The cafe in the trees at the Whitworth — Image courtesy of The Whitworth

Oxford Road, Manchester

Creative Tourist

Last Updated 12 April 2019

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.

Discover our top picks

1. Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum, The University Of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9PL - Visit now

Manchester Museum boasts six million pieces in its archive, an impressive Egyptology collection and new discovery space The Study all in one gothic, Grade II*-listed building.

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2. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Image courtesy of Marketing Manchester / © Joel-Chester-Fildess

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9LW - Visit now

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.

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3. Contact Theatre

Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M15 6JA - Visit now

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 recognizable by its H-shaped turrets. Currently closed for renovation, Contact’s In The City programme has put their rivals in the shade.

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4. The Whitworth

The Whitworth, Photo: Alan Williams

The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M15 6ER - Visit now

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. The exhibitions here are excellent.

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5. Palace Theatre

© Phil Tragen

Palace Theatre, 97 Oxford Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 6FT - Visit now

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.

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6. The Refuge

Slow-cooked Ox Cheek, Massaman Sauce

The Refuge, Oxford Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M60 7HA - Visit now

The Refuge is a restaurant and bar based at The Principal Manchester, one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings.

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7. The Deaf Institute

Pimped Fries

The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 7HE - Visit now

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

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8. Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

RNCM

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9RD - Visit now

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.

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9. Big Hands

Image courtesy Big Hands.

Big Hands, 296 Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9NS

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.

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10. Eighth Day

image courtesy of On the Eighth Day

Eighth Day, 111 Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 7DU - Visit now

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.

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Cinema 23 May 2019, from £5.50

Bigger than Life presents/ Beau Travail at HOME

To mark the release of Claire Denis’ High Life, Bigger Than Life present a 35mm screening of the director’s most acclaimed work.

Cinema 9–29 May 2019, from £5.50

Amazing Grace at HOME

In January 1972, Aretha Franklin made her legendary album Amazing Grace with the Southern California Community Choir and Reverend James Cleveland in the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

Families 15 June 2019, FREE

University of Manchester Community Festival

Free festival with interactive, behind the scenes access to world changing discovery in the fields of arts, science, languages and medicine. Walk on custard, discover secret societies and more.

Music 16–20 October 2019, from £6.00

Manchester Folk Festival 2019

Home to the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Manchester Folk Festival is back with another joyous celebration of the best in English folk.

Music 13 June–6 July 2019, from £12

RNCM Summer Season 2019

Read our picks for the exciting months ahead at the RNCM.

Theatre 1 February–13 June 2019,

Contact In The City Part Three

Contact In The City Part Three – is a radical city-wide programme of performance taking place whilst Contact’s theatre undergoes an exciting transformation. Read our preview of the upcoming season.

Festivals 1 January–31 December 2019,

HOME 2019 Season

With a continuing drive towards bold global programming, HOME Manchester welcomes friends, old and new, for an exhilarating new season.

Cinema 6 July–29 September 2019, FREE

MIF19: David Lynch at HOME

Manchester International Festival announce a host of musicians for this summer’s highly anticipated event at HOME. Brace yourself for dark mysteries and wilder dreams as Manchester International Festival invite cult artist and filmmaker David Lynch to take over for a season of cinema, art and music.

Literature 11–21 September 2019, from £10.00

Red Dust Road at HOME

Growing up in 1970s Scotland as the adopted mixed raced child of a Scottish couple, young Jackie blossomed into an outspoken, talented poet. Then she decided to find her birth parents…

Sarah-Clare Conlon. Photo by Gwen Riley Jones

Literature 27 June 2019, FREE

Story Cities launch at Blackwell’s

Story Cities: A City Guide For The Imagination is a collection of new flash fictions about any city and every city, and this launch event features readings from several of the contributors.