Mechanics’ Institute

Chris Horkan
Mechanics' Institute by KJP1

Now a conference and events venue, the Grade II-listed Mechanics’ Institute was the birth place of the TUC in 1868.

It was also the birthplace of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (Umist) and the Cooperative Insurance Society.

103 Princess StreetManchesterM1 6DD View map
Telephone: 0161 236 9336 Visit Now

What's on near Mechanics’ Institute

a white middle aged woman stands in front of flower beds and a soft beige stone garden wall with ivy.  she is wearing a white blouse and pale blue jeans and is smiling. She has dark, short hair.
LiteratureManchester
Olivia Laing at Manchester Central Library

Previously commissioned by MLF as writer-in-residence at the Midland Hotel, Olivia Laing returns to Manchester to talk about her latest book, The Garden Against Time.

from £10.00
Writer Kate Feld. Photo by Simon Buckley
LiteratureManchester
Kate Feld at House of Books & Friends

Kate Feld has a book out and we couldn’t be happier – Deeryard is a new pamphlet of prose poetry and photographs, published by Manchester independent press Death of Workers Whilst Building Skyscrapers.

from £0.00
Until
ActivityManchester
Sí Manchester Daily Tour

Sí Manchester’s daily tour is a brilliant way to get an overview of the city with tours running in both English and Spanish.

free entry

Where to go near Mechanics’ Institute

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Cruz 101

Everything you want in a Canal Street club can be found here. Cruz 101 – better known as Cruz – is an institution, and a must-visit in Manchester.

Hotel Brooklyn
Manchester
Hotel
Hotel Brooklyn

Inspired by all things Brooklyn, Hotel Brooklyn is a brand new and gloriously stylish hotel on Manchester’s Portland Street.

City Centre
Bar or Pub
Fab Cafe

A cult tv and movie themed bar set below street level on Portland Street in Manchester.

Manchester
Music venue
G-A-Y

Smack bang in the centre of Manchester’s Canal Street, colourful club on the corner, G-A-Y, is popular with a youngish crowd looking for pop tunes, cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere. And there’s a rooftop terrace for the smokers.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
On Bar

This multifaceted venue is primarily an award winning gay bar in Manchester’s Canal Street area – but that is not all…

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Vanilla

This award winning bar is open six nights a week due to popular demand. Described as the ‘mecca of the north’ for the lesbian community, it is no wonder why.

Chinatown
Restaurant
Red Chilli, Portland Street

Passionately adored by many Mancunian foodies (and the first Manchester restaurant in ages not to get a slating from notoriously picky Observer food critic Jay Rayner), this Szechuan restaurant rules the culinary roost from an unprepossessing basement on Portland Street.

Manchester
Restaurant
The Cotton Factory

This residency restaurant opened in summer 2019, at Locke Hotels’ Whitworth Locke. The first residency comes courtesy of Mexican specialists El Camino.

Manchester
Restaurant
Peru Perdu

Peru Perdu has an all-new food and drink menu, with some of the best-looking dishes in the city.

Culture Guides

Festival-goers at Green Island
Music in Manchester and the North

Gazing longingly towards the good times that will accompany the surely imminent sun, we take a look at the best music festivals coming up in Manchester and Salford.