Manchester is preparing for a city centre wide student takeover on Tuesday 30th September, with an exclusive evening of shopping events, big discounts, music and fashion. Following the success of Manchester Arndale’s ‘Big Student Night In’ over the last decade, the shopping centre and the Heart of Manchester Business Improvement District (BID), are collaborating for the first time to extend the event across the city.
The BID and Manchester Arndale are teaming up with event partners Ground Control Productions, Drop the Mustard, Love Fashion: Manchester and The Printworks, to create a shopping night across the city’s key shopping areas between 4pm-9pm (4pm-8pm in Manchester Arndale).
Activities will include Manchester Arndale’s ‘Big Student Night In’, Love Fashion: Manchester – a live catwalk and fashion showcase in St Ann’s Square, and two street arenas on Market Street and New Cathedral Street with DJs, food and drink.
Retailers across the city centre will be keeping their doors open late, providing discounts of up to 30% for students with valid student ID/NUS cards. Stores offering discounts include adidas, Accessorize, Cath Kidston, Diesel, DKNY, Fopp, French Connection, H&M, Gap, Jack Wills, Paperchase, Urban Outfitters, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols – to name but a few*.
Manchester Arndale will play host to over 130 exclusive student offers on the night, between 4-8pm, alongside DJs, competitions and giveaways. Offers include a huge 30% off Levis, 20% off Topman and Topshop, 20% off Dr.Martens, £5 off a £25 shop at Aldi, 20% off Millie’s Cookies and 20% off at Kurt Geiger.
Students can pre-register via www.manchesterarndale.com or Facebook. The first 1,000 pre-registered students to arrive on the night will receive a free £5 Manchester Arndale gift card. Students are asked to wear something yellow to be in with a chance of winning a share of £500 worth of Manchester Arndale gift cards. Students are reminded to bring their valid student ID/NUS extra/NUS cards with them to take full advantage of what’s on offer during the ‘Big Student Night In’.
Made in Chelsea star, Millie Mackintosh, will be making a personal appearance at House of Fraser to launch her new collection, with the first 100 people to buy from the collection receiving a signed branded bag. The first ten to make a purchase will also get the chance to have a photo with Millie. House of Fraser will also be offering complimentary drinks, DJs and 20% off in Tom’s Champagne Bar.
Selfridges Exchange Square (open until 9pm) is hosting a number of exclusive offers, special gifts and experiences, including the amazing DJ’s Freight Train in the Selfridges Yellow Van (4-9pm) outside the store on Exchange Square. Complimentary sweets treats will be available in store (6-9pm), as well as the chance to print your pictures with your new housemates in the Selfridges pop-up instagram printing station. In the Beauty Hall, complimentary treatments includes manicures and brow shapes, along with special gifts and masterclasses. Gladstone Grooming are providing a pop up Barber shop on Menswear, and The Urbanist is also in store for cap customisation (prices vary). There’s no excuse to fall out with fellow freshers either, thanks to personalisation and monogramming services on selected brands throughout the evening. In store offers include a 20% discount at All Saints, Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Ted Baker and a 10% discount from Dune, Offspring and Karen Millen (terms and conditions apply).
Harvey Nichols is offering 15%* off Autumn Winter fashion and accessories, and giving students a chance to ‘Beat the Buyer’ in a fashion styling competition, as well as a live DJ, complimentary drinks and beauty treats. Students will also be able to dine in the Second Floor Brasserie after 5pm and enjoy three courses for £15 per person. *terms and conditions apply, see instore for details.
Food outlets across the city are also involved, with Barburrito, Patisserie Valerie, Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King and McDonald’s, Taco Bell, EAT and Yo! Sushi in Manchester Arndale all providing one-off offers throughout the evening.
Taking place in St Ann’s Square, Love Fashion: Manchester will provide rising fashion stars from graduates to independent brands and online boutiques the opportunity to showcase and sell their designs to a fashion loving crowd, while affirming Manchester as a vibrant retail destination and inspiring the student community. The free fashion festival will run from 12pm – 9pm and activities will include live catwalk shows, a fashion blogging workshop, model talent scouting and style spotting, with guest DJs providing entertainment. Entrance is free.
Street entertainment on Market Street and New Cathedral Street will be courtesy of Manchester collective, Drop the Mustard, which will be hosting two arenas featuring DJ line-ups, food and drink. Rich Reason, XFM’s Gareth Brooks, Juicy DJs, Drop the Mustard, Gold Teeth, Zutekh DJs and more will play outdoor sets from 4-9pm, as well as a secret headliner to be revealed soon.
At The Printworks Freshers’ Fair, the legendary Bez will be on the decks from 8.30pm. There will be a range of Freshers’ Fair stalls from 6pm and Peachy Keens, the ‘all you can eat multi-cuisine buffet’, is offering free food for students between 12-4pm and 8-10pm.
The Printworks will also be offering pints of Guinness for £1.50 and burgers and fries for £5 at Waxy O’Connor’s, free shots and 2-4-1 cocktails at Norwegian Blue and 2-4-1 Haus Steins at Bierkeller. There will be free movie posters and 40% off cinema tickets at the ODEON, free entry, a free shot with the first drink and other drinks priced at £1 at Entourage and free sombreros for the first 200 students at Chiquito, amongst many other offers.
Each student visitor will also receive a free student card exclusive to The Printworks, which will give students access to discounts and deals which could save them thousands each year.
Jane Sharrocks, Heart of Manchester BID Chair and General Manager at Selfridges Exchange Square, said: “This event will provide retailers across the city centre with a fantastic opportunity to engage with over 100,000 new and returning students.
“Manchester Arndale’s ‘Big Student Night In’ has been a huge hit with students over the last ten years so it seemed logical to extend it across the city to showcase the diversity of the city’s retail offer from luxury brands, popular with international students, to high street favourites and independent labels and boutiques.”
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Our student night gets ever more popular year on year and to mark our eleventh event we were keen to open it out to the rest of the city centre with the support of the Heart of Manchester BID.
“Manchester has the second largest student population in the UK after London and here in Manchester Arndale we have everything in one location for students to kit out their homes and wardrobes with. We look forward to welcoming our existing and loyal student shoppers back after the summer holiday and to invite new first year students to enjoy their first Big Student Night In.”
For discounts information and event updates to go facebook/shopmcr and follow @shopmcr / #takeovermcr on Twitter. For information on Manchester Arndale’s Big Student Night in go to facebook/manchesterarndale and follow @manarndale on Twitter.
