Music, culture and sport are all found in abundance in the lively city of Manchester. From the grand Victorian waterways to the latest trendy bars and restaurants of Manchester, the city has a wonderful fusion of colour and vibrancy.
Step into a city world-famous for its music, cultural and sporting heritage. Experience atmospheric old pubs and the soaring architecture of John Ryland’s Library, then cruise along the grand Victorian waterways of Manchester’s industrial past and let the city win you over with its charm.
Manchester is a bustling northern metropolis crammed with world-class museums and attractions. Here you’ll find the world’s first urban heritage park, testimony to the city’s past as a major industrial centre and now a leafy district full of waterside pubs and historic buildings. Football is practically a religion in Manchester, and the friendly rivalry between Manchester’s two Premier League teams adds an electric tension to football games here. If music is more your thing, remember this is the home of the Smiths, the Stone Roses and Joy Division, and you’ll find plenty of live music of all kinds on offer.
Step behind the scenes of sporting glory with a tour of Manchester United FC. Explore the changing-rooms of the greats, walk along the players’ tunnel and step out onto the turf of Old Trafford itself, scene of countless pitched footballing battles, many between the great local rivals themselves: Manchester United and Manchester City. Learn the story of Manchester United, which begins over a century ago, or take a unique tour accompanied by one of the club’s living legends.
Curry is one of Britain’s favourite foods, so if you feel like an authentic British evening meal, this is the place for you. Five minutes’ cab ride from central Manchester, Rusholme is home to the largest concentration of Asian restaurants in Britain, with Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisine all available here. Known as the curry mile, it’s quite a sight, full of elaborate neon signs and a steady stream of hungry visitors.
Named after LS Lowry, one of Manchester’s best-known local artists, the Lowry Centre is an arts and performance venue at the heart of The Quays. The Quays itself is a major visitor location full of museums and attractions, and the Lowry Centre is one of its crowning glories. Immediately recognisable by its dramatic modern architecture, this is the place to see performing arts shows and exhibitions; it’s also home to the works of LS Lowry, famous for his depictions of everyday life in Manchester.
More like something from Harry Potter than a regular library, John Ryland’s Library is a grand Victorian Gothic structure filled with some of the rarest books in existence. They include the oldest known part of the New Testament, a large collection of illuminated medieval manuscripts and an edition of the Canterbury Tales dating back to 1476. Exhibitions are regularly held here and tours are available to visitors.
Manchester’s largest gallery is home to masterpieces by some of the world’s greatest artists. It also holds an impressive costume collection, with historic costume and contemporary fashion all on display. Don’t miss the Clore Interactive Gallery where you can get a hands-on appreciation for art. Even better, it’s all free to visit, so you can pop in whenever you like.
Manchester’s famous Museum of Science and Industry, known as MOSI for short, leads you through society’s most ground-breaking scientific breakthroughs. From railways to electricity, air and space, and on to Manchester’s development as an industrial centre, you’ll be treated to all kinds of exhibitions and hands-on demonstrations. Experience a Victorian sewer and the enormous machines of the Power Hall as you learn about the city’s past.
From the World Wars to the Falklands, IWM North brings you the facts and objects behind some of the world’s major conflicts in a moving and educational experience. This is also the place to scale the Air Shard, a striking landmark on the Manchester Skyline and a great place to take in some top views of the city.
Over 140,000 items, spectacular exhibitions and a discovery zone with plenty of interactive displays make the National Football Museum one of the greatest sports museums in Britain. See memorabilia, artwork, cinematic screenings, strips and trophies in a vast display showcasing the best of the beautiful game over decades.
