Music is undoubtedly the sound of Summer in Manchester this year, with the city welcoming the UK’s biggest new music venue, Co-op Live in April, which is set to host major global music icons through to Autumn when the venue welcomes the MTV EMAs, televised live from Manchester.
Those music-hungry fans will not be disappointed to see the growth of independent food and drink spots across the city, which includes high-end spots like the newly opened Skof, and converted industrial architecture and laid-back dining from the ever-growing Diecast.
The summer also welcomes the return of the colorful and much-loved Manchester Pride celebrations, the second premiere exhibition from Manchester Museum with Wild, and the perfect opportunity to visit the urban oasis in the sky at Castlefield Viaduct, which has announced plans for the extension of the park in 2025.
Read on to learn more and why visitors should add Manchester to their summer travel plans this year. Plus, new openings and updates across food and drink, accommodation, attractions, and events taking place in Greater Manchester this Summer and beyond…
Unmissable Music in Manchester
Music is in Manchester’s DNA – Joy Division, The Smiths, and Oasis all started life in the city and our latest campaign celebrates the city’s best music attractions. The newest addition to Manchester’s musical legacy is the opening of Co-op Live, the UK’s biggest new music venue with 23,500 capacity. The venue is set to host artists like Paul McCartney, Janet Jackson and Charlie XCX, and the MTV EMAs will be held in October. Across the city, venues like AO Arena, which underwent a £50m refurbishment, newly opened Aviva Studios, and restored 1970s venue New Century will all host acts throughout the Summer, whilst outdoor events like Live From Wythenshawe Park will see local bands New Order and Blossoms play.
Manchester Flavours: a destination for dining
The city’s reputation as an emerging global food and drink destination continues to grow, strengthened by the latest new opening, SKOF; given 5-stars by The Telegraph, local chef Tom Barnes’ first solo venture offers a 12 and 15-course tasting menu in an intimate 36-cover restaurant. Also recently opened is the high-end Tender, taking space in the Stock Exchange Hotel and led by three-time Michelin award chef, Niall Keating, as well as a glut of casual dining spots done well, such as Onda Pasta Bar, Medlock Canteen, and Lamb of Tartary. Coming later this year, Pip is set to open with a low-waste restaurant within the eagerly-awaited Treehouse Manchester Hotel, and Louis opens in Autumn from the team behind £8m restaurant, Fenix, offering nightly live music inspired by New York’s jazz scene.
A Destination for LGBTQ+ travellers
Manchester’s LGBTQ+ heritage runs deep, from the 1880s when hidden drag balls took place in closed venues, to the 1960s when the city loudly campaigned for equality. Today, Manchester is a thriving queer destination with one of the largest celebrations of Pride in the UK, which takes place over four days in August, and a range of smaller community-led Pride events across the year, including Pride events in Wigan, Oldham and Stockport, and Sparkle Weekend, the city’s celebration of the trans and non-binary community. This year, Manchester Pride will extend with a week-long festival of LGBTQ+ cinema, with SCENE opening on 16 August. Beyond Pride events, Manchester is a year-round destination for LGBTQ+ visitors with one of the largest community neighbourhoods in The Village. The city is also home to Queer Lit, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ bookstore, small businesses like queer-owned Feel Good Club, and an alternative queer nightlife with events like Homoelectric and Kiss Me Again running all year.
New and unique accommodation
Manchester’s accommodation offering continues to grow, and the latest unique opening allows visitors to stay on the site of the world’s first passenger railway, with Station Agent’s House offering an 8-bedroom holiday rental in a historic 1830s property. Across the city, two new properties open for Summer, including Maldron Cathedral Quarter, their third property in the city, and The Reach at Piccadilly with 215 bedrooms next to Manchester Piccadilly train station. Still to come later in 2024, Treehouse Manchester opens as the second property for the brand with a zero-waste eatery and rooftop bar, and Mollie’s Motel opens alongside Soho House, on the site of a former TV studio.
Gateway to the North: new direct flight routes
Manchester Airport is the third biggest in the UK, with direct routes from across the globe, including New York, Beijing, and Dubai. In the Summer, new direct routes to launch include Shanghai with Juneyao Airlines and Las Vegas with Virgin Atlantic. As the Gateway to the North, visitors can base themselves in Manchester, with the benefit of a two-hour train ride to London, and destinations like Liverpool, Peak District and Chester all within one hour’s reach.
