Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Stretching all the way from the Curry Mile – with its glittering sari emporiums, Indian sweet shops and mixed reputation for actual curry – up toward the city centre, Oxford Road is not only home to two Universities, the Royal Northern College of Music, an Olympic-sized pool and a good number of the city’s best music venues, it’s also the busiest bus route in Europe. Yes, this is student land, but cultural institutions such as The Whitworth art gallery, Manchester Museum and International Anthony Burgess Centre also make the area a real draw for locals and tourists alike. There are also two parks: Whitworth Park, which dates back to 1890, and Grosvenor Square, a small patch of green that was once a church and where now, on sunny days, the locals come out to bask in bookish style.
The Oxford Road Corridor is the site of serious scientific innovation; here, you can visit the place where the atom was split, and doff your cap to the building dedicated to pioneering computer scientist and code breaker Alan Turing. Once home to philosopher Friedrich Engels and writer Elizabeth Gaskell, the area can boast its fair share of artistic prestige, too. Here, history and innovation still exist side by side.
People, Places and Things at HOME
Emma is an actor trying to overcome addiction, but what else can help her cope with life’s problems?
We’re Not Really Here – A Football Opera at Contact
The excitement of a goalmouth scramble and the pressure of a penalty shootout are put under the spotlight in this new theatre show about football fandom.
RNCM Autumn Season
Featuring a legendary chanteuse, an exploration of science in music, a bombastic orchestra recital and a classic film with musical accompaniment, the RNCM’s Autumn Season is action-packed and offers something for everyone. Read on for our top picks.
UpClose: Aziz Ibrahim – From Lahore to Longsight at HOME
Longsight-born guitarist Aziz Ibrahim has worked with the likes of The Stone Roses, Simply Red and Paul Weller – but his own album, Lahore to Longsight, is the focus of this concert, which charts the journey of Aziz’s father from a divided India to Pakistan to Manchester, recording Aziz’s own path to self-identity and cultural acceptance in the process.
Manchester Camerata 2017/18 Season
Featuring Snoop Dogg’s producer, a live video artist, plus a gospel choir and re-interpretations of Muse and Metallica, the 2017/18 season by ‘probably Britain’s most adventurous orchestra’ is as diverse and inspiring as ever. Discover our highlights and picks for the weeks and months ahead.
HOME Autumn/Winter Season
From revolutionary inspired art to ‘sassy’ Hip Hop Christmas cabaret, check out our guide to HOME’s Autumn/Winter Season.
Hocum Pokem at Contact
Turn the camp dial past 10 with this drag reinterpretation of cult classic Hocus Pocus.
Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: The Vaudevillians at Contact
Taller than over the top, further than too far, this is drag queen cabaret at its silliest and most satisfying.
Flying Solo Festival 2017 at Contact
A box of performance chocolates where every single pick is delicious? It can only be Contact’s Flying Solo Festival.
Re-member Me at Contact
Re-member Me brings the ghosts of Hamlets-past back to life through Dickie Beaus lip-syncing master class.
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
Hotels in Manchester
To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester’s hotels.
Museums in Manchester
Manchester is studded with fantastic museums – read our picks of the best here.
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.
Restaurants in Manchester
This guide is really about food – the best, the most inventive and hands-down most delicious to be found in Manchester and its surrounds.
Libraries in Manchester
Bibliophiles, rejoice: we have rounded up the best libraries in Manchester for your perusal.
Gin Bars in Manchester
Where in Manchester can you find the best gins, the best gin cocktails, or just those unusual little bottles that you might not find anywhere else? Here’s our guide.
Things to do right now
Powered by
