way, M41 7FN
If you’re up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
The Manc -
1st April 2021 
