Band on the Wall: live music in Northern Quarter

The Fallowfield Loop follows a former railway line from St Werburgh's Metrolink stop in Chorlton through Fallowfield and Levenshulme to Gorton and Fairfield, and nearly all of it is traffic-free. The railway closed in 1988 and local cyclists campaigned for years to turn it into a greenway. Take the tram out, walk or…

The Hallé is Manchester's orchestra, and its concerts are listed at the Bridgewater Hall in the city centre. The 2026/27 season brings symphonies, choral works, a new Easter Festival and the orchestra's first Bollywood concert. Look at the listings for the Rush Hour concerts if you want an easy first visit, and book…

Wilmslow Road in Rusholme splits into three feels: traditional curry houses nearest the city, a stretch of Middle Eastern cafes and shisha lounges, and student spots further out. The classic restaurants are busiest from about seven to ten in the evening, and the street turns frantic after student buses arrive around…

A train ticket to Manchester CTLZ, issued from stations inside Greater Manchester, includes free Metrolink travel within the city-centre Zone 1. Tickets bought from outside the county usually print Manchester STNS instead, and those do not cover the tram, so a short hop such as Piccadilly to Deansgate-Castlefield…

When Manchester City play or Co-op Live has a show, the Etihad Campus area in east Manchester gets very busy. Parking has sold out for past events and a strict residents' parking scheme covers the streets around the venues, so driving rarely works. Take the Metrolink from the city centre and allow extra time to board…

Cloud 23 sits on the 23rd floor of Beetham Tower on Deansgate, with wide windows over the city and a glass panel in the floor that looks straight down. Book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings, because the weekend queue in the hotel foyer can be long and the free guest list fills early. Aim for late afternoon, when…

This centre on Oak Street fills a former Victorian fish market and has been a craft space since 1982. Its studios sell jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass and prints, so ask the makers about commissions. It is open Monday to Saturday and on the second Sunday of each month, but closed on bank holidays, so check before…

Piccadilly Records opened in 1978 and moved to its current home on Oldham Street in 1997, after the 1996 city-centre bombing pushed it into the Northern Quarter. The racks cover indie, disco, funk, house, jazz, folk and world music, plus books and magazines. Staff picks and in-store reviews are the quickest way into…