Seven evening out ideas in Stockport town centre you can get to for just £2
By Alasdair Perry 14th Nov 2025
By Alasdair Perry 14th Nov 2025
It's no secret that Stockport's night-time economy is enjoying something of a resurgence at the moment.
The area's venues are picking up both regional and national awards, and the town itself was recently re-awarded Purple Flag status, in recognition of 'excellence in the evening and night-time economy'.
Still, there's a chance that you might not yet have had the chance to experience all its charms.
And you might not have known that you can enjoy a great deal of those charms by getting to town on the bus.
Not only will you be able to get there for just £2, you're also spared the worries of navigation or paying for parking - and you can enjoy a tipple.
Further still, you can make the most of the night, with many Bee Network services running past midnight from Monday to Saturday, such as the 192, 203, 330, 384 and 368.
With that in mind, we chose a handful of things to do for the upcoming cosy wintery evenings in Stockport - and all of them fall within just five minutes' walk from the nearest bus stop.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app today.
1.) Catch a live show
Stockport's arts scene is positively bustling, with more live music, theatre and comedy than you can shake a stick at.
Better yet, there are so many fantastic venues a stone's throw away from the nearest bus stop.
Needless to say, you can catch a host of high-profile acts at Stockport Plaza, adjacent to Stockport Interchange and the Mersey Square stop.
Or, just a short stroll up the road, you can catch an eclectic mix of local and international musicians at The Spinning Top - you can even try your hand at playing yourself at one of the venue's welcoming jam nights.
Just next-door is the Garrick Theatre, where talented actors put on productions of everything from Shakespeare to Pinter, with some live comedy thrown into the mix, too.
Both venues couldn't be much closer to the chain of handy bus stops which run along the A6 / Wellington Road South.
In Market Place, meanwhile, Belgian bar Thread hosts a regular comedy club featuring some of the best up and coming acts in the comedy circuit. And once again, it's a short stroll from the interchange or from the Asda and Bridgefield Street bus stops.
Moving down from Market Place to Prince's Street, you'll find a great range of alternative, rock and metal bands doing tributes and original music at Holy Diver, which sits opposite the Tiviot Dale bus stop.
And that's just a handful - the intrepid evening explorer will find so much more within minutes of hopping off the bus.
What's the cost of £2 compared to discovering your new favourite hidden gem?
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
2.) Indulge yourself with a bar and restaurant crawl
Stockport town centre - particularly the Underbanks - has been making national headlines of late for its growing independent food and drink scene.
Within just a few hundred feet of the nearest bus stop, you'll find a plethora of choice eateries and bars, many of them fresh from having picked up local and national awards.
Along the Underbanks, for instance, you'll find quaint bars and world cuisine, set amid charming historic surrounds.
Or, in the Merseyway centre, you'll find familiar favourites such as Zizzi's, Pizza Express, Berretto Lounge, and more.
The bus affords the luxury of being able to sample the area's gastronomical (and alcoholic) offerings without having to worry about driving home, or fretting about when the parking ticket expires.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
3.) Take a spooky ghost tour
Dark nights, breath misting up, icy bright moons and wizened, bare trees. There's something spookily atmospheric about winter, making it a perfect time to catch a ghost tour in Stockport town centre.
Fortunately, Stockport regularly plays host to award-winning ghost hunter extraordinaire Flecky Bennett, who organises spooky walks around some of Stockport's most famous landmarks.
Described as Horrible Histories for adults, Flecky's tours have picked up a range of TripAdvisor accolades, along with a Made in Stockport award.
Flecky takes intrepid guests on a guided tour of some of the town's spookiest areas, drawing on a mix of historical and personal accounts for his chilling tales.
Over the next few months, Flecky is carrying out tours of the town centre, Stockport Plaza, and the Air Raid Shelters.
The meeting point for each walk varies, but they're all accessible by a short stroll from Stockport Interchange, or from one of the handy stops along the A6 / Wellington Road South.
Check out his website for more details.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
4.) Enjoy an evening of cosy late night shopping
Stockport's Merseyway shopping centre will be staying open for later in the run-up to Christmas to allow for some cosy evening shopping.
The centre will be open from 9am until 7pm on:
- Thursday 18 December
- Friday 19 December
- Saturday 20 December
- Monday 22 December
- Tuesday 23 December
That's in addition to the festive huts that will soon be cropping up in the Merseyway's outdoor area, purveying sweet and savoury treats, gifts, and more.
Merseyway said they hope the extended hours will "help shoppers make the most of the festivities, [...] offering extra time to browse, buy and soak up the seasonal atmosphere across the centre".
Merseyway is accessible on the bus via the Mersey Square Wellington Road South bus stop, or by passing under the A6 bridge from the Interchange towards the Chestergate.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
5.) Get inspired with literature
Last year, Stockport welcomed new bookshop Serenity Booksellers, which has since brought a helping of literary pzazz to Stockport.
Based on the east end of town, near the Tiviot Dale and Asda bus stops, the shop hosts regular book clubs and author talks.
The book clubs are open to everyone, and run every Wednesday evening at the Stockport store (6-7pm and 7.30-8.30pm). Readers are given the chance to discuss a set book as a group, sharing ideas and inspiration in the process.
Further still, Serenity Booksellers hosts regular talks from top authors at their Stockport store and at other nearby venues including the Runaway Brewery.
Upcoming guests at the time of writing include Mark Forsyth and Val McDermid.
Find more information on the Serenity Booksellers website here.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
6.) Get competitive with games nights
However competitive you are, you might not have been aware that Stockport hosts a huge range of games nights where you can display your prowess.
In Market Place, for example, the newly-opened Loft Social offers visitors the chance to try out a range of games including archery, shuffleboard, curling, and petanque.
Like a modern social club, it's designed to 'spark interaction' and provide something to do besides just drinking.
Or if board games are your thing, you can try Dice Box on Prince's Street.
This board game shop and cafe hosts regular events for players of all abilities, and is welcoming to individual players and families.
Browse some of Dice Box's upcoming events here.
Both are handy for Stockport Interchange and the bus stops near Asda on the east of town.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
7.) Treat your tastebuds at Foodie Friday
Foodie Friday is a food-lover's Nirvana.
Running from 6-9pm on the last Friday of every month, it turns Market Place into a bazaar of delicious sweet and savoury treats, featuring some of the best street food traders in the area.
Organised by John and Rosemary Barratt, the event is this year celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
In that time, it's become a staple of Stockport's cultural scene, with each event bringing thousands of people to the town centre to try out some of the region's best street food traders.
Indeed, the event is now one of the largest regular town centre events in the UK, with John and Rosemary describing it as "a vibrant, inclusive celebration of community, creativity and cuisine".
Foodie Friday is based around Market Place and the Underbanks, meaning its accessible from Stockport Interchange, the A6, and the bus stops near Asda on the east of town.
Plan your journey on the Bee Network app.
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Any of these evenings out take your fancy? Find out how to get there on the Bee Network app here.
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