Music for the Senses

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Visit now

Music for the Senses

Until 30 September 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Cathedral of Sound - Lazerian
David Oates
Book now

Wild in Art have brought colour, fascination and imagination to the streets of Manchester in many forms. We’ve marvelled at mosaics and been blown away by strikingly designed bees in the past. This summer, they’re putting the spotlight on Manchester’s music scene with Music for the Sense, an art trail made up of personal instruments of musical icons inspired by the city’s rich musical heritage. There are also murals, mosaics and installations to be found along the trail, celebrating people, places and moments of musical history.

Throughout the city you can find instruments turned into sculpture which have been donated by Busted, Doves, Elbow, Mani, New Order, Oasis, PINS and Pixies plus others. Other guitars have been donated by the public to be transformed into objects of wonder by professional artists such as the much loved Hammo. You can also find brand new murals by street artists Lei-Mai LeMaow, Nomad Clan, ASKE and .EPOD. All of these artists have ferocious reputations for insightful and beautiful work as well as being familiar names on the buildings of Manchester.

Music is a living thing that must be heard as well as observed so be sure to check out the interactive installations Guitar Street and Cathedral of sound which have been created by Lazerian. You can find the locations for all these happenings and artworks on the music for the senses app with a free trail map. Walkers can also follow along with an interactive AR route in the Manchester Music Mooch. As one of the largest scale projects Wild in Art has run in Manchester, the list of businesses, venues and places not taking part is shorter than the ones who are. It’s impossible to venture into the city centre this summer and miss the sheer amount of creative energy on show.

Once the time has come to take the guitars down from their exhibition homes, they will be auctioned to raise money for grassroots music projects and venues throughout the city. This is a collaboration between the charity Forever Manchester and Manchester Music City. Providing a much needed lifeline to grassroots culture in a time where we’ve become familiar with the sight of venue closures.

Where to go near Music for the Senses

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

What's on: Activity

A Lotherton Summer Holiday image of a child reaching for bunting
Until
Activity
A Lotherton Summer Holiday

Enjoy all things summer at Lotherton this school holiday. With six weeks of summer fun, including a whole host of children’s entertainment, sand pit, tractor trailer rides*, crafts, activities and

From £0.00
Summer at Aviva Studios
Until
ActivityManchester
Summer at Aviva Studios

From global dance and live music to storytelling, skateboarding and football, get ready for a dream summer on the banks of the River Irwell.

Free entry
Southern Cemetary Chorlton by Tom Jeffs
TourChorlton
Southern Cemetery Tour

Within Chorlton’s Southern Cemetery lie fascinating stories, beautiful architectural details, and the inspiration behind one of The Smith’s best songs.

From £20.00

Culture Guides

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.