Kickstart your new year with relaxing wellness, dining discounts and live music at The Great Northern

From calming yoga sessions and free table tennis to half-price pizzas, authentic Italian feasts and neon-soaked bowling, The Great Northern is packing January with budget-friendly specials, indulgent new treats and memorable nights out to help shake off the post-festive malaise and start the year in style.

If your New Year’s resolutions include the familiar commitment to movement, wellness and mental restoration, Life Centre North offers a calm and welcoming place to start and sustain a nourishing health routine. With yoga classes running seven days a week, plus workshops, courses and retreats, the centre supports both gentle intentions and more ambitious resolutions for all levels.

The programme spans Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Restorative, Meditation and Mindfulness, with beginners courses for those starting out and workshops for anyone looking to expand their practice. Highlights include the Monthly Community Circle with Jenny Wildes on 8th February, a TRE workshop with Donna McCafferey focused on releasing stored tension, and a 200-hour Hot Yoga Teacher Training commencing in March. Find out more HERE.

For those looking to extend the festive indulgences, Great Northern’s acclaimed restaurants are serving an expansive line-up of unmissable January food deals across a wide array of global cuisines. New arrival Doux Chaton brings Viet-French baking and Northern Vietnamese comfort food to Deansgate, blending heritage recipes with a patisserie twist, from phở and bánh mì to sumptuous pastries, Vietnamese coffee and boba tea.

Pan-Asian favourites Suki Suki are running their immensely popular £10 Express Lunch throughout the month, where diners can choose between a hearty ramen or rice bowl inspired by East Asian street markets. Elsewhere, Impossible Bar is offering 50% off its entire a la carte food menu, pairing elevated bar plates with finely crafted cocktails, while The Mews is also slashing half off food across January and February, including their small plates and charcuterie fare.

Rounding things off, Italiana Fifty Five offers an escape to sunnier climes with 30% off their menu when dining in until 31st January, available Sunday to Friday via online bookings, as well a free tiramisu for guests who tag @italianamcr in their social posts.

If you’re after some easygoing exercise without the pressure of self-improvement or the price of a gym membership, the Great Northern Ping Hub is free, fun and completely weatherproof. Open daily inside Great Northern Warehouse, the space features seven tables in total, with four for free open play and three full-size match tables for practice sessions or competitive games. Find out more HERE.

Comedy fans can look forward to the return of Laughienda at Lions Den, as Manchester’s award-winning free comedy night settles back into its regular Thursday slot on a fortnightly basis from 29 Jan. Known for showcasing emerging North West talent alongside established comedians trying out new material, the much-loved evening showcase has earned praise from The Guardian and The Manc, as well as winning Best Comedy Night at the North West Comedy Awards. Tickets are free to book HERE.

For neon-lit nostalgia and laid-back competition, book the kitchen-sink All In package at the boozy boutique bowling bar, Lane 7. For £24 per person, guests can enjoy one game of bowling plus unlimited access to the venue’s other games, including arcade machines, pool and ping pong. Find out more HERE.

Over at Pong & Puck, you can fuel your gaming sessions with half-price 12-inch pizzas all day, every day, from classic Margheritas and Pepperonis to Veganuary options, while the gaming itself is completely free all month, with 30 minutes of complimentary play on darts, shuffleboard, pool or beer pong when you buy a round of drinks. Book HERE.

Music lovers can also catch Rattus at Lions Den this Saturday, as the acclaimed Stranglers tribute band delivers beloved classics and modern deep cuts with power, precision and attitude, promising an unforgettable set for die-hard fans, played by seasoned musicians with over 20 years’ live experience. Book your tickets HERE.