January is always a hard month to power through, especially once the Christmas decks start to come down and your adult responsibilities resurface. At Manchester Apartments, we recognise how important it is to keep spirits up after the festive period, so we spent some time putting together a bunch of fun events, restaurants, and experiences for you to consider in and around Manchester this month to keep the dreaded January blues away and enjoy your quietest month of the year.

ABBA by Candlelight

Perfect for any ABBA fans in the (metaphorical) room, The Monastery is hosting the UK’s leading ABBA tribute acts on the 22nd of January, with tickets still available! Located just outside of Manchester, The Monastery is a stunning historical gem that everyone should visit at least once. With a sing-along by candlelight and some of the best costumes you’ll ever see, you know that this will be a great night – especially when they break out some of the most iconic songs of all time. Who can resist singing along to Super Trooper?

Van Gogh Alive

Extended due to the incredibly high demand, the Van Gogh Experience in Media City is an incredible creation of light, sound, colour, and scent that displays his masterpieces in an immersive projected format. It also gives visitors the chance to interact with his works, as well as learn more about Van Gogh as a person and as an artist. This is a great day out for any age and will appeal to the masses – silent, dull trips to art galleries are a thing of the past with this immersive experience that will leave you with some of the best selfies around.

Wholesome Junkies

Perfect for those keen to try Veganuary, Wholesome Junkies offer a full menu of decadent vegan junk food. With a mix of street dishes and fast food on offer there’s something for everyone, which will definitely beat those January blues after just a few bites. Nothing like a good bowl of mac and cheese to keep the cold away and boost your spirits!

Beauty and Bubbles

We all need a bit of self-care sometimes, especially in colder winter months (like January!). Here to save our skin is Beauty and Bubbles, who are open 7 days a week and offer all sorts of incredible treatments, from massages to facials. Well priced and in a gorgeous location, Beauty and Bubbles are based in the Northern Quarter in a grade-II listed building with all the insta-worthy exposed brickwork you can find and are for sure one of our favourites – not to be missed.

January can feel like a long, long month, but by keeping busy and having things to look forward to, it will for sure fly by, and spring will be here before you know it. Have you tried out any of our recommendations, or do you have something else planned to beat those blues? Let us know on our social platforms – we can’t wait to hear your thoughts.