The free Friday night soul club with a massive happy hour

Manchester’s very own soul club has just marked its first birthday and, to celebrate, will be throwing an epic party complete with its own resident soul band.

Since opening in the former Walkabout site down Quay Street last year, Blue’s Kitchen has experienced massive success, mainly thanks to its tasty Deep South-inspired menu, vast cocktail list and ever-changing roster of live music and entertainment.

In the past year, 80,000 of the iconic Blues Kitchen burgers have been demolished and half a million of their signature Buffalo chicken wings have been devoured, while 250,000 cocktails have been drunk.

@theblueskitchenmcr / Instagram

And Blues has the answer to the current cost of living crisis with £5 cocktails on Wednesday evenings, and a tempting happy hour on Fridays from 5pm-7pm.

Beneath its restaurant, Blues Kitchen has also hosted over 500 live performances in its debut year in Manchester, with musicians from over six continents having taken to the stage.

But is is the venue’s weekly Manchester’s Got Soul events that have proven to be the biggest hit in the city, with different DJs spinning timeless soul, rhythm and blues classics across both floors until the early hours each and every Friday.

@theblueskitchenmcr / Instagram

Speaking on the inspiration behind the opening of Blues Kitchen in Manchester, co-founder Liam Hart told Manchester’s Finest: “We really wanted to be part of the Manchester music scene, so we were over the moon when we stumbled upon this incredible venue a couple of years ago.

“We’ve all been huge fans of the city’s musical cultural heritage for years, so it felt right to open a Blues Kitchen here. I grew up in the 90s listening to music from Manchester, so I’ve always had a real love for the city.”

So, to celebrate its birthday in style, the concert hall will be hosting world-renowned blues and soul legends for the next week, kicking off with a rare performance from American funk and soul-jazz hero Roy Ayers tonight, May 25th.

@theblueskitchenmcr / Instagram

Tomorrow, Thursday May 26th, the Chicago hip-hop brass band Hypnotic Brass Ensemble will bring their incendiary live show to Manchester, off the back of their outstanding new album ‘Bad Boys of Jazz’.

And on Tuesday May 31st, the North Mississippi Hill Country blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Cedric Burnside, will be performing ‘I Be Trying’ – a thirteen-track album treatise on life’s challenges, pleasures, and beauty.

You can check out the full list of events happening over at Blues Kitchen here.