Salford, Greater Manchester

Creative Tourist

Cross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford. You’ll barely feel the transition, though; despite locals who are fierce about the fact that Salford is a city in its own right, it’s only separated from Manchester by the width of the river, distance-wise. Which is not to say that you won’t see differences between the two.

Gritty urban realism has been this city’s stock in trade since L.S. Lowry painted his very first matchstick man. Some will have read about it in Love on the Dole. Some will have seen it depicted in kitchen sink dramas or Corrie. And others will forever associate the city with John Cooper Clarke rasping his way through Evidently Chickentown, or the dystopian anthems of Joy Division.

Now, however, Salford has an up-and-coming feel; the Chapel Street area of the city, the focus of an ongoing regeneration project, is home to a creative community including Hot Bed Press and over 100 artists and 50 innovative businesses at Islington Mill. If you’re visiting around May, look out for the highlight of Salford’s strong music scene, Sounds from the Other City festival, which brings an incendiary mix of live bands, literary readings and art hi-jinks to an eclectic selection of venues.

The Council-run Salford Museum and Art Gallery is a friendly city museum with special appeal to families, and the nearby Working Class Movement Library provides a fascinating look at the past. The personal collection of labour historians Ruth and Edmund Frow, it’s a veritable treasure trove of material dating back to the 1760s. Ordsall Hall, the city’s beautifully restored (and supposedly haunted) Tudor mansion, also has a busy programme of events and activities all year round, including events as part of horror film festival Grimmfest.

Salford inspires fierce loyalty among its inhabitants. Spend any significant period of time here, and you may begin to understand why.

Our top picks

Working Class Movement Library

Working Class Movement Library, 51 The Crescent, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WX - Visit now

The Working Class Movement Library is a singular establishment, a Tardis of loosely left-leaning histories. It somehow encompasses not only 30,000 books and over 200,000 pamphlets, but also an array of sometimes unexpected memorabilia and a fascinating history of its own.

Working Class Movement Library

Lowry

Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, M50 3AZ - Visit now

With two theatres, galleries and a studio space, The Lowry combines the performing and visual arts to impressive effect and is loved for both its famous LS Lowry Collection and the dizzying array of productions it hosts year on year.

The Lowry Theatre and Gallery in Salford Quays Manchester.
Image courtesy of Visit Britain

RHS Garden Bridgewater

RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Road (Off Leigh Road), Worsley, Salford, Greater Manchester, M28 2GU - Visit now

If you’re looking for an outdoorsy family day out, Salford might not immediately spring to mind, but after four years of digging, building and planting, the spectacular 154-acre RHS Bridgewater Garden in Salford beckons outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER

Flavours of Manchester – A Taste of Two Cities

Food & Drink Tour of Manchester & Salford : A Taste of Two Cities , Until 31 December 2030, From £49.00 - Book now

Explore the ties between Manchester and Salford through your tastebuds in this foodie walking tour from Flavours of Manchester.

Group Day
Food & Drink Tour of Manchester & Salford : A Taste of Two Cities

Imperial War Museum North (IWM North)

Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M17 1TZ - Visit now

Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind to represent a globe shattered by conflict, the sharply jutting structure of IWM North boldly punctuates the Salford Quays waterfront, and houses a dynamic programme of temporary exhibitions, contemporary art and one-off events that explore the many ways in which conflict shapes society.

Imperial War Museum North exterior shot - host of story seekers
Imperial War Museum North (IWM North)

Four Sis4ers Gin Distillery

Four Sis4ers Gin Distillery, Unit 39 Waybridge Enterprise Centre, Daniel Adamson Rd, Salford , M50 1DS - Visit now

11 siblings: four sisters, seven brothers, the former into spirit distilling, the latter into beer-brewing. Together make the largest family of direct siblings in the global alcohol industry. As for the distillery, it’s a great spot for a tasting experience, where you’ll hear all about gin plus the intriguing story of the four sisters.

Black Friar

Black Friar, Blackfriars Rd, Salford, M3 7DH - Visit now

Salford’s Black Friar is lauded far and wide, and rightly so. A recent visit from the son of 1980s agony aunt Claire Rayner merely sealed the deal. So we know it’s good, but the Sunday lunch is near perfection…

The Empty Space at Footlights House

The Empty Space at Footlights House, 48 Kansas Avenue, Media City, Salford, M50 2GL - Visit now

The Empty Space is an intimate black box theatre space. Situated close to the MediaCityUK studios, with free parking and good transport links, the theatre hosts plays, comedy, musicals, performance poetry, recitals and showcases. An ideal venue to present creative work of all kinds and a party or event space.

The Empty Space at Footlights House
Image courtesy of Footlights Theatre.

Ordsall Hall

Ordsall Hall, 322 Ordsall Lane, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 3AN - Visit now

Ordsall Hall is Salford’s beautifully preserved (and supposedly haunted) Tudor mansion and museum. This lavish building is packed with beauty and an incredibly interesting history, an ideal visit for the history fanatic where the brave can also stay overnight.

Ordsall Hall
Image courtesy of Ordsall Hall

Embankment Kitchen Restaurant & Bar

Embankment Kitchen Restaurant & Bar, 16 Chapel St, Salford, M3 7NH - Visit now

Adorned with fairy lights, luxurious blankets and outdoor heaters, Embankment is the perfect spot to cosy up and indulge in a fabulous array of food and beverages. It is an excellent restaurant that manages to be high end and also welcoming to all. Their brand new summer menu has both vegan and non-vegan options and they’re both reliably high in quality.

The Storm Cone, Peel Park

The Storm Cone, Peel Park, Peel Park, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4NJ - Visit now

Okay, a curve ball to finish. The Storm Cone is a digital artwork and soundscape by artist Laura Daly and composer Lucy Pankhurst, which simulates lost park bandstands and explores their forgotten histories. You experience The Storm Cone through a free app using headphones, augmented reality revealing the spectral architecture of the bandstand as you listen to the music.

Laura Daly: The Storm Cone at Peel Park, Salford
Laura Daly: The Storm Cone at Peel Park, Salford

More Salford events

MusicManchester
John Talabot at The White Hotel

A quietly radical force in contemporary club culture, John Talabot returns to The White Hotel for one of his signature all-night sessions.

From £13.00
Poet Tom Sastry.
LiteratureManchester
Verbose at The King’s Arms

Verbose is one of Manchester’s longest-running spoken word events, and welcomes Tom Sastry and Molly Naylor for June.

Free entry
This is England at The Lowry
Until
TheatreMediaCityUK
Dear England at Lowry

Don’t miss James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning, big-hearted, ‘pitch-perfect’ celebration of football when it comes to Salford.

From £23
Two young visitors looking up at a banner in a case, holding pencils and an activity sheet.
Until
ActivityManchester
2025 Banner Bingo at PHM

Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism.

Free entry

Where to go in Manchester

Stables Tavern
City Centre
Restaurant
Stables Tavern

The Stables Tavern is an olde style pub in the St John’s neighbourhood of Manchester, where the Rovers Return once stood.

Manchester
Restaurant
Ban Di Bul

Ban Di Bul is a longstanding Korean restaurant in the very centre of Manchester.

Inside main hall Birch Community Centre, showing high hammer-beam ceiling.
Manchester
Theatre
Birch Community Centre

Housed in a striking neo-Gothic former parish hall, Birch Community Centre is a hidden gem on Brighton Grove, just opposite Platt Fields Park. Its vaulted wooden ceiling and arched windows…

Interior Decorations - Viet Deli
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Viet Deli

Viet Deli is a small venue, not the kind of place for a sit down meal. Serving only bánh mì, traditionally street food in Vietnam.

Levenshulme
Restaurant
My Nawaab

Eye-catching banqueting hall in Levenshulme, with a wide-ranging buffet showcasing freshly-prepared Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

SB_BreweryTour - Taproom One
Manchester
Brewery
Seven Bro7hers Brewery & Taproom

Discover the heart of Salford’s craft beer revolution at the Seven Bro7hers Brewery & Taproom—a spirited, family-run brewery where the brewing kettles gleam and the atmosphere buzzes with energy.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

Manchester Visitor Guides

Photo of the Halle orchestra at Bridgewater
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20 Stories eat outside in Manchester
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Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
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A painting called Daphne, 2021, by Carolien Walker. The painting features Caroline’s own daughter as a toddler.
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Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

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A young boy with a white sash around his left arm cries.
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Outdoor cinema announcements, a major retrospective at HOME, and the best of indie cinema.

Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.