A Christmas-themed musicals bingo event with bottomless drinks, karaoke, and more is happening in Manchester this weekend, and there’s still time to grab tickets.
If you’re after some feel-good festive fun now that Christmas is practically upon us, then you’ll probably want to get yourself to GRUB on Saturday.
Unfamiliar with GRUB? It’s a street food market and social hub just outside the city centre at the Red Bank Project in Cheetham Hill, and it’s known for hosting a jam-packed lineup of events and for being home to a wide range of rotating food and drink vendor pop-ups that hook Mancs up with some of the best eats from right across the globe.
And if you haven’t had the chance to head on down there yet, then this weekend couldn’t be a better – or more festive – excuse to just that.
‘Disco Bingo’ is one of GRUB’s best-loved events, and this Saturday, it’s turning all Christmassy.
For anyone who’s ever been to one of the massively-popular ‘Disco Bingo’ afternoons before, then this Saturday’s festive edition will combine everything you know and love about the normal recurring event, but with a yuletide twist.
For those who haven’t been, consider this your early Christmas present.
You can expect to hear all your favourite festive bangers, with lyric challenges, karaoke, guess the intro, bottomless brunch, and classic bingo hall vibes, as well as some added Christmas party extras and never-seen-before seasonal challenges too.
Taking place this Saturday 16 December from 1pm, as mentioned, tickets are still available to get your hands on and prices start from £6.
There’s a Christmas-themed bottomless bingo brunch happening in Manchester this weekend / Credit: GRUB
There’s two different tickets to take your pick from.
The ‘Standard Ticket’ costs £6 each, and includes a house drink on arrival (beer, wine, cider or spirit & mixer), while the ‘Bottomless Ticket’ sets you back £25 and means you can enjoy 90-minutes of bottomless drinks (fizz, mimosa, house pints, cider), plus a special Christmas mimosa while you play along.
Anyone choosing ‘Bottomless Ticket’ will only get served their drinks if they’ve also ordered some food, so you’ll need to make sure you arrive in good time and place your food order with the street food traders before your server comes to the table to take your drinks order.
GRUB’s doors will open from 1pm, with the Christmas Disco Bingo event kicking off from 2pm to 5pm, and the Bottomless pouring running from 2pm-3:30pm.
Final few tickets remaining for Manchester’s mega-hit comedy festival Laughterama 2025
Emily Sergeant
The final few tickets are still up for grabs as Manchester’s most popular comedy festival returns next month.
After what was a smash-hit success in its inaugural year back in 2022, and after several other successful runs in each of the years following, Laughterama is back in Manchester for more next month time, and will once again be taking over the iconic Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre for five days of fun.
Thousands of comedy lovers attend Laughterama each year to enjoy countless sell-out stand-up sets, and this year will be no different, as festivalgoers are in for an ‘explosive series of shows‘ from some of the hottest names on the comedy circuit.
Multi award-winning comedians Frankie Boyle, Ed Gamble, Rosie Jones, and Phil Wang are just some of the famous names on this year’s jam-packed lineup.
They’ll be joined by other household names like Russell Kane, Fern Brady, Rob Delaney, Lou Sanders, and Tim Key when they all take to the Castlefield Bowl stage over the five-day festival from Wednesday 3 – Sunday 7 September.
Some of the other names you can expect are Taskmaster treasures Sam Campbell and Bridget Christie, BAFTA nominee Lucy Beaumont, stand-up phenomenon Sarah Keyworth, King Gary star Tom Davis, Viceland’s Jamali Maddix, and viral sensation Jen Brister.
Manchester’s very own comedy heroes Rachel Fairburn and Stephen Bailey are also on the lineup.
Manchester’s mega-hit comedy festival Laughterama is making a 2025 return later this year / Credit: Supplied
It wouldn’t be Laughterama without some newcomers either, and some of the breakthrough stars not-to-be-missed this year include Edinburgh Fringe Award nominee Jin Hao Li, fast-rising talents Sharon Wanjohi and Dane Buckley, the razor-sharp Lara Ricote, and so many more to discover.
And aside from the comedy, as always, you can expect the very-best eats from Manchester’s street food scene will also be on site to tuck into, as well as an exciting selection of bars serving signature beers, cocktails, and more.
Laughterama 2025 is landing at Castlefield Bowl from Wednesday 3 – Sunday 7 September, with the final few tickets still on sale at £27.50 per person.
You can grab yours on the Laughterama website before they sell out here.
Featured Image – Matt Eachus (via Supplied)
What's On
Full lineup announced for popular family science festival near Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A popular family science and tech festival is returning this autumn, and the full lineup of events has now been released.
Set to descend on the grounds of Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park – a unique place where world-leading science, innovation, and stylish living all come together in the Cheshire countryside – SciTech Extravaganza will be a day filled full of fun science-themed shows, interactive activities, new skill-building opportunities, and more.
Right at the centre of all the action will be a mobile planetarium from Jodrell Bank, and here, visitors are invited to sit under the stars and enjoy a tour of the night sky as they learn about constellations, myths of the northern sky, and discover the planets and objects visible in the coming weeks.
Some of the other exciting events on the lineup include a series of interactive shows with Royal Institution offering a deep dive into the science behind ‘super cells’, a demonstration called The Science of Balloons, which is, you guessed it, a mixture of science and balloon modelling, and workshops offering a simple introduction to coding.
The festival will also be one of the last chances to see UK artist Luke Jerram’s ‘Museum of the Moon’ – a touring six-metre moon replica displayed at Alderley Park’s Glasshouse in the stunning 400-acre parkland.
Face painting, DJs, food and drink stalls, and more will also be there on the day.
SciTech Extravaganza is back for 2025 next month / Credit: Supplied
Event organisers say SciTech Extravaganza 2025 is promising to be an ‘unforgettable day’ for aspiring little innovators.
“SciTech Extravaganza is back, and it’s even bigger and better,” commented Dr Kath Mackay, who is the Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech.
“We can’t wait to showcase all the excitement that the world of science and technology has to offer.
“It’s a unique opportunity to showcase it at its very best, and nurture curiosity and innovation in STEM related fields. We look forward to welcoming families back for another unforgettable day, and to help inspire a new generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers.”
Emily Sergeant -
12th December 2023 
