Manchester Museum re-opened in February 2023 with an inclusive, caring and creative approach to museum curation. From a grand Exhibition Hall to a South Asia Gallery (the first of its kind in the country), its new additions are more than worth heading down for, not to mention the other six-million-or-so pieces in its archive.

The apple in Now Wave’s eye, YES is a music venue located in a former auctioneers house on Charles Street (okay, so just off Oxford Road). It boasts four floors for live music and DJ’s, two excellent food outlets, plus an outdoor roof terrace.

Contact has to be the go-to place for emerging theatre in the city, with commissioned work here going on to high acclaim. Set back from the road but recognisable by its eccentric H-shaped turrets, there’s no other theatre like it in the country.

BrewDog Manchester Outpost is a great spot to enjoy tasty BrewDog beers and a wide-spread guest selection, alongside exclusive, one-off creations from the on-site brew pub.

It’s been a few years now since The Whitworth underwent a £15m redevelopment; it almost feels like the gallery has always jutted out into Whitworth park, seamlessly transitioning from old to new. Simply put, the exhibitions here are excellent.

The Palace Theatre opened in 1891 and is still one of Manchester’s major venues, with a particular focus on touring productions. Expect (slightly faded) splendour.

Right in the sweet spot between the business charmers, concert-goers and wandering students on the lookout for crisps, Bundobust Brewery is an impressive space, with a huge atrium illuminating the big row of beer tanks that line the restaurant; beer tanks that produce modern beer with the well-established food menu in mind.

An historic staple of Oxford Street, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is one of Manchester’s most beautiful buildings, with its Victorian design and distinctive clocktower an iconic landmark on Manchester’s skyline.

The Refuge is the in-house bar and restaurant of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. Huge arches and marbled tiles feature heavily, with spectacular features everywhere, from the 30ft granite bar to glorious stained-glass windows and towering pillars.

The Deaf Institute was once an actual institute for the deaf, but is now a kitchen, bar and music hall (complete with an enormous disco ball). One of the best, and quirkiest, gig venues in the city.

The Royal Northern College of Music is both a music venue and an academic institution training up some of the country’s finest music students. You’ll find free lunchtime concerts there on a weekly basis, and they make classical music incredibly accessible.

Each day, there are four curries to choose from – the menu changes daily and features a hand-picked selection of Zouk’s most popular dishes including chicken, lamb, veggie and vegan options.

In early 2023, North Brewing Co unveiled its first Manchester taproom at Circle Square, the flourishing new Oxford Road development on the site of the former BBC building. Set up by Leeds’ excellent North Bar, this spot features 24 draught lines, including 18 lines of keg beer and one cask, pouring North’s ever-evolving range of core beers, specials and collabs.

HOME, Manchester’s £25m cross-arts venue, is one of the city’s crown jewels when it comes to culture, packed with two theatres, five cinema screens, a large gallery, bar, café and bookshop.

A few minutes’ walk from Oxford Road, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has been lovingly restored; you can now sit at her desk, see where Charlotte Brontë hid behind the curtains, and have tea in the downstairs café. The Pankhurst Centre is also nearby, should you fancy a bit of a literary tour.

Big Hands is the one-time haunt of legendary Manchester band Elbow; it’s shabby, loud and dark, with a jukebox and excellent roof terrace.

Eighth Day is a co-operative shop that sells ethically-sourced food, wine and cosmetics. There’s also café that serves hearty, healthy meals in the basement.

Okay, so another one just off Oxford Road, but it’s worth the 34 seconds it takes to get there, honest. Sandbar is a unique spot, full of oddities (check out the ‘cabinets of curiosity’) and eccentric interior touches, like the carriage-like seats salvaged from retro school-buses. Oh and the booze is excellent: 200+ whiskeys, and plentiful craft beer.

While it doesn’t look much like a music venue from the outside. Manchester Academy is notorious for hosting underground, grassroots artists and bands.