Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Seasonal Guides
Festival 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.
Bad Language at The Castle Hotel
Live lit regular Bad Language waves farewell to The Castle as it prepares to cross the road to Gullivers for its July event. No open mic this month – just more headliners than you can shake a stick at.
Athletically Pleasing at Manchester Craft & Design Centre
A showcase of design in sport – including an ‘anti-stink’ material made using silver, a collapsible helmet and a relaxation hoodie with a very particular shade of pink…
Screened/ David Lynch at Texture, Manchester
Screened/ Mcr host a timely appreciation of David Lynch. Featuring guest speaker Mary Wild and a screening of Lynch’s noirish L.A. psycho-thriller Lost Highway.
MIF17: What Is the City but the People? in Piccadilly Gardens
Conceived by artist Jeremy Deller, What Is the City but the People? will see residents parading on a specially designed walkway across Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens to musical accompaniment, capturing the city through its outfits and attitudes.
Craft Unravelled: Hipsters & Heritage
Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s free 20 minute informal ‘Craft Unravelled’ series of talks and tours take place on the last Tuesday of every month.
Craft Unravelled: Meet the Makers
Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s free 20 minute informal ‘Craft Unravelled’ series of talks and tours take place on the last Tuesday of every month.
Craft Unravelled: Hipsters & Heritage
Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s free 20 minute informal ‘Craft Unravelled’ series of talks and tours take place on the last Tuesday of every month at 1:30pm.
Kiran Leonard at Band on the Wall
Celebrating the release of his new LP Derevaun Seraun, 21-year-old Oldham-raised musician Kiran Leonard is joined at Band on the Wall by a string trio, for what promises to be a thoughtful and intricate performance.
Manchester Psych Fest 2017
Taking over three venues simultaneously for the first time, Manchester Psych Fest returns to the Northern Quarter with the likes of Teleman, Ryley Walker, Flamingods, Bo Ningen, Menace Beach and MOTHER – plus DJs, art installations and trippy visuals.
Manchester District Guides
Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester
Burton Road is the heart of West Didsbury, a beautifully maintained leafy hubbub of shops,…
Beech Road Chorlton, Manchester
It may not quite have the reputation of Benefits Street, but Beech Road in Chorlton…
Didsbury, Manchester
Follow Oxford Road South through the Curry Mile, along Wilmslow Road, past Platt Fields Park…
Chorlton, Manchester
This left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only ten minutes…
Cheetham Hill, Manchester
As an area, Cheetham Hill gets a pretty bad rep. The foreboding architecture of Strangeways…
Manchester Visitor Guides
Markets in Manchester
We’ve hunted out some of the best, and most eclectic, markets in Manchester.
Independent Shops in Manchester
Make time for the independent shops for which Manchester is known so well – here’s our guide.
Cinemas in Manchester
The collection of independent cinemas here may be small, but the venues are special enough to make you forget that – here’s our guide.
Beer Gardens in Manchester
Beer Gardens. When the sun is shining, they’re where you want to be; here’s our guide to the best in Manchester.
Places to dine solo in Manchester
Looking for a spot of solo dining without feeling like the odd one out? Here are five of Manchester’s best places to eat and drink on your own.
Record Shops in Manchester
We are in the middle of what’s been dubbed a vinyl revival – so here’s our guide to the best record shops in Manchester.
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