Skiddle.com, the UK What's On Guide, are proud to present 20.08 things to do in Manchester before it's 2009. Whatever you're into, from clubbing to Ice skating, shopping to dining, our essential list of things to see and do in Manchester should keep you busy!
1. Celebrate the New Year, Stately home style!
The last thing you should be doing in 2008 is partying like it's 1999. Obviously you will be ten years out of date with your choice of music, however the partying bit is just as important as ever. The skiddle.com New Years Eve party of choice has to be the Loaded NYE VI Masquerade at the Dunkenhalgh stately home hotel. Determined to out-do last year's outrageously mad-capped antics this time the theme is 'Modern Masquerade' with the whole event being billed as more lavish and utterly more devilish than ever before.
The main room hosted by Supersocial's very own 'Body Language' will give up to the house and electro sounds of local heroes Huey (Juice FM, Garlands, Twisted Elegance), Digital Djs (Creamfields, Body Language) and Jamie Harvey (Retro). T-Total and Dan Gardner will push the button on the latest R'nB in for Urban Antics in room 2, while a more chilled vibe will be on offer from Manchester based club night Funkademia in the Northern Funk arena.
What's more, Skiddle.com will be hosting the afterparty at the hotel as well as distributing a whole host of presents to those clever enough to stay in the hotel itself, which means when your finally partied out, bed is only a few moments walk away.
2. Get all Nostalgic
1. Celebrate the New Year, Stately home style!
The last thing you should be doing in 2008 is partying like it's 1999. Obviously you will be ten years out of date with your choice of music, however the partying bit is just as important as ever. The skiddle.com New Years Eve party of choice has to be the Loaded NYE VI Masquerade at the Dunkenhalgh stately home hotel. Determined to out-do last year's outrageously mad-capped antics this time the theme is 'Modern Masquerade' with the whole event being billed as more lavish and utterly more devilish than ever before.
The main room hosted by Supersocial's very own 'Body Language' will give up to the house and electro sounds of local heroes Huey (Juice FM, Garlands, Twisted Elegance), Digital Djs (Creamfields, Body Language) and Jamie Harvey (Retro). T-Total and Dan Gardner will push the button on the latest R'nB in for Urban Antics in room 2, while a more chilled vibe will be on offer from Manchester based club night Funkademia in the Northern Funk arena.
What's more, Skiddle.com will be hosting the afterparty at the hotel as well as distributing a whole host of presents to those clever enough to stay in the hotel itself, which means when your finally partied out, bed is only a few moments walk away.
2. Get all Nostalgic
No Christmas is complete without a Boxing Day burnout, and at a time of year when nostalgia rules the waves, where better to party than with Retro at The Warehouse Project. You can join Paul Taylor and the team in this historic Piccadilly Venue that is now renowned for some of the best parties Manchester has ever hosted. Tickets are £15 and available now.
3. Stay at Manchester's Newest City Hotel
Manchester's newest Hotel, directly connected via the Manchester Curve to Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station, City Inn is ideally located at the Manchester Gateway which walking distance to the central business district and more importantly prime shopping areas including King Street, Deansgate and the Arndale Centre. The iMac in-room entertainment system provides TV, Radio, DVD, CD, internet and computer functions in every room whilst the Sky lounge provides panaramic views of the city scape.
4. Visit the Christmas Markets
New for 2008, Albert Square also hosts a 6m Weihnactspyramide (that’s a giant German Christmas Pyramid with Nativity Scene to you and me) on top of the German Beer tent, and a very quaint Hansel and Gretal style Alpine House accommodating, yes you guessed it, an oversized multilingual talking reindeer – but whatever else as a great Christmas Attraction? There are oodles of Christmas markets for all your Christmas Shopping which span off Albert Square with a very festive melange of food, continental gifts and more food (from crepes and cheese to Bratwurst and Beer) – so make sure you have a light breakfast and eat your heart out!
5. Go Ice Skating
If you really want to get into the Christmas Spin then Spinningfields is taking to the ice this Christmas as it prepares to host one of Manchester’s most popular festive attractions - the outdoor ice rink. Hardman Boulevard, in the heart of the city centre development will be transformed into the ultimate winter fun destination, complete with dazzling ice rink, sparkling Christmas trees and contemporary yuletide decorations.
6. Enjoy Christmas Dinner at Tempus
Instead of slaving over a hot stove this Christmas Day, why not treat yourself and the kids to a delicious Christmas Dinner served up at the historical grade II listed Palace Hotel, home of the Tempus Restaurant, who are serving up a 4 course Christmas Day menu with mulled wine and visit from Santa for £59 (Children £30). It might be a bit of an extravagance, we'd like to think of it more as a treat.
7. Get Your Funk On
Funkademia continues every Saturday night at one of Manchester finest venues, One Central Street. If you haven't experienced a Saturday night at One Central Street over the past 12 months then you have seriously missed out on Funkademia's tried & tested soundtrack of hip shakin funk, electric disco and sweet soul music - so make sure you miss out no more! Every Saturday at One Central Street
8. Visit The Trafford Centre
If you want to do Christmas Shopping in Manchester then you want to go to The Trafford Centre. Think miles of shops, christmas lights, eateries, entertainment all under one roof, which is surrounded by 10,000 parking spaces. The Trafford Centre is an experience any time of year, and it becomes even more magical at Christmas. Open from 10am - 10pm weekdays, we suggest you try and avoid the weekends. Whilst you are there why not eat at Ha Ha Bar & Grill, the diverse menu features a wide range of dishes, from steaks and grills to salads and snacks, with an emphasis on using native produce. There is a daytime mini menu for kids, and an extensive drinks list to keep the adults happy.
9. Give Us A Kissy
One man a lot of people would like to meet under the mistletoe is Kissy Sell Out who makes the journey to Manchester on the 12th December. Joining the Electro champion is Herve. This has sort of become the unoffical Skiddle Christmas party, so join us at Sankeys for a reet proper knees up.
10. Say Hello to the Skiddle crew
The Skiddle message board is a great place to pop in, say hello and meet other skiddle members. Pass on your christmas greetings or talk about your New Years Eve plans, easy as that!
11. Try a Can of Red Bull Cola
From the makers of Red Bull comes Red Bull Cola! It's an all natural Cola designed to keep you awake for longer than normal. Great for the office party before you get too trollied, or even those late night shifts to earn some overtime. It doesn't taste too bad either!
12. Party in a car park at The Warehouse Project
Taking Manchester by storm, if you haven't been to The Warehouse Project then you really should have by now! It's nearing the end of it's third season, where it literally owns Manchester's clubland. Many Many of the events have sold out, however there are the odd dates left where you can celebrate quite simply the best thing to visit Manchester in a long time. Have a look at www.skiddle.com/groups/whp for all the latest ticket news!
13. Listen to A Mix
The Skiddle.com DJ Showcase features a whole load of mixes for your aural pleasure. A personal favourite of ours, for some soul shakin disco funkin beats is Tim Shaw - who won our DJ Showcase Winners award in 2008. You can listen to his mix online at http://www.skiddle.com/djs/dj4shaw/mixes.html
14. Have A Christmas Hotel Sleepover
Manchester has a whole load of serviced apartments, which are a fantastic (and cheap) way of getting a group of friends together for the weekend. Apartments, which can sleep up to 8 people, come complete with living area, kitchen and all you could possibly need for a comfortable weekend in someone elses house, which is the basic jist of this type of accomodation. Have a look through our Manchester Accomodation guide for more ideas
15. Win A Skiddle T-Shirt
We've got some lovely Skiddle T-Shirts to give away. Wear our logo with pride when you're out partying, in the gym or at work. We don't mind when you wear it, just make sure you wear it with pride! You can enter the competition online here!
16. Visit a City Attraction in Manchester
Manchester has a whole host of attractions on offer if you fancy doing something a little bit different. Have a ride on the big wheel or visit the Science Museum (it's free!). We've got a few of our favourites here in our Manchester Attractions guide.
17. Have a drink at The North Pole
As cities go, Manchester aint half a bad one, with the people at the top allowing some pretty crazy things to happen. My current offering is the North Pole Bar, which popped up this weekend next to the Urbis. Think huge tent, with artic bar, food service and a forest of Christmas Trees. It's a family friendly attraction during the day before coming pre party venue at night, which no doubt will make for some quality banter on New Years Eve. You can find the Urbis near The Printworks.
18. Eat Something Different
Manchester has a whole host of cuisine on offer, but it's very easy to eat the same old same old. Although there is nothing wrong with a Chinese Restaurant for example, you might think about trying a Japanese Meal - Teppanyakki style (very entertaining) instead. Perhaps a Russian Restaurant takes your fancy, I believe it's ok to wash it down with a vodka or two in the process.
19. Enjoy Half Price Drinks
Unpretentious and comfortable, Brasserie on Portland is a classy, intimate restaurant situated a few minutes from central Manchester's shopping districts in the Best Western Princess on Portland Hotel. Perfect for lunchtime business meetings and candlelit dinners alike, the restaurant offers contemporary European favourites enhanced by daily specials, all dramatically prepared in the theatre kitchen. Half Price drinks are currently on offer with your meal, which will surely go a lot further than any government tax cut.
20. Relive the 90's
Did you grow up watching fresh prince of bel air and saved by the bell, loving pogs and playing super mario on your SNES? If so, this is the clubnight for you. Every Monday night at Subspace you can expect the best of indie, pop and dance from the 1990's, and with drinks starting at only 90p it's well worth getting your dancing sneakers out for.
20.08 Enjoy Yourself
It seems that anything worthy of the news has to be doom and gloom at the moment, whether it be credit crunch, war or violence on our doorsteps. Our final thought for 2008 then is too enjoy what we have left of the year, spend time with those that surround us. There is plenty to see and do in Manchester, and we hope that some of the suggestions above bring a small amount of entertainment into your lives over the Christmas and New Years Eve period.
Check out our massive guide to Manchester New Year's Eve events
3. Stay at Manchester's Newest City Hotel
Manchester's newest Hotel, directly connected via the Manchester Curve to Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station, City Inn is ideally located at the Manchester Gateway which walking distance to the central business district and more importantly prime shopping areas including King Street, Deansgate and the Arndale Centre. The iMac in-room entertainment system provides TV, Radio, DVD, CD, internet and computer functions in every room whilst the Sky lounge provides panaramic views of the city scape.
4. Visit the Christmas Markets
New for 2008, Albert Square also hosts a 6m Weihnactspyramide (that’s a giant German Christmas Pyramid with Nativity Scene to you and me) on top of the German Beer tent, and a very quaint Hansel and Gretal style Alpine House accommodating, yes you guessed it, an oversized multilingual talking reindeer – but whatever else as a great Christmas Attraction? There are oodles of Christmas markets for all your Christmas Shopping which span off Albert Square with a very festive melange of food, continental gifts and more food (from crepes and cheese to Bratwurst and Beer) – so make sure you have a light breakfast and eat your heart out!
5. Go Ice Skating
If you really want to get into the Christmas Spin then Spinningfields is taking to the ice this Christmas as it prepares to host one of Manchester’s most popular festive attractions - the outdoor ice rink. Hardman Boulevard, in the heart of the city centre development will be transformed into the ultimate winter fun destination, complete with dazzling ice rink, sparkling Christmas trees and contemporary yuletide decorations.
6. Enjoy Christmas Dinner at Tempus
Instead of slaving over a hot stove this Christmas Day, why not treat yourself and the kids to a delicious Christmas Dinner served up at the historical grade II listed Palace Hotel, home of the Tempus Restaurant, who are serving up a 4 course Christmas Day menu with mulled wine and visit from Santa for £59 (Children £30). It might be a bit of an extravagance, we'd like to think of it more as a treat.
7. Get Your Funk On
Funkademia continues every Saturday night at one of Manchester finest venues, One Central Street. If you haven't experienced a Saturday night at One Central Street over the past 12 months then you have seriously missed out on Funkademia's tried & tested soundtrack of hip shakin funk, electric disco and sweet soul music - so make sure you miss out no more! Every Saturday at One Central Street
8. Visit The Trafford Centre
If you want to do Christmas Shopping in Manchester then you want to go to The Trafford Centre. Think miles of shops, christmas lights, eateries, entertainment all under one roof, which is surrounded by 10,000 parking spaces. The Trafford Centre is an experience any time of year, and it becomes even more magical at Christmas. Open from 10am - 10pm weekdays, we suggest you try and avoid the weekends. Whilst you are there why not eat at Ha Ha Bar & Grill, the diverse menu features a wide range of dishes, from steaks and grills to salads and snacks, with an emphasis on using native produce. There is a daytime mini menu for kids, and an extensive drinks list to keep the adults happy.
9. Give Us A Kissy
One man a lot of people would like to meet under the mistletoe is Kissy Sell Out who makes the journey to Manchester on the 12th December. Joining the Electro champion is Herve. This has sort of become the unoffical Skiddle Christmas party, so join us at Sankeys for a reet proper knees up.
10. Say Hello to the Skiddle crew
The Skiddle message board is a great place to pop in, say hello and meet other skiddle members. Pass on your christmas greetings or talk about your New Years Eve plans, easy as that!
11. Try a Can of Red Bull Cola
From the makers of Red Bull comes Red Bull Cola! It's an all natural Cola designed to keep you awake for longer than normal. Great for the office party before you get too trollied, or even those late night shifts to earn some overtime. It doesn't taste too bad either!
12. Party in a car park at The Warehouse Project
Taking Manchester by storm, if you haven't been to The Warehouse Project then you really should have by now! It's nearing the end of it's third season, where it literally owns Manchester's clubland. Many Many of the events have sold out, however there are the odd dates left where you can celebrate quite simply the best thing to visit Manchester in a long time. Have a look at www.skiddle.com/groups/whp for all the latest ticket news!
13. Listen to A Mix
The Skiddle.com DJ Showcase features a whole load of mixes for your aural pleasure. A personal favourite of ours, for some soul shakin disco funkin beats is Tim Shaw - who won our DJ Showcase Winners award in 2008. You can listen to his mix online at http://www.skiddle.com/djs/dj4shaw/mixes.html
14. Have A Christmas Hotel Sleepover
Manchester has a whole load of serviced apartments, which are a fantastic (and cheap) way of getting a group of friends together for the weekend. Apartments, which can sleep up to 8 people, come complete with living area, kitchen and all you could possibly need for a comfortable weekend in someone elses house, which is the basic jist of this type of accomodation. Have a look through our Manchester Accomodation guide for more ideas
15. Win A Skiddle T-Shirt
We've got some lovely Skiddle T-Shirts to give away. Wear our logo with pride when you're out partying, in the gym or at work. We don't mind when you wear it, just make sure you wear it with pride! You can enter the competition online here!
This competition has now closed!
16. Visit a City Attraction in Manchester
Manchester has a whole host of attractions on offer if you fancy doing something a little bit different. Have a ride on the big wheel or visit the Science Museum (it's free!). We've got a few of our favourites here in our Manchester Attractions guide.
17. Have a drink at The North Pole
As cities go, Manchester aint half a bad one, with the people at the top allowing some pretty crazy things to happen. My current offering is the North Pole Bar, which popped up this weekend next to the Urbis. Think huge tent, with artic bar, food service and a forest of Christmas Trees. It's a family friendly attraction during the day before coming pre party venue at night, which no doubt will make for some quality banter on New Years Eve. You can find the Urbis near The Printworks.
18. Eat Something Different
Manchester has a whole host of cuisine on offer, but it's very easy to eat the same old same old. Although there is nothing wrong with a Chinese Restaurant for example, you might think about trying a Japanese Meal - Teppanyakki style (very entertaining) instead. Perhaps a Russian Restaurant takes your fancy, I believe it's ok to wash it down with a vodka or two in the process.
19. Enjoy Half Price Drinks
Unpretentious and comfortable, Brasserie on Portland is a classy, intimate restaurant situated a few minutes from central Manchester's shopping districts in the Best Western Princess on Portland Hotel. Perfect for lunchtime business meetings and candlelit dinners alike, the restaurant offers contemporary European favourites enhanced by daily specials, all dramatically prepared in the theatre kitchen. Half Price drinks are currently on offer with your meal, which will surely go a lot further than any government tax cut.
20. Relive the 90's
Did you grow up watching fresh prince of bel air and saved by the bell, loving pogs and playing super mario on your SNES? If so, this is the clubnight for you. Every Monday night at Subspace you can expect the best of indie, pop and dance from the 1990's, and with drinks starting at only 90p it's well worth getting your dancing sneakers out for.
20.08 Enjoy Yourself
It seems that anything worthy of the news has to be doom and gloom at the moment, whether it be credit crunch, war or violence on our doorsteps. Our final thought for 2008 then is too enjoy what we have left of the year, spend time with those that surround us. There is plenty to see and do in Manchester, and we hope that some of the suggestions above bring a small amount of entertainment into your lives over the Christmas and New Years Eve period.
Check out our massive guide to Manchester New Year's Eve events
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