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hen activities in Manchester
Often dubbed the capital of the north, or Mad-chester, this loveable city has so much to offer any hen party. With a plethora of quirky bars, high-end restaurants and exciting hen activities, you and the girls will be spoilt for choice.
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Most popular Manchester hen accommodation
Manchester hen do guide
Manchester is great if you are looking for
Northern Quarter Charm
Stylish Dining Scene
Luxury Spas & Hotels
Manchester has a party reputation that the city certainly lives up to. This boujee northern capital is considered to be one of the most affordable cities in the UK and being just four hours away from London, with excellent transport links means it is easily commutable for the whole group.
This wonderful inclusive city is also bursting with culture, you and your hen party can soak up the ambience in the many art galleries, museums and take in the striking architecture and independent bars in the Northern Quarter.
Getting around
A compact city centre means you and the girls can easily see the sights on foot, while there are decent cycle lanes too if you fancy hiring one of the Starling Bank Bikes, which cost 50p to unlock and then 5p per minute to hire. If you'd rather use an e-bike, these cost £1 to unlock and then a further 10p per minute. Just make sure to download the app in advance.
There is also a tram service if you want to rest your feet, Metrolink is extremely reliable and stops at all the main hotspots. Think overground tube service and you will get the picture. Using the tram is also great value with an all zone Metrocard travelcard, while it is cheaper when travelling after 9:30am with off-peak options available! There are 8 different lines (involving 99 stops) split into four fare zones, so whether you're visiting Deansgate, Manchester Airport or stops around town, this might be the option for you.
If anyone is flying into Manchester Airport, this sits in zone 4 and isn't covered with a city centre fare.
The Bee Network is the Greater Manchester system of trams, buses and the previously mentioned bike rentals, all under one transport network. You can catch a bus for £2 with a 'hopper', or pay £5 for the whole day if you think you'll be taking multiple journeys. They do allow contactless tapping on buses and trams, making life a bit easier than back in the day when you had to queue to buy a ticket at a machine, however you need to remember to tap in and out with the Metrolink. The system will automatically put you on the cheapest fare based on your journey.
There are also a large number of bus routes, while they thankfully have some night buses, meaning an easy journey back from the club to your accommodation at the end of the night.
If any of your party needs to fly, Manchester Airport is just 15-25 minutes away from the city centre by rail. The four main city-centre railway stations are Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Oxford Road, and Deansgate. Overall, the city is incredibly accessible and getting around is an absolute breeze!
Tips and ideas
You will soon see why Manchester has been dubbed the capital of the North, there is literally so much to do here you and the girls will struggle to fit it all into just one weekend. We have scoured the streets of one of our favourite cities on many occasions, here are some recommendations to get you started on your mad for it Manchester hen weekend!
- Deansgate - A mile long road running through the city centre. Deansgate is a focal point for many celebrations, including the Manchester Pride Parade which takes place during August bank holiday every year. Deansgate is also home to museums, libraries and other notable buildings. You can find some amazing bars and restaurants in this area.
- Spinningfields - A beacon of regeneration in Manchester following a significant redevelopment project, Spinningfields is now one of the most atmospheric and exciting areas to explore in the city. Boasting high end designer stores such as Mulberry, Flannels and White Stuff, and with a hefty amount of lively bars and restaurants, you and the girls will literally have a field day, a spinning field day! You also might want to check out the rooftop bars here.
- Canal Street and the Gay Village - Manchester is famous for having a flourishing gay culture, and hosts one of the biggest and best UK Pride celebrations each year, with tens of thousands of people flocking to join in the fun from all over the world. Situated in the 'gay village', Canal Street is where many of the main bars and clubs are situated and anyone from the LGBTQ+ community can expect to receive a warm welcome, as will anyone outside of the community for that matter. Generally speaking, as a large group, if you wish to attend any of the bars and clubs on the Manchester scene, please ensure you contact the venue in advance.
- Oxford Road - Home to many of the city's live music venues, this is the place to head for vibey nightlife. Iconic bands such as The Sex Pistols, Joy Division and The Smiths have graced the stages in this part of town, some would say it’s hallowed ground! You will also find an abundance of cafes among the stunning architecture, green spaces and historical landmarks. You'll find University buildings, theatres and live music venues, not to mention plenty of cafés and bars.
- Great Northern - This former railway warehouse is located in the centre of the city and is the perfect place to spend some time on your hen weekend (no matter what the weather), eating, shopping or partaking in super fun activities such as Lane7 which offers activities like bowling, beer pong, shuffleboard, pool and karaoke (this activity alone is enough to entice us here at Hen Party Deals!) or the Manchester235 Casino for a few bets!
- Chinatown - Manchester's Chinatown is supposedly one of the largest outside of China and is the centre of the Chinese community here. The area boasts not only restaurants, but also supermarkets and Chinese medicine shops and casinos. It’s definitely worth a visit, even just for a stroll through.
Nightlife
It goes without saying that the nightlife in Manchester is exceptional. When we say there’s something for everyone, we really mean it. There are restaurants with every different cuisine you can think of, as well as nightclubs playing every genre of music. There are bars and pubs galore, interspersed with live music venues, not to mention one of the UK's most revered LGBTQ+ scenes.
Bars
Check out 20 Stories, located in Spinningfields on the 19th floor, this rooftop terrace cocktail bar is boujee with a capital B. Regular events are hosted here and the dress code is smart! Bunny Jackson's is a popular American style dive bar, serving unbelievably cheap hot dogs, chicken wings and beers, Bunny’s shows American sports during the week with regular blues nights every Sunday.
Science & Industry in the Northern Quarter is another one for the hit list ladies (at Cane & Grain), this multi-award winning speakeasy style bar, serves imaginative cocktails and is open until 3am at the weekends. Twenty Twenty Two is a unique games bar hidden in the Northern Quarter, while you can play table tennis, beer and prosecco pong, darts and pool, with occasional art exhibits, plus it stays open late on weekends. The Bay Horse Tavern is a modern take on a Victorian pub and legend has it that the breakfasts which are served all day cure hangovers!
Crazy Pedro's in the Northern Quarter, provides the largest selection of mezcal and tequila, with pizza and frozen margaritas served long into the evening! There are also sharing cocktails and pizza masterclasses and a 4am close, 7 days a week! Lock 91 is an early 19th Century lock keeper’s cottage, with stunning views of the canal. Serving cocktails and ales, this venue offers private hosted parties which your group might be interested in booking, plus they have a number of public events.
Check out The Blues Kitchen on Quay Street if it's a taste of New Orleans you crave, with an array of live music and DJ sets and happy hour which is always ideal for a low priced cocktail, so you're guaranteed a great time.
Restaurants
Manchester has massively developed in terms of culinary success stories, with many fine dining venues on offer. There is an excellent range of cuisine choices and price ranges to suit all budgets, as we mentioned, Manchester really is the city that has it all. If you are wondering where to go, we have a restaurant reservation package available where we will take care of the booking process for you, all you need to do is select the cuisine and date, then, just turn up and have the time of your lives in one of our hen friendly restaurants.
Revolución de Cuba is a hen friendly spot where you can stop off for some lunch as well as drinks, or maybe even a bottomless brunch or cocktail making activity. Las Iguanas is a great place if you fancy some Latin American inspired food, maybe a burrito or a quesadilla, plus some amazing cocktails.
You might also want to venture over to Ancoats, which has a great selection of restaurants and you'll also be close to a number of bars which you can head onto afterwards. If you're after some bottomless brunch venues, this might also be a great spot for you. If you don't have breakfast included with your hotel stay, then Ancoats has a number of venues open in the morning where you can enjoy some tasty food.
Nightclubs
As you would expect, the city has a wide variety of nightclubs playing all musical genres, with everything from house and pop, to grunge and metal. Located in Deansgate is Chinawhite Manchester, the northern sister of its London counterpart, known as a celeb hangout with popping champagne corks aplenty! This classy nightclub has a number of table packages available, while you need to remember the strict dress code.
If it's cabaret and drag you need, then look no further than The Brewers, this LGBTQ+ venue requires advance bookings for large groups. Hidden is a warehouse style basement club for the cool kids with various DJ events for hands-in-the-air fun and largely playing electronic style music.
The hilariously named 'Satan's Hollow' often has live music, not to mention some really interesting decor, certainly very different to your conventional nightclub options. The drinks are also really decently priced in comparison. If you want to hear great music in an unbelievable atmosphere in the early evenin then Rebellion is a great option with live DJ nights, plus the dancefloor gets pretty packed out. Oddly, it's quite popular for Sunday nights.
FAQs
Why is Manchester great for a hen party?
This northern capital has everything you need for an amazing hen weekend. Unrivalled shopping, nightlife, restaurants and hen activities mean you will be spoilt for choice. You can expect everything you're after from a big city but offering better value than other big cities in the UK. You can expect late nightclubs, not to mention plenty of locations for a bottomless brunch. If you're after a pampering session then there are a large number of spas, albeit many on the outskirts of the city.
What are the best hen activities?
Depending on what tickles your fancy, there is something here to suit everyone from drag bingo to cocktail making classes. Hen Party Deals only partners with the very best providers meaning a good time is on the cards. One of our top selling activities is the 'Benidorm Bingo', a hilarious bingo game run by a couple of drag queens, serving unlimited popcorn and a glass of fizz on arrival.
How long should a hen party last?
We think a long weekend is best. However, if you want to have your hen do midweek, you can do that in Manchester. After all, this is the city that never sleeps and you will find good vibes every night of the week. The majority of our groups book for Friday to Sunday, but some may have a single day and others may book for a whole week, it really depends on your budget, availability to get time off and how big your group is.
Are hen groups accepted in Manchester?
As with any large city, hen and stag parties are commonly expected and welcomed, but different venues have different policies and we have agreements in place to accept large group bookings. If you’re looking to book yourselves into restaurants and clubs, we can help with our hen friendly venues, this will also take the pressure away from you deciding where to go in a new city.
Famous For
Manchester is one of the most important cities in England for music, both live and electronic. The list of iconic bands who were born, formed or nurtured in the city is jaw dropping; The Bee Gees, Joy Division, (who then became) New Order, The Smiths, Future Sound of London, The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, The Chemical Brothers and Oasis are all considered to be some of the most influential artists of all time, and yeah maybe we can add Take That and Simply Red to the list too.
In terms of the early rave scene, the Haçienda, a former Manchester club, was the mecca for party people. Opening its doors in 1982, the club was formed and financed by members like Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson, and one of the first venues in the UK to play Chicago House which attracted a generation of young people who were all looking for something different. Sadly, the Haçienda closed its doors for the last time in 1997, subsequent to losing its licence and longstanding financial issues.
The rave and live music scenes are very much alive and well in Manchester, maybe there’s something in the water that causes the perpetual chain of musical legends, who knows? You will definitely feel infinitely cooler after visiting this awesome city.
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