New openings in the North for 2023

Factory International, Water Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 3JQ - Visit now

Okay, we couldn’t really begin this list with anything but Factory International – Manchester International Festival’s new permanent home – which will welcome its first visitors in June 2023. The venue, built to the tune of £211m, is set to reshape the city’s cultural output and standing, and promises “one of Europe’s most ambitious and adventurous year-round creative programmes”.

Theatre Delicatessen Sheffield, Denby Suite, Cuthbert House, Arley Street, , Sheffield, S2 4QP - Visit now

Occupying venues across London and Sheffield, the Theatre Deli has been a driving force in contemporary arts for 14 years – always supporting those artists and companies whose work sits outside the boundaries of traditional theatre. We’re pleased that Sheffield Theatre Delicatessen has found a new home and is set to reopen in spring 2023.

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

Having undergone a dramatic physical and cultural transformation, Manchester Museum will be reopening 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), we take a look at what’s new at this treasured museum.

Boxpark Liverpool, Boxpark Liverpool, The Canning Hall, Baltic Triangle, L8 5RE - Visit now

Sitting in the heart of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle district, Boxpark will offer forward-thinking street food, drinks and entertainment under one roof, championing local businesses and creators in the community.

Co-op Live, Alan Turing Way, Manchester, M11 1HR - Visit now

Accommodating 23,000 people, East Manchester’s Co-op Live will be the UK’s biggest indoor arena. Its music-first approach has informed the build from the ground up, including an innovative ‘smart bowl’, reportedly inspired by conversations with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Harry Styles.

Slung Low at Temple, 131 Water Lane, Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 9UD - Visit now

Slung Low, Leeds’ award-winning theatre company specialising in forward-thinking community-led performance, is opening a brand new theatre and production space in January 2023. A big win for the independent theatre-makers in the city.

North Brewing Co Taproom, Circle Square, Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7FS - Visit now

New for 2023, North Brewing Co has unveiled its first Manchester taproom at Circle Square, the flourishing new Oxford Road development on the site of the former BBC building. Expect 24 draught lines featuring North’s ever-evolving range of core beers, specials and collabs.

Stack Newcastle, Worswick Chambers, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6UW - Visit now

Following the closure of Stack, the hugely popular food, drink and entertainment pop-up in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter, plans are full steam ahead for a permanent location just a stone’s throw away from the original, at Worswick Chambers.

Lucky Cat, 100 King Street , Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 4WU - Visit now

Gordon Ramsey brings his fine-dining Asian-style restaurant Lucky Cat to Manchester in April 2023, setting up shop in the Grade II listed former bank on King Street, formerly occupied by old nemesis Jamie’s Italian. The offering will be fairly decadent, so if you like sushi, wagyu and black cod, this is a spot for you.

Hyde Park Picture House Reopening at Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds, 1–30 April 2023, free entry - Find Out More

One of the jewels in the North’s independent cinema scene, Leeds’ historic Hyde Park Picture House is about to emerge from a three-year period of refurbishment and redevelopment.

Treehouse Manchester, Blackfriars Street, Manchester, M3 2EQ - Visit now

A Treehouse hotel is coming to Manchester, featuring a rooftop bar that offers stunning views of the city. The developers’ goal is to make guests feel like they are in their own ‘secret forest’ and if our visit to Treehouse London is anything to go by, the people of Manchester are in safe hands.

Eden Project North, Morecambe Bay, Morecambe, Lancaster - Visit now

More reasons to love the North are set to keep coming over the next few years. 2024 is the provisional due date for the ambitious Eden Project North. Positioned on the cusp of Morecambe Bay and backing onto the glorious Lake District, this temple to the natural world will bring with it an educational, community-focused, ecological experience like no other.

Northern Roots Urban Farm and Eco-Park, Alexandra Park, Oldham, OL8 2B - Visit now

Oldham is currently undertaking one of the most ambitious ecologically-driven green space renovation projects in the country. Northern Roots is creating the UK’s largest Urban Farm and Eco Park on a 160 acre Oldham plot. The farm will give local people the chance to get hands-on with the agricultural process, while the park will feature cycling routes, sports pitches and a treetop assault course.

esea contemporary, Market buildings, Thomas Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1EU - Visit now

Regarded as the UK’s leading organisation for East and Southeast Asian art, esea contemporary (formerly the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, CFCCA) is reopening its doors again on 18 February 2023 in Manchester.