Fun things to do in Manchester

You'll certainly have fun tackling some of the craziest mini-golf courses around at Junkyard Golf Club. This vibrant city centre venue has three 18-hole courses that are packed with tricks and surprises. Compete against your friends on these creative courses, and enjoy drinks, including cocktails, pizza, and nachos.

A unique group activity in Manchester, Challenge Point is a great family day out or team-building activity. This is a live and interactive gameshow where teams take on games like mini-golf, supermarket sweep, and a lazer maze, all in the hope of making it to the final exciting round. This truly is a fun and original experience.

Enjoy award-winning comedy shows at Frog and Bucket Comedy Club. This club runs a range of hilarious events, with the Beat the Frog nights where the audience can vote acts off being especially popular. New and established acts perform here, and there's a bar serving drinks and food during the shows.

With Escape Hunt you can have fun getting out of a themed escape room or going on a mysterious trail around the city. The immersive and purpose-built escape rooms come with intriguing themes like pirates, vikings, or the Wild West. Make the experience even more enjoyable by visiting the on-site bar as well.

Modern entertainment complex Urban Playground is a top destination for competitive socialising for adults in Manchester. This vibrant spot offers mini-golf as well as a thrilling live-action version of TV's The Cube. As well as competing with friends, the venue has bars where you can relax with a drink and its own gourmet burger restaurant.

Lane7 in Deansgate offers games, drinks, and food in a trendy space covered in neon and graffiti. Just some of the fun activities you can try here include karaoke, bowling, arcade games, darts, and pool. Burgers are available and there's a varied range of drinks including cocktails, hard shakes, and draft beer.

Experience the thrill of indoor skydiving at iFly. Flyers of every age and ability are welcome here, where you'll soar in the air thanks to a unique wind tunnel. The centre offers a range of different flight packages to suit everybody, plus there's a spectator area. The attraction is fully wheelchair-accessible.

Opened in Manchester in 2000, The Comedy Store is well-established as a place to have fun. There are weekly comedy shows at a couple of different venues, showcasing varied line-ups of acts. Each show lasts for two hours, with food and drinks on offer. Gift vouchers for The Comedy Store are also available.

The Crystal Maze Live Experience is fantastic fun for adults in Manchester, including for team-building events. Bringing the classic gameshow to life, you'll move through a series of zones and take on puzzles and challenges along the way. It all leads up to the final showdown in the famous Crystal Dome.

Chaos Karts takes go-karting to the next level. Power along the track surrounded by digital projections that place you in locations like London, Florida, and outer space. Weapons and power-ups like speed boosts and bombs enhance the race and makes it feel like you've stepped inside a video game.

Manchester is home to a couple of branches of NQ64, where you can enjoy retro games and consoles in a trendy black-lit space that's covered in neon. It's not just gaming that's available here – a range of drinks, including themed cocktails, are served, plus there's pinball at the Peter Street location. The Northern Quarter branch serves pizza.

Lose yourself in a game at Immersive Gamebox. This modern gaming centre uses motion tracking, projection mapping, and surround sound to bring its immersive games to life. A variety of games suited to all ages and abilities are offered. This is a fun activity for groups of two to six people.

Dog Bowl offers plenty of ways to have fun in a colourful and cavernous venue. You can book one of the five bowling lanes here or check out the arcade of retro consoles. There's a bar serving a varied range of drinks, including colourful cocktails. Indulgent food like burgers, pizza, and loaded fries is also available.

You can experience the city in a new way with Silent Adventures. This experience is a city tour meets a flash mob meets a silent disco. Your enthusiastic host will guide you through the city whilst you enjoy great music on your headphones and show off your best dance moves to everyone.

Try out a new activity at Whistle Punks. This unique venue is a place to try axe throwing with guidance from a knowledgeable instructor. Various ticket types are available, all including a 70 minute throwing session. You can also kick back in the rustic bar area with drinks and pizza.

Visit Box in Deansgate, where there's always something fun happening. This lively and spacious bar has 25 HD screens for showing live sport fixtures, plus karaoke backed up by the house band, shuffleboard, and live music. This buzzy spot serves food as well as broad selection of drinks including craft beer and cocktails.

At Roxy Ball Room you can participate in a range of ball games in buzzy surroundings. Exactly what's on offer varies by location but expect the likes of bowling, basketball, shuffleboard, and pool amongst the options. A varied range of drinks and food are also available at the venue.

K2 Karaoke is where karaoke and a nightclub meet. There are luxury private karaoke booths here equipped with self-ordering systems so you won't miss any of the fun. Asian food is served, as well as a variety of drinks. VIP packages are available at this trendy and modern spot.

Based at Printworks, Treetop Golf is an immersive mini-golf experience offering two 18-hole courses. The space has a jungle theme – move through the tropical course and encounter interactive elements along the way, before taking your chances with the elusive 19th hole. The venue also has three different themed eateries for before or after you play.

A buzzy spot for drinks and games, Boom Battle Bar offers a choice of enjoyable activities. There are karaoke booths, plus darts, pool, shuffleboard, axe throwing, and beer or prosecco pong. Some activities use augmented reality to enhance the experience. Drinks and snacks such as wings and fries are available from the bar.

To make drinking cocktails even more fun than usual, head to Alcotraz. This immersive prison-themed bar sees you smuggling in your own booze, wearing an orange jumpsuit, and sipping drinks in your cell. The staff will mix up bespoke drinks using the alcohol you provide, and there are fun challenges to take on whilst you do.

You'll feel like a child again with a night at Bingo Balls. This venue is Manchester's adult ball pit, housing a big pool of balls in an on-trend setting with neon signs. Frolic around and enjoy drinks, food, and music from DJs and local entertainers. There's bingo on Friday to add to the vibe even more.

Treasure Hunt Manchester makes for an engaging way to discover the city, whether it's a family day out, a hen party, or a corporate team-building activity. You'll follow a well-designed route at your own pace, solving clues and discovering hidden gems around the city, as well as some fascinating Manchester facts.

Hyde Leisure Pool is a fun place to splash around in the water, featuring wave machines, bubble beds, and a thrilling water slide. It's a popular destination for all age groups, and also runs other aquatic activities like aqua workouts, adult swimming lessons, and lane swimming. On-site you'll also discover a gym and a café.

Head to Lucardo in Manchester city centre if you're a fan of escape rooms. A number of escape challenges are available for groups of between two and six people, with themes from crime scenes to spaceships. Solve puzzles and clues to escape in a set time limit. Gift vouchers for these experiences are also available. 

Gamers can have a great time at 1Up. This bar in Didsbury celebrates gaming and geek culture with on-theme murals, board games, consoles, pinball machines, and a D&D table. There are regular events like gaming tournaments and live music and comedy, plus the bar serves a wide range of drinks and Asian-inspired food.

Try out combat archery at The Archertype. This energetic game is described as dodgeball meets archery – it's just like tag but uses safe foam-tipped arrows. You can join an open session alone or with others or you can book a private session. It's a popular activity for any occasion, including corporate team-building.

Play ping pong against your friends at Twenty Twenty Two. This simple and spacious bar has no shortage of tables, plus there are activities like tournaments, darts nights, and happy hours. The bar serves a range of drinks, including cocktails, whilst the setting is fuss-free with colourful art on the walls.

Chill Factore is a top destination for indoor skiing and snowboarding in Manchester – it's home to the longest indoor snow slope in the country. Visit just for fun, with sledges, downhill donuts, and ice slides all available, or have a lesson to improve your skills. There's an Alpine-themed lounge on-site as well.

A Las Vegas-style casino in Manchester, Manchester235 offers grand and modern surroundings and heaps of entertainment. Play poker, blackjack, or roulette here, watch live football, or check out live entertainment like drag acts, cabaret shows, and open mics. There are drinking and dining options on-site as well.

You can try out hundreds of different VR games when you visit Virtual Hideout. The games here cover a range of genres and offer something for all ages and abilities. This modern destination uses advanced technology to offer an unforgettable experience, with games for single players and up to four people.