FIRST LOOK: The Northern Quarter's Blockbuster Video Themed Cocktail Bar

Blockbusters NQ are opening their doors on Oldham Street this Friday, and we got a sneak peek at the nostalgia-inducing cocktail bar.

By Manchester's Finest | Last updated 14 June 2022

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There’s a brand-new cocktail bar in the Northern Quarter and this one fulfils all of those nostalgic feels – bringing back the iconic Blockbuster Video Shop except instead of popping in for the latest Arnie flick, you’ll get to grips with some seriously good cocktails and dance the night away.

Split over two floors, when you enter Blockbusters NQ you’re taken right back to the 90s, with walls adorned by a myriad of VHS tapes, movie posters and that iconic blue and yellow colour scheme.

Then downstairs is an underground late-night club space, where you can take full advantage of the 3am closing time on weekends.

The bar itself will be serving a modern list of cocktails including the ‘VHS Presso Martini’, ‘Alcopop-corn’ and the ‘PG&T’, and there’s FREE POPCORN when you have a drink – with flavours a bit more exotic than just sweet or salty.

They say “Blockbusters NQ is not the best ‘streaming’ service, but we are the best ‘get you steaming’ service”

At the back behind the curtain, there’s an area dedicated to adult videos. Movie posters cover the walls and old TV sets fill the wall as you head downstairs to the club area.

Stewart Dean, the man behind Blockbuster NQ said: “I truly wanted to make somewhere special that people get excited by. I was a huge fan of video stores and my favourite bars are those that immerse you in a secret or provide a bit of an escape. I thought what better homage to an iconic part of our history than to create a parody of Blockbuster, one where you can drink, and the only returns here are for another hit of fun and nostalgia.”

They’re open until 3am every Thurs-Sunday, and are operating on a walk-in only basis at the minute, so get down to Oldham Street and check them out.

Opening Times
Monday – Wednesday closed
Thursday 5pm – 3am
Friday 5pm – 3am
Saturday 4pm – 3am
Sunday 4pm – 3am

Follow Blockbusters NQ

Blockbusters NQ, 60 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE
www.blockbustersnq.com