Canal Street, Manchester

Creative Tourist

Manchester’s picturesque Canal Street and its surroundings constitute what is reputedly the oldest gay village in the country. Recent years have seen the area become a favourite destination of big groups on weekend pub crawls, so weeknights are currently a much more laid-back time to visit.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the once squalid area around Canal Street became a major tourist attraction – but there’s no doubt it has changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years. The days of hidden doorways leading to seedy bars where unspeakable things happened in the dark are long gone.

The canal-side tables of the Gay Village are always lively, with bars serving as cafes during the day and filling up after dark. There are also clubs, some great restaurants, and even hotels along the main strip, frequented by both the LGBT+ community and allies.

Here are a few spots we recommend in and around Canal Street, from stalwart clubs to fairly new additions in the Kampus neighbourhood, just across the water from the Gay Village.

Our top picks

G-A-Y

G-A-Y, 63 Richmond Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 3WB

One of the aforementioned stalwart clubs, the colourful G-A-Y is popular with a youngish crowd looking for pop tunes, cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere.

Image courtesy of Visit Manchester.

Sackville Gardens

Sackville Gardens, Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3HB - Visit now

The lovely green space of Sackville Gardens is home to the Alan Turing Memorial. Known as the ‘father of modern computing’, Turing symbolises modern Manchester’s place as a city of science and home to a vibrant LGBT community (Turing himself was gay).

Sackville Park
User Lmno on en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Bar Pop

Bar Pop, 10 Canal Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 3EZ

Bar Pop hosts a wild array of playful entertainment, including karaoke, cabaret and much-loved drag nights. The atmosphere is friendly and fun-loving, and depending which night you pick, drinks can be super cheap.

 

 

Richmond Tea Rooms

Richmond Tea Rooms, Richmond Street, Manchester, Manchester, M1 3HZ - Visit now

The Richmond offers homemade breakfasts, lunches, coffees and stronger stuff for cocktail hour. In terms of their famous afternoon tea there are four tea options, with menus designed to serve the minimalist as well as the maximalist.

Image courtesy of Richmond Tea Rooms

Peru Perdu

Peru Perdu, The Cotton Factory, 74 Princess St, Manchester, M1 6JD, Manchester, M1 6JD - Visit now

A stone’s throw from the Gay Village, this Peruvian-inspired restaurant is one of our favourites in the area.

Peru Perdu

Great North Pie Co Kampus

Great North Pie Co Kampus, Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester , M1 3GL - Visit now

Great North Pie Co, the home of high-quality, award-winning pies, has officially opened its kitchen & bar at Kampus, marking its first Manchester city centre-based venue.

Great North Pie Co Kampus

Velvet Hotel

Velvet Hotel, 2 Canal St, Manchester, M1 3HE - Visit now

If you’re looking for somewhere to crash near in the Gay Village, you could do a lot worse than the Velvet Hotel, an independent 4* boutique hotel with a bar and restaurant, situated right on Canal Street.

Velvet Hotel
Image courtesy of Velvet Hotel

Where to go in Manchester

iStock.com/SimoneN
Deansgate
Hotel
Malmaison Manchester Deansgate

The building’s striking architecture combines classic brickwork with sleek, modern design elements, creating an inviting atmosphere that captures the essence of Manchester’s vibrant energy.

Manchester
Restaurant
Exhibition

Exhibition is an elegant dining hall on Peter Street, home to Jaan and other high-level independent kitchens.

Stow
City Centre
Restaurant
Stow

Stow is a new fire-based restaurant on Bridge Street in Manchester, from the team behind Trof.

Merseyway is built on giant stilts over the river Mersey – hence the name! It was one of the first shopping centres to open in 1965 and was refurbished in 1995. Merseyway are proud of their heritage and their role in continuing to attract visitors to Stockport. They strive to live up to the brand promise “famous brands, fabulously close”.
Manchester
Merseyway Shopping Centre

Merseyway is built on giant stilts over the river Mersey – hence the name! It was one of the first shopping centres to open in 1965 and was refurbished in 1995. Merseyway are proud of their heritage and their role in continuing to attract visitors to Stockport. They strive to live up to the brand promise “famous brands, fabulously close”.

Millington Hall Farm
Altrincham
Event venue
Millington Hall Farm

Millington Hall Farm is a one of a kind destination offering field to fork dining alongside learning experiences that will stay with you long after your visit.

Giant Crab SEA LIFE Manchester
Manchester
Tourist Attraction
SEA LIFE Manchester

Perfect for families, dive into the stories of the oceans’ most fascinating residents, including clownfish, stingrays, sharks and sea turtles.

Off the Square
Manchester
Restaurant
Off The Square

Set in the beating heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Off The Square is state-of-the-art music and events space that plays host to live gigs as well as club nights.

Louis Restaurant
Manchester
Restaurant
Louis Restaurant

A Rat Pack-style restaurant with of live music and upscale Italian-American dining, and strictly no phones.

Manchester Visitor Guides

Manchester Central Library
UNESCO City of Literature: Manchester

Manchester is the 26th UNESCO City of Literature, joining illustrious alumni from across the globe. Here's our guide to literary landmarks across the city.

Vegan Food in Manchester

Whether you’re a proud vegan or merely curious, let us guide you towards the best vegan food in Manchester for Veganuary.

Manchester Restaurant Deals

Manchester's restaurants are bending over backwards to create deals that take the sting out of eating out. Here are the best of the bunch for January.

UNITOM bookshop
Bookshops in Manchester

Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature, so of course there are a few go-tos for books. Read our guide to discover the best places to pick them up.

People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the...

Bars in Manchester

The best new bars in Manchester, plus some old favourites for good measure.

Spotlight on

Things to do in Blackpool

Fancy a day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.

Take me there

Culture Guides

A man and a woman stood in front of a window at night look into each others' eyes
Cinema in the North

Hollywood greats and early bird film fest tickets are on our horizon as we start the New Year.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Documentary performance, groundbreaking dance, world premieres and fresh takes on classic works - check out our early theatre highlights for 2025.

Raver Tots at Escape to Freight Island
Family things to do in the North

We might be past the holiday season, but Manchester and the North's arts and cultural calendar is still packed with brilliant events and activities for families

Music in the North

Warm, intimate storytelling is the thread connecting our new picks, which include a number of brilliant folk artists.

A sculpture of a dark brown dog looks to the right, hanging out of its middle and the back are what appears to be its insides (in cream) spilling out.
Exhibitions in the North

From genre-defying art film to vibrant embroidery and Surrealist sculpture, check out the best winter exhibitions to see right now.