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.
Chinternet Ugly at Centre for ChineseContemporary Art
CFCCA presents Chinternet Ugly – a group exhibition that offers a rare glimpse behind the biggest digital boundary in the world: the Great Firewall of China.
Eat The City – Scranchester Tours
Satisfy your hunger for knowledge as well as lunch with Scranchester’s food tours of the city centre. You may discover a new favourite hidden gem or learn a bit more about the cultural or historical significance of the food you eat all the time.
CFCCA: Free Guided Tour
Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) as part of their festive weekend will be hosting their monthly free and informal tour of the building as well as their current exhibitions. Ending with some warming winter treats.
40 Years and Counting by Meghan Graydon Darby
For her first solo exhibition, ’40 Years and Counting’, artist Meghan Graydon Darby presents a collection of wooden sculptures and fabric wall hangings taking inspiration from her grandpa’s garden – including rubble, utensils, and discarded machinery.
Zig Zag Atelier Bebop at Common Bar
Expect big things and colourful shapes at ZIG ZAG, a new exhibition by Atelier Bebop at Common Bar in the Northern Quarter.
Foot Therapy presents: Love to the World w/ Werkha and more at The Peer Hat
Foot Therapy presents: Love To The World, a party at The Peer Hat featuring Werkha, Mola Mola and Hermanito. All proceeds go to the Gaskell Garden Project.
CFCCA Free Guided Tour
The free monthly tour in which you’ll hear from artists and curators at the Centre For Chinese Contemporary Art.
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.
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
Away from the buzz of London, Manchester and Salford arguably have one of the highest concentrations of fantastic art galleries in England. Here’s our pick.
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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