By Jacqueline Grima
If you are beginning to feel Christmassy as December arrives, the sight of decorated trees and the smell of mulled wine perhaps putting you in the mood for a party, then there are plenty of festive activities taking place across Manchester in the coming weeks.
When it comes to festive food and drink, there is no better place to be than Manchester with its huge variety of cafes, restaurants and bars. For example, the Bierkeller Entertainment Complex, situated in The Printworks building in Exchange Square, is an authentic Bavarian-style bar with entertainment and refreshments for everyone. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the run up to Christmas, the Bierkeller will be raising the roof with a live ‘Oompah’ band and there are cocktails, beer and authentic German food galore to aid the celebration.
Alternatively, sports fans can visit Shooter’s Sports Bar, in the same complex, for a night of food, beer and festive competition! Visitors to Shooter’s can enjoy major sports events on the big screen or, if they are feeling competitive, can indulge in a game of pool, darts or even Xbox! Or, for a more relaxed party atmosphere, visit Around the World in 80 beers, where delicious sharing platters are served every day.
There are lots of other fantastic venues to visit within The Printworks complex this Christmas, including a wide variety of restaurants, bars and clubs and even a cinema. Restaurants to visit include Wagamama, Harvester, and the Hard Rock Café, where Christmas shoppers can relax and enjoy a hearty American-style feast or dance the night away at the Jingle Bells Rock event every Wednesday.
Manchester’s Theatres are also great places to visit during the festive period. The Palace Theatre in Oxford Road is offering some great shows this year, including The Bodyguard starring Alexandra Burke which begins on the 8th December, whilst the Opera House in Quay Street will be transformed into a winter wonderland for its depiction of Cinderella starring none other than ice-dancing favourites Torvill and Dean. Also, our friends at HOME Theatre, Manchester will be keeping audiences spellbound with their adaptation of the best-selling fantasy novel Inkheart which runs from Friday 4th December until Saturday 9th January.
The must-see event for everybody over the Christmas period, however, has to be the Manchester Christmas Markets. Running until the 21st December, the markets are spread across various locations in the city centre and are open from 10am daily. Bigger than any other festive markets in the region, they are certainly not to be missed!
For more information about events and venues in Manchester over the coming weeks, see the Visit Manchester website. There is no excuse for sitting in front of the TV this year!
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