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.
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.
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.
“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
Darts returns to Manchester as Premier League dates are confirmed for 2026
Danny Jones
The schedule for the 2026 Premier League Darts tour has been officially announced, with the PDC’s annual championship returning to Manchester once again.
PDC Premier League fixtures continue to grow in popularity both in TV figures and live match attendance, with a whole new generation of fans getting into ‘the arrows’.
Just as it has for decades now, league darts is coming back to Manchester city centre and the legendary AO Arena once again, with our date landing right in the middle of the season.
Booking a big night right in the middle of a crucial period in the competition? It sounds like 0161 is set to welcome another blockbuster night up at the oche.
Confirmed on Thursday, 11 September, next year’s PDC Premier League Darts campaign will get underway in February, spanning the course of four months and eight countries.
Of the European cities on the circuit, the tournament will be heading to Belgium for the very first time, as the AFAS Dome in Antwerp replaces Exeter.
Elsewhere on the continent, there are two other mainland evenings in Germany and the Netherlands, along with multiple Northern dates here in the UK, such as Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield.
As for Manchester, we’ve been selected for round nine of 17 (including the finals), with the AO Arena set to welcome multiple favoured competitors from the North West, including 18-year-old phenomenon Luke Little from down the road in Warrington, as well as Stockport’s very own Nathan Aspinall.
It was an unforgettable experience for Aspinall last time around in his local event, as he finally managed to win a PDC Premier League night on home turf for the first time in his career.
Those hoping to enjoy a night of darts in front of a Manchester crowd on April 26, 2026, still have to be patient for now, as general admission is still a little way off.
However, if you are interested, you can sign up for the AO’s newsletter to find out more information and get yourself on the waiting list early.
Better, if you go straight through the PDC, you can throw your hat in the ring for the presale window right now and be first in line to grab tickets when they go live.
You can do so HERE and, until then, get your signs and fancy dress at the ready because we’ll be heading back to the ‘boring, boring tables’ soon enough.
See the 2026 PDC Premier League Darts schedule in full down below:
Trafford Centre’s massive student night returns next month with up to 30% off on big brands
Emily Sergeant
Students can get themselves up to 30% off on food, activities, and loads of big-name brands at the Trafford Centre next month.
With thousands of new and returning students set to start arriving for the new academic year at Greater Manchester‘s universities over the next couple of weeks, one of the region’s biggest student nights will be making a long-awaited comeback for one night only next month, and there’ll be lots of exclusive offers and free entertainment to make the most of across the evening.
Taking over the Trafford Centre in early October, the popular one-off student night is happening in partnership with Student Shopping UK, and gives cash-strapped students the chance to shop a variety of incredible discounts all under one roof.
Just some of the big brands offering big discounts include 20% off at Levi’s, 20% off at Tommy Hilfiger, 20% off River Island, 20% off at All Saints, 25% off at Boux Avenue, and 15% off at both Hotel Chocolat, and Monica Vinader at Selfridges.
Rituals, Flying Tiger, New Look, and Office are just a couple of the other shops you can head to for some savings.
It’s not just retail brands you’ll be able to save some pennies on either, as many of the Trafford Centre’s restaurants and cafes will also be offering discounts and freebies on the night too, with 20% off at places like Wagamama and Barburrito, 25% off The Real Greek, and £5 pizzas and exclusive discounts at the new Franco Manca.
You can also tuck into cut-price foodie feasts at Yo Sushi, KFC, and Costa, while places like Gymshark, Boots, Paradise Island Adventure Golf, and Selfridges are some of the places doing giveaways, workshops, offering freebies and prizes, and more.
And, if all of that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, you can expect live music to entertain you whilst you shop – with DJ blasting tunes all night long.
Trafford Centre’s massive student night returns next month with up to 30% off on big brands / Credit: Trafford Centre
“Our annual Student Night is always hugely popular,” commented Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre.
“This year we’ve secured some amazing deals and exclusive savings from many of our stores and restaurants.
“With frequent tram services from Manchester city centre on Metrolink’s Trafford Park line, plus regular buses from all over the region, now’s your chance to experience the unique vibe of the Trafford Centre.”
The Trafford Centre’s Student Night is happening on Thursday 2 October from 6-10pm, and students can now reserve themselves a spot by registering online here.
The Manc -
1st April 2021 
