14 things to do in Manchester for teenagers (that aren't the Trafford Centre)

Teenagers in Manchester have the same problem every weekend: too old for soft play, too young for the bars, and the Trafford Centre only works so many times. Here are fourteen that work for a group, with the honest catch on each.

1. FOMO Lounge

Their own private entertainment suite at FOMO Lounge in the Green Quarter, two minutes from Victoria, with a PS5 and EA SPORTS FC 27 on the big screen, a pool or snooker table, darts and table tennis in the large suites, and food and drinks brought to the door. Alcohol-free, parents can drop off, and the All-Inclusive is one price a head with the food included: from £20. The catch: book ahead on a Saturday.

2. Immersive Gamebox

A room with motion tracking and touch screens where a group of up to six plays Squid Game or Angry Birds against each other. Good for 13 and up. The catch: an hour goes fast and it is priced per person.

3. An escape room

Breakout Manchester and Escape Hunt both run rooms for groups of four to six. The right choice for the group that argues well. The catch: under-16s usually need an adult in the room.

4. Junkyard Golf or Treetop Adventure Golf

Indoor crazy golf in the Printworks and the Great Northern. Loud, cheap, and it rains in Manchester. The catch: Junkyard is 18+ in the evenings.

5. Chill Factore

Ski, snowboard or sledge at the indoor snow centre by the Trafford Centre. The one that feels like a day out. The catch: it is the most expensive thing on this list.

6. The Science and Industry Museum

Free, in Castlefield, and better at 14 than it was at 8. The catch: it is a museum, so pair it with food after.

7. Afflecks and the Northern Quarter

Vintage, comics, records, a dessert bar on every corner. The afternoon that costs whatever they bring. The catch: none, except the rain.

8. A trampoline park

Flip Out and the like: an hour of jumping, a dodgeball court, and a group that is quiet on the tram home. The catch: grip socks and a waiver.

9. The National Football Museum

By Victoria, and the penalty shoot-out is the point. The catch: check the current ticket rules before you go.

10. Heaton Park

Six hundred acres, a tram stop at the gate, and room for a game of anything. Free. The catch: it is a summer entry.

11. Bowling at the Printworks or Trafford

Hollywood Bowl runs lanes until late. The reliable one. The catch: they have done it before.

12. The match, in their own room

For the derby or a Champions League night, a suite at FOMO with the game on their own screen. From £7.50 a head for six in a small suite. The catch: the big nights go first.

The easy plan for a birthday

If organising ten teenagers is the hard part, the All-Inclusive at FOMO is one price that covers everything: three hours in a private suite, a main, a side, a soft drink and a dessert each, £23 a person for eight, down to £20 a person from 11. One booking, nothing to split, and parents can drop off.

Planning the birthday?Teenage birthday parties at FOMO Lounge: prices, what they do, and the questions parents ask.

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