Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Seasonal Guides
Manchester’s most characterful, independent district is a jumbled network of streets to one side of Piccadilly Gardens – once home to busy textiles warehouses and even the occasional umbrella factory. Now, the red brick buildings with their New York-style fire escapes are regularly used in film sets, and the streets are bursting with independent cafés, shops, bars, and cultural hotspots.
The Northern Quarter has become a destination in its own right, with the laid-back, bohemian vibe during the day transforming at night into teeming pavements of people in search of good food, craft beer, pop-up events and live music.
When walking around, keep your eyes peeled for public art, including the sculptures of birds high on a wall on John Street (reflecting the area’s reputation in Victorian times as a ‘pets paradise’), the illuminated, 12 metre-tall Big Boys Toy on the top of the NCP car park, and the artistic graffiti on the outhouse in the middle of Stevenson Square.
Manchester Psych Fest 2021
Manchester Psych Fest, an all-day celebration of psychedelic music and art, returns in September 2021, following the postponement of 2020’s event.
Life Drawing Manchester Online Classes
The popular Northern Quarter community, Life Drawing Manchester, have migrated to zoom, opening up their classes to models and artists from all over the world.
World of Music Choir (Spring 2021)
Join the World of Music Choir to learn a mixture of traditional and modern tunes. With no previous experience necessary and an ethos of no judgement, it’s the most friendly introduction to group singing you could wish for.
Multiplicities in Flux at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester
CFCCA presents a two-person exhibition that challenges ideas of Britishness, belonging, identity and citizenship.
Omid Asadi: Autopsy of a Home at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
For his exhibition at CFCCA, Omid Asadi explores the diasporic experiences and domestic spaces of migrants.
Silverbacks at The Castle
Offering a contemporary take on the NYC art-rock of the late ’70s and early ’80s, Dublin 5-piece Silverback are performing live at The Castle.
Online Meditation with the Manchester Buddhist Centre
As we learn to live with uncertainty now is a better time than ever to explore meditation, let the friendly community at Manchester Buddhist Centre help you on this journey.
Places to go / stay / shop / eat / drink
Manchester Visitor Guides
Free family things to do in Manchester
The world’s at your fingertips with free history, art, science and creative capers for all ages in Manchester.
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.
Afternoon Tea in Manchester
The finest places in Manchester to sip Darjeeling, eat dainty finger sandwiches and slap extra clotted cream on a freshly baked scone.
Art Galleries in Manchester & Salford
Here’s a list of our favourite art galleries in Manchester and Salford, and what to look forward to when they reopen.
Libraries in Manchester
Bibliophiles, rejoice: we have rounded up the best libraries in Manchester for your perusal.
Restaurants in Manchester
The very best restaurants in Manchester’s city centre, including ones you know, and future favourites.
Manchester District Guides
Medieval Quarter, Manchester
The Medieval Quarter, or Cathedral Quarter as it is sometimes known, is one of the oldest parts of Manchester and home to some historic gems and cultural must-sees.
Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester
Burton Road is the heart of West Didsbury, a beautifully maintained leafy hubbub of shops,…
Beech Road Chorlton, Manchester
A laid-back mix of gift shops, independent outfitters, restaurants, pubs and parks, on a sunny weekend afternoon it’s heaving.
Didsbury, Manchester
Follow Oxford Road South through the Curry Mile, along Wilmslow Road, past Platt Fields Park…
Chorlton, Manchester
Chorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only…
Cheetham Hill, Manchester
As an area, Cheetham Hill gets a pretty bad rep. The foreboding architecture of Strangeways…
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