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.
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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.
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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.
A beloved Manc gig venue is hosting a special afterparty following Manichester tribute festival
Danny Jones
A much-loved live music institution in Manchester is set to host a dedicated afterparty for the inaugural ‘Manichester’: the live tribute festival in memory of Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Seeing the grassroots music scene gathering together in moments like this is the kind of stuff that would make the man himself SO proud.
With Manichester 2026 announced this past March and set to take place later this month in honour of the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, tickets for the main event sold out very quickly.
This came as no surprise, of course, but now other Manc venues are joining in toasting the life and career of Mani for one very special evening.
Shared by Madchester.com, who are helping organise the Manichester ’26 along with surviving members of the Mounfield family, as well as Mani’s friends and peers such as his brother Greg and Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene, gig space Gorilla are hosting it.
The small-cap live music room, bar and restaurant has hosted many a special night over the past decade or so – hosting multiple War Child charity shows in the past few years, for instance – and even when they’re not hosting a set themselves, they’re always more than happy to join in the celebrations.
With that in mind, there always likely to pay their respects to the late, great and iconic local musician in some way, but now they’re teaming up with Madchester directly.
Positioned as the official ‘aftershow’ following the mini tribute festival, as you can see, there will be just 600 tickets available, with general admission for the main event already gone as mentioned.
At one point, it looked like the kind-spirited and well-meaning idea might be scrapped altogether after some confusion between the organising partners.
Thankfully, that all looks to have been put to bed, and all those involved can focus on what’s important: honouring Mani in the best way possible – with a load of live tunes and a good time.
In terms of those who will be playing on the night ahead of the aftershow, the likes of the equally legendary Peter Hook, Rowetta, The Kowloons, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers, plus many more, have been announced as part of the lineup.
There is also still a ‘AAA’ headliner still yet to be confirmed, so watch this space.
As for the Manichester afterparty at Gorilla, keep an eye out on socials for the ticket link to drop and, hopefully, we’ll see you there for a night to remember.
Pretty Woman The Musical will be returning to the stage in Manchester next year
Emily Sergeant
“Big night out. Big. HUGE.”
This is your chance to experience one of Hollywood’s best-loved romcoms of all time, as following a record-breaking run in the West End and a sell-out first UK tour in 2023, Pretty Woman The Musical is heading back out the road again next year, and it’ll be taking to one of Manchester‘s most iconic stages.
With direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, an original score by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, it’s no wonder Pretty Woman The Musical is one of the most popular productions of the 21st century.
Just like the 1990 film of the same name, Pretty Woman The Musical tells the story of Vivian and Edward, two unlikely soulmates who overcome all odds to find each other… and themselves.
Pretty Woman The Musical will be returning to the stage in Manchester next year / Credit: Supplied
The musical – which is described as being a ‘dazzlingly joyous love story for the ages’ – lets you experience all the moments you know and love from the movie, all while getting to know these iconic characters in a whole new way.
Stopping off at Manchester Palace Theatre next spring, the show will be in our city from Tuesday 23 March through to Saturday 3 April 2027, before visiting other northern cities like Leeds, York, Sunderland, Hull, and Liverpool, as well as major locations like Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
Tickets officially go on sale this week – with the pre-sale for ATG members beginning this Wednesday (13 May), before general sale starts on Friday 15 May at 10am.
Emily Sergeant -
12th December 2023 
