Manchester is a vibrant city that offers a wealth of immersive experiences for locals and visitors alike. Whether you’re a cheese lover, a fan of drag shows or simply looking for something out of the ordinary, Manchester has plenty to offer.
From cheese crawls that take you on a culinary journey through the city’s best cheese, classical music concerts under candlelight, to immersive theatre performances in “prison” that transport you to another world, there’s no shortage of thrilling experiences to enjoy. So here’s a round-up of some fantastic, immersive experiences in Manchester that will make you forget all your sorrows.
1. Immerse yourself in the magical world of Candlelight
Manchester will be illuminated by a series of Candlelight concerts, all paying tribute to some of the world’s most beloved artists. From iconic artists like Ed Sheeran, Queen and ABBA to eerie SciFi film scores, these concerts will be played live by incredibly talented musicians in some of Manchester’s best locations.
For ballet aficionados, Candlelight has got you covered. Candlelight is hosting Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Vivaldi with Ballet at the Manchester Cathedral. Illuminated by hundreds of candles, this splendid interpretation of the composers’ masterpieces will leave you completely entranced. You won’t want to miss it!
2. Hit the pedal to the metal at Chaos Karts
Chaos Karts is an all new attraction which combines real-life racing with augmented reality, and it has now arrived in Manchester. The UK’s first live action video game experience throws players into a virtual world, living inside a real-life video game to race-battle their friends, family, rivals and colleagues. This completely unique and highly innovative experience will have players burning rubber around a potentially infinite number of tracks in a digitally projected world, whilst their vehicle interacts with the virtual track and any challenges rival players might “launch” their way.
3. The Manchester cheese crawl
You’ve heard of pub crawls and wine crawls, and even food crawls. But what about lovers of fromage specifically? Manchester’s cheese connoisseurs will be overjoyed to hear that there’s a cheese crawl in town. The crawl consists of a two hour walking tour, a cheese whizz quiz, lots of fun facts and—it would be cruel not to include—wine. You can bring a date and savour Manchester’s finest cheese while you cheese-perts!
4. Have a taste of the Buff Bingo Bottomless Brunch
Attention brunch lovers! What if we told you that there’s a new and improved way to do brunch? Buff Bingo Bottomless Brunch blends two of our favourite pastimes, bingo and drag. Bingo will be the centrepiece for one crazy brunch party with hosting and performances from Manchester’s own queens from the Family Gorgeous—Anna Phylactic & HRH Lill.
All brunch tickets include corn chips and a fresh homemade salsa, a brunch dish of your choice, 1.5 hours of bottomless bubbles or mimosas and Boy Toy buff butlers, of course. Located on Canal Street, you can choose between booking an early or late brunch, only at the On Bar.
5. Have a shot at axe throwing at Whistle Punks
Try something new and unexpected and learn to throw axes like a badass. This is the perfect activity to do when life’s got you down. After receiving expert guidance and tips from the pros, it will be your turn to launch the axe at the target and go for a bullseye. Once you get the hang of it, you can even participate in an axe-throwing tournament if you please. Get your friends, colleagues or date and head to Whistle Punks at Great Northern Warehouse to give it a go.
6. NERF Action Xperience
NERF’s first entertainment centre in the UK opens in Trafford Palazzo, Manchester this September bringing with it plenty of immersive experiences with thematic battlegrounds, training activities and a variety of sports games to burn off some of that competitive energy.. It’s fun for all ages so whether you’ve got young kids, fancy a change of pace for date night, or just want to have some fun with friends this giant indoor arena is the one for you.
With five different zones where you can face off against foes (aka friends and family), brush up on your sharpshooter skills and get your blood-pumping playing all sorts of high-energy sports, the adventures and challenges are endless. Plus, after all the fun, you can swing by the on-site restaurant Archie’s for a bite to eat while you reassess your battle plans and plot some future adventures.
7. Serve time at Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Bar
Life is just about to get boozy now that you’re being sentenced to life in Alcotraz. Upon arrival, you’ll be taken in by a notorious bootlegging gang on the inside to smuggle-in liquor to be used to make delicious cocktails. Beware of the sharp-eyed warden, though! The “serving” inmates will deliver a range of tailored cocktails every night based on the liquor you smuggle in and your tastes. This is the only prison you won’t like to make a break for.
8. Manchester City Stadium Tour
Whether you’re a “Citizen” or an avid football fan, you can learn everything Manchester City on their stadium tour. Following the players’ perspective, you can live a normal match day and see behind-the-scenes areas of the stadium, including the players’ dressing rooms, the dugouts, the tunnel and more. The story of Manchester City is told by expert guides and through a 360° cinema experience. So run off to the Man City Stadium and Superbia in Proelio!
9. Paint in the Dark: Painting Workshop & Drinks in the Dark
This one-of-a-kind sip and paint immersive event invites you to tap into your creative side with the help of brilliant and luminous glow-in-the-dark paint. Explore vivid colours and paint whimsical waves or whatever your inner artist tells you while sipping a drink. The adults-only workshops encourage you to follow the rhythm of the soundtrack playing upbeat hits to create your own vision without obeying the lines of a standard template or restrictive rules.
10. Step into a virtual reality playground complete with escape rooms at DNA VR
From surviving a zombie apocalypse, to traveling to the pyramids in Egypt or fighting off dragons, DNA VR has a game for everyone. DNA VR in Manchester has the capacity to host up to 16 virtual sessions (19 people) at one time to provide one of the coolest immersive experiences for gamers. Offering true escapism, visitors can experience both solo and group virtual reality modes on 70 games providing hours of gameplay.
At DNA VR in Manchester visitors can solve an escape room, explore the depths of the deep blue ocean or even save the Earth from an intergalactic disaster. Up to 15 people can be plugged into the VR pods and explore new worlds, while the ‘Free Roam’ arcade offers longer-form escape rooms, explorative experiences and horror game modes for up to four players.
11. Travel like a poo through the digestive system at the Science and Industry Museum
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester welcomes one of the most immersive exhibition experiences Food, Poo and You, from the brains behind CBBC hit Operation Ouch!. The exhibition is truly for the whole family, providing interactive education on the digestive system and human biology. It promises plenty of giggle-worthy grossness, from exploring a set of super-sized gnashers, to slipping down the oesophagus and investigating the innerworkings of the intestines.
Food, Poo and You will see visitors sent on a special mission to get up close and, in one case, extremely personal, with presenters Dr Chris, Dr Xand and Dr Ronx as they are shrunk, swallowed, squeezed through and spat out of Dr Xand’s digestive system during a lively, interactive and playful adventure to better understand our brilliant bodies.
12. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Van Gogh’s paintings have made the rounds around the world. But soon, you can rediscover the tortured artist’s work in a new way—a 360-degree digital show. It’s as though you were to step into his paintings!
This immersive experience will allow you to see every brush stroke and really appreciate the use of bold colours. It’s a uniquely atmospheric light and sound show. This experience has already thrilled more than 5 million visitors around the world, from Europe to the USA and beyond. Exhibition Hub, the producers of the experience, are currently garnering interest for Manchester. So, if you’re keen on stepping into a Van Gogh painting, join the waitlist.
All our events are recommended by editors. Tickets purchased through Fever may earn Secret Manchester commission.