Amazing Group Activities In Manchester

Marcus Sanigar's profile picture
By Marcus Sanigar Food, Drink & Events Copywriter, DesignMyNight 10-year hospitality, travel and events expert, writing for Expedia, Trainline and more. Last updated on 10th March 2026

If you're like us and you want to share plenty of experiences with your pals, you'll appreciate how hard it can be to find a venue suitable for everyone. So, we've thrown together a list of some incredible places for you all, including cool gaming, bowling and a host of other exciting nightlife ideas. Discover the best group activities in Manchester right here.




What's On At Loft Social

Make your way to Stockport for a fantastic day or night out at Loft Social - a modern take on social clubs that's designed to bring people together. This trendy, plant-filled space is ideal for both groups of friends and team building sessions.

Get competitive over their wide range of games, from shuffleboard to archery, petanque and disco curling. Prices start from just £15 per group, and there's a fully stocked bar on-site as well.

Blood on The Clocktower

@ Dirty O’Sullivans on Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Gather your courage and your friends for Blood on the Clocktower. At this immersive social-deduction experience, you'll step into a dark and twisted night of secrets, suspicion and survival.

Along the way, you'll work together and against each other to uncover the demon hidden amongst you before it's too late. Lies will be told, trust will be tested and no one is ever truly safe.

NQ64 Manchester Northern Quarter

Planning a group night out? Book a booth or simply head on over to NQ64 Manchester in the heart of the Northern Quarter and enter a retro gamers paradise. Complete with neon graffiti and a bar whipping up themed cocktails like the Kong Island Iced Tea, it's a spot that's far from short of entertainment. Take your pick from games like Pac-Man and guitar hero, munch on pizza from Crazy Pedro's and if you're near Deansgate? There's a location on Peter Street, too.

Cherry Jam

Looking to get together with pals? Cherry Jam's bottomless sessions are just the ticket. Think afternoon tea or grazing platters washed down with unlimited cocktails. Plus, there's musical bingo to finish things off.

MANCHESTER WING FEST 2026

@ Victoria Baths on Friday 18th September 2026 and 2 other dates

Fancy a food-based event with your best mates? Then head to Wing Fest, coming to Victoria Baths for three days of chicken eating and beer drinking. Everyone receives a free trucker hat on arrival, before you get stuck into an afternoon of live music, axe throwing, eating competitions and more.

There will be a wide variety of street food vendors here, selling their wings for just £1.50 per portion. You can vote for your favourites across three categories: Buffalo, barbecue and wild wing.

Alcotraz Manchester: Cell Block Three-Four

@ Alcotraz Penitentiary: Manchester on Various dates from Tuesday 24th March 2026

One of the best nights out for groups in Manchester, Alcotraz is the prison-themed speakeasy that requires savvy smuggling skills. Bring a bottle of your favourite spirit and successfully sneak it past the guards, where you'll be rewarded by talented inmates whipping you up something special. 

Grit Studios

Gather your friends and try something truly memorable at Grit Studios' Sip & Paint events. With plenty of space, bottomless cocktails, and expert guidance from abstract artist Joe, this is the ideal group activity to laugh, bond, and create your own art masterpieces.

Whether it's a casual hangout or a special occasion like a birthday or reunion, you'll all leave inspired, smiling, and with a one-of-a-kind souvenir. This experience is a brilliant way to mix socialising with a creative challenge.

What's on at GRUB

Interesting activities in Manchester are plentiful thanks to GRUB. Spruce up your regular ol' group outings with everything from burlesque to disco bingo, bottomless brunches and cocktail or food masterclasses.

Courts Club

Make your way to Good Yard Park in Spinningfields for one of the quirkiest spots around: Courts Club. This fun destination boasts a full tennis and basketball court that you and your friends can book, with plenty of delicious food and drink on offer too. Grab a set at their indoor or outdoor tables to sip refreshing cocktails and draught beer, while tucking into loaded gyros, cheese toasties or a breakfast baguette.

Trax Social

Trax Social can be found upstairs in the Printworks, promising a whole lot of entertainment. Their immersive music quiz is ideal for groups, promising trivia rounds on lots of different genres, as well as unique challenges and quick-fire questions - costing £9 per person to enter.

That's not all though, as this versatile space is complete with cutting-edge racing simulators, where you and your mates can compete on virtual racecourses. There are also private karaoke booths that can fit up to 10 at a time, offering more than 100,000 different songs. Afterwards, sip cocktails and tuck into hearty burgers or small plates.

Black Cat Club Manchester

Soccer Saturday

This isn't your average bar for group activities - this is a competitive social hub where you can challenge your friends to interactive darts with various game modes, or enjoy tech shuffleboard where the scoring is done for you. But the fun doesn't stop there. The Black Cat Club also boasts the most premium sports viewing experience Manchester has to offer.

With personal table service, luxe decor featuring copper and burnt orange tones, and a push-button service that eliminates bar queues, you'll have the best seat in the house. And when it's time to eat, the culinary geniuses behind El Gato Negro have crafted an irresistible menu of small plates, burgers, and wraps.

DNA VR Manchester

Looking for fun things to do for the whole gang? DNA VR Manchester is just the ticket. Get on down to the city centre VR arcade for all kinds of group activities. Each session lasts one hour and includes things like zombie battles, dancing and boat racing.