Struggling to pick your Halloween night out in the northern powerhouse of Manchester? We’ve got you covered. taking inspiration from the spooktacular list of venues below, it’s time to get started on that all important costume. But where will you show it off? Here are the best Halloween nights out in Manchester for students this year.
Classic club nights
Get your dancing shoes on and sing like no one’s listening, Manchester’s favourite clubs are putting on a ghoulish selection of events for the city’s night owls.
G-A-Y
The biggest name in Manchester’s Gay Village are hosting a series of Halloween nights down on canal street, titled ‘Drag Me to Hell’. With events on Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30, and a big finale on Monday 31, you’d better ‘Drag up or get dragged to hell’.
Find out more here!
Impossible
One of the city’s pricier venues, dress to impress if you’re heading to impossible, and make sure to buy your tickets in advance. Expect scare actors, immersive entertainment, and topnotch DJs, amongst some Halloween decor for their ‘Twilight Zone’ themed night. From 9pm-2am this Saturday 29 October!
Tickets via this link.
Deansgate Locks
This popular row of clubs on deansgate canal is always a hotspot for themed events throughout the year. This Halloween, alongside regular club nights, Revolution is hosting a ‘Heaven vs Hell’ party on Saturday. Yet, the main event comes on Halloween night itself. Across three clubs, the Lockdown event returns with ‘The Purge’ halloween special. Tickets for Manchester’s 8th annual purge event are selling fast, so grab yours to make sure your costume gets shown off next to scary walkaout acts and purge visual effects.
Information can be found on fatsoma.
Deaf Institute
One of Manchester’s not so hidden gems is hosting multiple events over halloween weekend. Kicking it off with the student-only Thursday night ‘Whip Round’, this indie music event is taking on a halloween theme for the 27th. Following this, the 3-floored venue’s ‘So Fetch – 2000s Halloween Party’ is on the agenda for friday night, with strictly 00s music and free entry if it’s your birthday! Not to be missed on Saturday 29th is the ‘Bollox Halloween Mince’, boasting ‘horrifying cast of DJs, dance troups, pop up drag shows, artists, gross decor and bloody makeover stations.’ And if that wasn’t enough, a night of Dnb & Garage music rounds off the weekend on Monday with the ‘Pull Up – Halloween Special’ – the first 100 tickets are free!
The Deaf Institute website is the place to book your tickets.
Gorilla
Fancy dress is heavily encouraged at Gorilla over its 3 club nights this weekend. Head to Whitworth street to join in the fun on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th, or Monday 31st for your halloween fix.
Gorilla’s website has all the details!
Lono Cove
£5 cocktails and £3 jager bombs sound enticing? Lono Cove’s ‘Haunted House Party’ is running all afternoon, and into the night from 2pm-1am. Grab your tickets for a day of ‘Djs, spooky party games & prizes for best costumes’, and best of all, drinks offers during ‘Haunted Hour’ from 2-7pm.
Follow the link if you dare…
The Bread Shed
A double event Saturday is on the cards at The Bread Shed. Starting off with an ‘Ultimate Rave Bingo Manchester Halloween Special’, the venue is promising each entrant, from students to grannies, ‘debauchery, mayhem & gorillas on mobility scooters.’ With host ‘known for creating some of the craziest boat parties in the Mediterranean and Après-Ski events in the mountains’, its bound to be brilliant. The craziness continues on the 29th with ‘Baile Do Brasil – Baile Funk Halloween Party’. A night of Brazilian funk music from 11pm-3am, this event is as exclusive as they come! Book your ticket quickly to bag one of the limited spaces. Busy on Saturday? You can also visit The Bread Shed on Monday 31st for its ‘Deadbolt Dark Carnival’ event. Live music from 6:30pm, turning into a clubnight from 11pm, they’ve got your night sorted.
Tickets and more info here.
Factory 251
‘A Spine-Chilling weekend of horror n frights’ are happening at Factory this halloween! Their ‘Halloween Weekender’ boasts cheap drinks, bottles, and student offers all weekend across their three floors.
Whether it’s Friday, Saturday or Sunday tickets you’re after, head to Fatsoma.
Manchester Academy
This venue is no stranger to Manchester University’s students, or music lovers from across the city. The Oxford Road venue is hosting a ‘Halloween Freakshow’ night on halloween itself. For more information ahead of 31st, take a look at their website.
42’s
Indie to its very core, the fans of Manchester’s indie music bands will enjoy themselves at this club. Putting on a very student-appropriate ‘Halloween All Nighter’ on the 31st, expect £1 shots, indie music and some spooky curveballs thrown in there. Tickets can be found here.
‘This is Manchester, we do things differently here’
Tony Wilson was not wrong when he said that line. Manchester is famous for its alternative night life and music. As it happens, there’s some unusual events happening this halloween for a range of ticket prices – no tricks here, just treats…
O2 Victoria Warehouse
Kicking off the events that have thought a little more outside the box is O2 Victoria Warehouse’s R&B Halloween Block Party. One of the more expensive options, and starting at 4:30pm on Saturday 29th October, this is perfect for the R&B lovers of the city.
For Ticketmaster tickets, follow this link.
The Warehouse Project
Manchester’s famous rave night out at Depot Mayfield has a halloween showstopper lined up. Guest DJs Annie Mac and Patrick Topping are set to headline the night of DJ sets across all 3 rooms from 7pm-4am. Need I say more?
Tickets, and a full list of DJs can be found here, along with WHP’s calendar of event for the rest of the year.
Alcotraz
This prohibition speakeasy in the heart of manchester is no ordinary night out experience. As inmates of Alcotraz (complete with orange jumpsuits), you are tasked with smuggling in aclohol into the prison, where its longest-serving gang of inmates will use it to create delicious cocktials based on your alcohol and tastes. Yes, it is as dramatic as it sounds and definitely one to try this halloween, or all year round!
Visit the Alcotraz website for more.
Bingo Balls
A new addition to the Printworks, Bingo Balls is the perfect answer to a fun night out. Music bingo, drag hosts, a dance floor and best of all… an adult ball pit makes this a firm favourite venue. Dance offs are common and the drinks keep flowing, so why not grab a ticket for their two Halloween specials? Ballzy Burlesque Thursday (27 October), and Starstruck Saturday (29 October), Halloween specials are bound to be a hoot.
Paradise Skate World
Time to get your skates on? Another addition to Manchester’s bustling beehive of activity is the intergalactic themed roller disco, Paradise Skate World, joining the likes of Projeckts and Escape to Freight Island (which has some seasonal daytime fun). The space-themed cocktails usually available at Paradise Skate are taking a hlloween twist this weekend, and the arena has been decked out in some seriously creative decorations. Open til late at weekends, and only £12.50 for a session with skate hire, fancy dress is definitely encouraged.
Tickets can be found on their website. Or, for a colder and alcohol-free version, take a look at Scare Skate ice rink.
Bongos Bingo
Famous for all the right reasons, Bongo’s Bingo has taken the UK by storm in recent years, and is a guaranteed good night out. Students are in luck this Halloween, with a student-only Bongos Bingo event at 12pm on 30 October. What’s in store? Nothing short of dancing on tables to cheesy singalongs, fast-paced bingo and unconventional prizes ranging from life-sized celebrity cardboard cutouts to henry hoovers to barbie dolls and cash. Be sure to arrive early to get a good seat!
Bongos Bingo website is here.
Sophisticated bars with a haunting twist
If a more chilled or chatty night is more your thing, this section lists some bars that have, or have added, some seasonal scaries to their cocktail menu, meaning you can enjoy your go-to drinks and experiment with a newfound spooky selection. Click on the links to discover more. Bottoms up!
BLVD – Printworks Dirty Martini – Deansgate The Washouse – Shudehill
The Alchemist – Spinningfeilds Cherry Jam – Northern Quarter Tattu – Hardman Square
Bab – Northern Quarter Be At One – Deansgate Slug and Lettuce – Spinningfields
The Ivy – Spinningfields The Pen and Pencil – Northern Quarter
Happy Halloween! And beware of the zombies…
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