Madchester Bands

Welcome to Manchester’s guide for the creative tourist: the best music, culture and more in Manchester.

Discover the insider’s guide to Manchester with our free city guide, where we handpick the finest events and shows alongside the bars, shops, restaurants and cafes that make a visit to Manchester complete.

This month’s guide features In The City, the music festival founded by the late Tony Wilson. Founder of The Haçienda and co-founder of Factory Records, Tony Wilson was a driving force behind the Madchester scene (for the uninitiated, that’s bands like the Happy Mondays, Joy Division and the Stone Roses). The character of Tony Wilson was played by Steve Coogan in the iconic 2004 film 24 Hour Party People.

Let our writers and bloggers guide you through what’s on in Manchester. This month, The Guardian’s Jessica Lack interviews Maggi Hambling (together, they describe a little known passion of LS Lowry – the sea), while Danny McFadden tells the other Manchester music ‘story’ – how UK Hip Hop found its voice here.

To help you round off a visit to Manchester, food critic Emma Sturgess takes a gastronomic tour of the city’s boho quarter, Ben East rounds up the best of Manchester’s festivals (picking from a feast of food, literature, comedy, science and music), while we unveil our guide to the best vintage and retro shopping in the city.

Find out what’s happening in Manchester this month here. Download our free autumn guide to the best events, exhibitions, bars and sights here. Or see what the locals have got to say about Manchester in our new Word of Mouth section.

So, what are you waiting for?