12 alternative nights out for Valentine’s Day in Manchester
By Jo Milligan
Updated 5 February 2026
If you’re the kind of couple who bond better over beating each other at video games than you do over a romantic dinner, this is the list for you.
We’ve picked out 12 places to go for Valentine’s Day in Manchester (and none of them involve sharing your pudding or listening to twinkly piano music).
From Squid Gaming to Street Fighting, love is a battlefield. Go to war against each other. Tear each other’s hearts out. You can always make it up later once you get home.
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Book Now Manchester City CentreMore detailsPong & Puck | Great Northern
Darts, pool or drink pong? Pick your battle and get the adrenaline flowing. Pong & Puck is the place to test out the all’s fair in love and war theory.
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St John'sMore detailsChaos Karts
Race together in a digital world. Chaos Karts puts you in the driving seat of an immersive augmented reality experience, bringing real-life karting and gaming together.
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Northern QuarterMore detailsCreatures Comedy Club
A sense of humour is one of the most attractive qualities someone can have. Chuckle lovers can head out to Creatures Comedy Club for a date that’s a little bit different.
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DeansgateMore detailsElectric Shuffle
Electric Shuffle is a fresh take on shuffleboard. Enjoy a classy date experience with the added thrill of competition. There’s a couples’ shuffle-off promotion on Valentine’s Day with shuffleboard for two, cocktails and sharing plates.
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DeansgateMore detailsFood Sorcery Deansgate Square
Rather than book a table at a restaurant, food-obsessed couples can create their own culinary experience. Book a Cooking Together Italian session on Friday 13 February or a Middle Eastern class at the Didsbury campus.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsImmersive Gamebox Manchester
Phubbing is a dating don’t. Instead, enjoy screen time together with all sorts of interactive games. There’s even a two-hours-for-the-price-of-one Valentine’s package. Now that’s true love.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsJunkyard Golf Manchester
Quaint seaside mini golf action is an idyllic date. But not in February. Brrr. The Junkyard Golf version is warped, twisted and all the better for it.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsLane 7 Deansgate
Lane 7 Deansgate offers more than just ten pin bowling. Branch out with karaoke crooning, beer pong and pool.
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Northern QuarterMore detailsNQ64
Enjoy a night of retro arcades, pinball and consoles at NQ 64. Relive that teenage dating excitement when your prowess all came down to your Guitar Hero skills.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsRoxy Ball Room Manchester Deansgate
If the Winter Olympics have inspired your date night activities, you can find ice-free curling at Roxy Ball Room Manchester Deansgate. Other entertainment includes crazy pool and duck pin bowling.
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Northern QuarterMore detailsTwenty Twenty Two
If you want a Northern Quarter night out with a difference, Twenty Twenty Two has the DJs, the basement decor and the late night action typical of other bars in the area, but it also has table tennis.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsUrban Playground Manchester
Organise a double date and team up with your partner or take them down. The Cube has 12 challenges played as two against two for the perfect mix of tension and hilarity.
