Manchester Art Fair 2021 at Manchester Central

Manchester Art Fair at Manchester Central Convention Centre, City Centre, 19–21 November 2021, from £5 - Book now

Manchester Art Fair is offering free weekend tickets to Creative Tourist readers. Click the Book Now link to claim! 

One of the largest and most prestigious art fairs in the UK, and certainly a key event in the city’s cultural calendar, Manchester Art Fair, and its sister event, The Manchester Contemporary, are back. This is the weekend when galleries, artists and art lovers from across the country come together to meet, socialise, experience great work and support the local and national contemporary art scene. Housed in the cavernous inners of the former railway station, Manchester Central, prepare yourself for a dizzying, yet expertly curated whirlwind of art.

A central focus of this year’s event will be on the subject of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) – a new(ish) form of blockchain technology that is radically changing the art world. Though part of the same family as bitcoin or dodgecoin, NFTs are a form of unique currency that cannot be exchanged like-for-like. NFTs can be anything digital, but in terms of the burgeoning commercial art trend, they grant buyers unique ownership over digital artworks. Manchester Art Fair sets out to demystify the world of NFTs, with advice on purchasing, the link to cryptocurrency, and a selection of exhibitors in the fair selling exclusive NFTs.

Back in the physical world, visitors are invited to explore both fairs’ vast selection of modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography and editioned prints, offering the opportunity to buy unique artworks at more affordable prices. Manchester Art Fair will feature over 130 galleries and artists, including Manchester’s Saul Hay, Cornwall’s The Drang Gallery, Zari Gallery in London, as well as new independent exhibitors, such as Rachel Camilleri from Salford and Cheshire based wildlife painters Amber Tyldesley and Daniel Wilson. The Manchester Contemporary will continue its well-established legacy of showcasing the best of the UK’s regional artists and galleries in a unique, critically engaged, yet friendly and accessible environment. The sister fair aims to bolster the art market outside of London – releasing artists from the capital’s radial pull and creating a more sustainable cultural scene nationwide. The full list of exhibitors for both fairs will be announced shortly.

Clear your weekend schedule and head to Manchester Central for this must-attend event.