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Guide

20 alternative Christmas nights out in Manchester

4 weeks ago

The good thing about booking an activity for your Christmas do is it takes everyone’s mind off office stresses faster than you can fling an axe. Rather than relying on alcohol to help everyone relax, a group activity gives people something fun to focus on and laugh about, whether that’s getting the fastest lap at the go-karting track, or making it out of the escape room before the buzzer goes.

In Manchester, you’ve plenty of alternative Christmas nights out to choose from – and many of them have Xmas party packages designed for groups. Here we’ve chosen 20 of our favourites. There’s loads more in our Things to Do section if you want more ideas.

  • Book Bar Hutte at Pong and Puck for your Christmas night out
    Book Now Manchester City Centre

    Pong & Puck | Great Northern

    Activities

    Get your game face on with an afternoon of pool, shuffleboard and table tennis at Pong & Puck in The Great Northern.

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  • Book a wine tasting at Evuna NQ for your Christmas night out
    Book Now Northern Quarter

    Evuna Manchester NQ

    Bottle Shop

    The second city centre Evuna, open since 2013, bagsies a corner spot in the Northern Quarter that provides the outward-facing window seats with a prime people-watching position. Wood panelling, Moorish tiles and rustic blackboards offer atmosphere, perfect for cosying up over those authentic small plates.

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  • Live events at Escape to Freight Island - and Winter Island
    Book Now Manchester City Centre

    Freight Island

    Music Venues

    Food hall meets music festival is how we’d describe Freight Island to anyone confused about what they’ll find at this regenerated rail depot beyond Piccadilly Station. 

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  • A Christmas cruise at Manchester River Cruises
    Salford Quays

    Manchester River Cruises

    Activities

    Want to fall in love with your city all over again? Take a boat tour from Manchester River Cruises, and you’ll see its iconic views from a new and surprising perspective.

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  • Book your Christmas party at Chill Factore
    Trafford Park

    Chill Factore

    Activities

    With 180m of downhill skiing and snowboarding, Chill Factore is the UK’s longest indoor real snow slope. And though you can’t compare it to the glistening slopes of Chamonix, it offers enough action to make a day trip there a must for anyone interested in snowsports (or just larking about on a sledge).

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  • Christmas at The Crystal Maze in Manchester
    Castlefield

    The Crystal Maze Manchester

    Activities

    It’s a dream come true for kids of the 90s: a chance to show off your skills on the legendary TV game show, The Crystal Maze.

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  • Book Electric Shuffle in Manchester for your Christmas party
    Deansgate

    Electric Shuffle

    Activities

    Electric Shuffle is a fresh take on shuffleboard. Usually associated with the pubbier end of the bar spectrum or the subterranean neon of a gaming venue, this is something new.

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  • Book Escape Hunt Corn Exchange for your Christmas night out in Manchester
    Manchester City Centre

    Escape Hunt | Corn Exchange

    Activities

    The ultimate rainy day activity (and Manchester certainly has its wealth of those), Escape Hunt at the Corn Exchange places you in a locked room for 60 minutes for fun.

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  • Flight Club Manchester, Party, Groups, Darts, Games
    Manchester City Centre

    Flight Club Manchester

    Activities

    Flight Club is a hit in London, Birmingham and Manchester, with its primary aim (sorry) to offer a contemporary take on playing a round of arrows in the pub – you can book your own semi-private area with a dartboard where two to six of you can step up to the oche.

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  • Book your Christmas party at Food Sorcery Deansgate Square in Manchester
    Deansgate

    Food Sorcery Deansgate Square

    Activities

    Food Sorcery Deansgate Square is an award-winning cookery school that runs classes on cuisines from all over the world, from Cambodian foodie sessions to dim sum masterclasses to pasta-making workshops.

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  • Junkyard Golf - an alternative Christmas night out in Manchester.
    Manchester City Centre

    Junkyard Golf Manchester

    Activities

    Junkyard Golf is Manchester’s original crazy crazy golf. There are imitators and imposters but this was the city’s first day-glo, booze-fuelled, loud, throbbing take on the traditional seaside game for kids.

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  • Man and woman playing air hockey at Lane 7 in Manchester.
    Manchester City Centre

    Lane 7 Deansgate

    Activities

    With its glowing neon graffiti, low lighting, and hip hop soundtrack, Lane 7 in the Great Northern on Deansgate looks more like a punky 1980s nightclub than a wholesome, All American bowling alley.  

    As well as bowling, there is fancy-pants bowling with neon zig zags. A bit of a cross between a new restaurant opening and Blade Runner. All the bowling is pretty sleek and shiny though with the standard graffiti décor.

    Non-bowling entertainment includes just about everything that could possibly be construed as competitive with the exception of tiddlywinks.

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  • Christmas game at Meetspace VR, a virtual reality experience in Manchester.
    Trafford Park

    MeetspaceVR Manchester

    Activities

    MeetspaceVR Manchester is a virtual reality, immersive experience in a huge warehouse at Trafford Park. It’s a place where you can leave the real world behind and choose your own adventure from a range of thrilling games and set-ups.

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  • Book Roxy Ballroom Manchester Deansgate for your Christmas party
    Manchester City Centre

    Roxy Ball Room Manchester Deansgate

    Activities

    One of two Roxy Ball Room venues in Manchester, the Deansgate bar is an ideal “adult playground” perfect for parties. With golf, pool, shuffleboard and even ice-free curling at this upstairs space on Manchester’s busy Deansgate. 

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  • Christmas party at Sixes Social Cricket in the Corn Exchange, Manchester.
    Manchester City Centre

    Sixes Social Cricket | Corn Exchange

    Activities

    Sixes Social Cricket opened in the Corn Exchange in August 2021, bringing a different kind of sporting experience to Manchester City Centre. Already a popular concept down south, Manchester might not be quite as bowled over with Cricket as it is with football, but don’t let that stop you.

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  • Book your Christmas party at Teamsport Go Karting Victoria
    Manchester City Centre

    TeamSport Go Karting: Manchester Victoria

    Activities

    TeamSport Go Karting: Manchester Victoria is a high-octane experience that’ll turn even the mildest contestant into a speed demon.

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  • Book your Christmas party at Tenpin Manchester Printworks
    Manchester City Centre

    Tenpin Manchester – Printworks

    Activities

    As the name suggests, TenPin Manchester – Printworks is a bowling alley in the Printworks. It’s family-friendly by day and over-18s only after 9pm.

    If you don’t want to stay in – or on – your lane, you can also try out beer pong, karaoke, air hockey, arcade games, American pool and table tennis. It’s decent value for a wide range of entertainment.

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  • Book Twenty Twenty Two for your Christmas party in Manchester
    Northern Quarter

    Twenty Twenty Two

    Activities

    Twenty Twenty Two is a Northern Quarter hangout with a difference. It has the metro tiles, basement decor and late night action typical of other bars in the area, but it also has table tennis and other games.

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  • The Cube Live at Urban Playground Manchester
    Manchester City Centre

    Urban Playground Manchester

    Activities

    Urban Playground Manchester is the place to go for an adrenaline-fuelled, ultra-competitive night out. Located in Manchester Arndale, it brings together high-tech games with bars and big-name dining from gourmet burger brand The Butcher.

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  • Book your Christmas party at Whistle Punks in Manchester
    Manchester City Centre

    Whistle Punks

    Activities

    Hearing the thud of axes can be a little unnerving as you leave the cinema in the Great Northern – especially after a slasher film – but the axe throwing at Whistle Punks is about letting off steam not cutting off limbs.

    It’s competitive and a bit like darts really, only you’re throwing whacking great axes at the target instead. A bullseye with an axe is very satisfying indeed.

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