The Blues Kitchen is still launching in Manchester on 20th May
The Blues Kitchen Manchester will open on the 20th May 2021, bringing a flavour of the Deep South to the city and enriching the music scene with an incredible live programme, seven nights a week.
It’s still happening, The Blues Kitchen Manchester will open on 20th May 2021, bringing a flavour of the Deep South to the city and enriching the music scene with an incredible live programme, seven nights a week.
The two-storey venue comprises of a restaurant and bar on the ground floor and a stunning concert hall on the first floor. The concert hall will also open temporarily for Friday and Saturdays from the 20th May for seated entertainment experiences, until the 21st June (subject to further guidelines) when the hall will welcome guests for standing gigs and club nights. More information on the sensational music programme will be revealed in the upcoming months.
The expert team behind popular London venues XOYO and Jazz Café will launch the music venue, club, bar and restaurant, which celebrates their life-long affair with Blues music alongside a passion for rare Bourbon and obsession with Southern Barbeque food. An admiration for Manchester’s buzzing music scene cemented the city as their next destination for The Blues Kitchen, which has existing locations in Camden, Shoreditch and Brixton. This will be their first venue outside of London, and their largest to date.
The Blues Kitchen
The Blues Kitchen will occupy 13 Quay Street, a two-storey site originally built to house a Victorian Eye Hospital. The site is currently undergoing renovations with the team working to restore some of its original features as well as install new additions. With the sounds, smells, styles and tastes of Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi & Texas on offer, guests will be transported to the Deep South.
The restaurant and bar, located on the ground floor, will specialise in serving up American Soul food and rare and vintage bourbon. Open all day for brunch, lunch, supper and dessert, its southern inspired menu features barbecue classics and proper comfort food. Come hungry – their stacked-up burgers, creamy mac n cheese, buffalo hot wings and smoky ribs will leave you more than satisfied.
The bar will boast over 80 bourbons and a dedicated menu of cocktails, beers, wine and spirits. Their extensive whiskey menu covers all bases, offering Single Barrel – aged 12 years -, Rye, Corn & Wheated, Small Batch, Tennessee, Rare & Vintage as well as whiskeys from around the world.
The Blues Kitchen
The Blues Kitchen will proudly present a curated live music programme every day of the week on their ground floor. From 1930’s Delta blues, gritty southern soul, funk, acoustic, rock n roll and roots music, sit back and enjoy some spectacular live music while you tuck into food and drinks. Head upstairs to the concert hall, which will occupy the first floor. Holding up to 500 guests, the space will host concerts with international headliners as well as in-house gigs and club nights with Manchester based resident musicians and DJs encompassing a variety of genres.
Steve Ball, CEO of The Columbo Group, which owns Blues Kitchen, said, “We’ve been looking for the perfect site in Manchester for years and have finally found it. We’ve taken a great deal of pleasure in restoring the building over the past year, and we’ve managed to get hold of some incredible vintage features from The States so it’s really going to be quite something. We’re really excited to reveal it all soon along with our entertainment programme once restrictions have lifted.”
Sign up now to theblueskitchen.com/manchester for exclusive access to the live music programme as well as restaurant bookings and to keep up with the latest news follow The Blues Kitchen on Instagram @blueskitchenmcr.
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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 -
2nd March 2021 
