Cultural Highlights
ART GALLERIES
Manchester Art Gallery
Mosley Street M2 3JL
T: 0161 235 8888
Restored in 2002 and given a striking new extension, the gallery
shows off the wealth of Manchester’s artistic legacy, including its
famous collection of Pre-Raphaelites and a great collection of
modern pieces.
www.manchestergalleries.org
The Lowry
Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
T: 0870 787 5780
A high-impact, landmark building, perfectly
set against the vast water and sky background of The Quays at
Salford.
The Lowry is a whole day out of attractions in itself – you get art
galleries, two theatres, a gift shop and several restaurants, not
to mention the tram ride out there.
www.thelowry.com
Whitworth Art Gallery
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road M15 6ER
T: 0161 275 7450 Great collection of art and design,
from watercolours, prints, drawings, modern art and sculpture,
including the largest collections of decorative textiles and
wallpapers outside London.
www.whitworth.man.ac.uk
Chinese Arts Centre
Market Buildings, Thomas St M4 1EU
T: 0161 832 7271
This national showcase for Oriental culture is a great place to
catch exhibitions by Chinese artists. The centre’s chilled-out tea
shop also provides a little haven of peace and tranquillity in the
creative hubbub of the surrounding Northern Quarter.
www.chinese-arts-centre.org
Cornerhouse
70 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5NH
T: 0161 200 1516
The best place in the city for contemporary art, sculpture and
photography, the Cornerhouse also houses a three-screen arthouse
cinema, a fine bar and a welcoming, easy-going café.
www.cornerhouse.org
Urbis
Cathedral Gardens M4 3BG
T: 0161 605 8200
This flagship Manchester building sits imposingly in the
lovely Cathedral Gardens like a rearing, glass-skinned serpent.
Gallery-cum-exhibition centre-cum-arts venue, Urbis is described as
‘the city centre’, reflecting
its focus on different aspects of urban culture from around the
world.
www.urbis.org.uk
MUSEUMS
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
Liverpool Road, Castlefield M3 4FP
T: 0161 832 2244 Full of fascinating insights into
England’s industrial history and great if the workings of planes,
trains and automobiles are your bag. The touring exhibitions are
also designed to appeal to your inner geek, with dinosaurs, Star
Trek and Dr Who the most recent.
www.msim.org.uk
Imperial War Museum North
The Quays, Trafford M17 1TZ
T: 161 836 4000 The UK’s first building by Daniel
Libeskind, IWM North is a real attention-grabber – more like
architecture as environmental sculpture. Located on the opposite
bank of The Quays to The Lowry, this is another building that uses
its waterscape backdrop to sensational effect. On the inside, its
thought-provoking exhibitions have won it a prestigious national
silver award in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence
2007.
www.iwm.org.uk/north
Manchester Museum
Oxford Road M13 9PL
T: 0161 275 2634
An established part of Manchester University for over 100 years,
the museum covers all the ‘ologies’ from archaeology to
zoology. The original building was the work of Alfred Waterhouse,
architect of Manchester Town Hall, with the 2003 refurbishment
undertaken by Ian Simpson, architect of Urbis and the new Beetham
tower.
www.museum.man.ac.uk
THEATRES
The Royal Exchange
St Ann’s Square M2 7DH
T: 0161 833 9833
Make sure that the Royal Exchange is on your itinerary, if not
for one of the consistently top-notch theatrical performances, then
just to take in the jaw-dropping, dramatic interior that was once
the trading floor of the city’s Cotton Exchange. Good craft shop
too.
www.royalexchange.co.uk
The Library Theatre
St Peter’s Square M2 5PD
T: 0161 236 7110
The handsome rotunda of Manchester’s Central Library houses a
surprise in its basement – the oldest repertory theatre company in
the UK. Focussing mainly on contemporary and sometimes provocative
works, the theatre also attracts some interesting touring
productions.
www.librarytheatre.com
Contact Theatre
Devas Street M15 6JA
T: 0161 274 0604
Remodelled in 1999, this architecturally madcap building looks
almost Gaudi-esque. With a stated mission of catering for the 13-30
age group, the theatrical product veers towards the cutting edge
and contemporary, with regular club nights and laid-back DJ’s.
www.contact-theatre.org
Green Room
54-56 Whitworth Street M1 5WW
T: 0161615 0515
This hip, experimental performance space is tucked away underneath
the railway arches. Consistently avant-garde productions and
another good spot for café bar lounging, with regular DJ’s in the
foyer space.
www.greenroomarts.org
Palace Theatre
Oxford Road M1 6FT
T: 0161 245 6600
The major venue in Manchester for touring West End productions,
this is a classic example of the grand temples to variety that were
built in the Victorian era – all gilded statues and red plush
seating.
www.livenation.co.uk
Opera House
Quay Street M3 3HP
T: 0161 828 1700
Slightly smaller sister venue to the Palace, this is another
traditional theatre venue, veering more towards opera, ballet and
one-off comedy or musical shows.
www.livenation.co.uk
The Lowry
Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
T: 0870 787 5780
The Lowry’s two performing spaces provide a strong mix of music,
ballet, opera, theatre and comedy.
www.thelowry.com
MUSIC VENUES
MEN Arena
Victoria Station M3 1AR
T: 0871 226 5000
The largest indoor arena in Europe, this is the place to catch the
Kylies and Justins of this worls on their latest blockbusting
tour.
www.men-arena.com
Manchester Apollo
Stockport Rd, Ardwick Green M12 6AP
T: 0161 273 6921
This big old converted cinema is the venue for those comedy and
music gigs that are too big for the Academy and not yet big enough
for the MEN Arena.
www.livenation.co.uk
The Bridgewater Hall
Lower Mosley Street, Petersfield M2 3WS
T: 0161 907 9000
Opened in 1996, the Hall is one of Europe’s best venues for
classical music and home to not one but three orchestras: the Hallé
(Britain’s oldest professional symphony orchestra), the BBC
Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata. Also good for top-notch
visiting international orchestras and soloists, plus a
complementary programme of non-classical, jazz and world music
artists.
www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
Royal Northern College of Music
124 Oxford Rd M13 9RD
T: 0161 907 5377
This top-notch musical conservatoire is the place to catch the
classical stars of the future, as well as a eclectic mix of
classical and contemporary artists.
Academy 1,2 & 3
Oxford Road M13 9PR
T: 0161 275 2930 W: manchesteracademy.net
The three spaces at this University-based venue provide a sliding
scale of size to suit wherever a band currently sits on the path
from anonymity to fame, or vice versa.
www.rncm.ac.uk
Roadhouse
8 Newton Street M1 2AN
T: 0161 237 9789
One of Manchester’s great survivors, this intimate basement
venue has been around since Oasis and The Verve were doing their
first gigs. A standard stop on any up-and-coming, NME-rated band’s
touring itinerary.
www.theroadhouselive.co.uk
Matt & Phred’s
64 Tib Street M4 1LW
T: 0161 831 7002
Ronnie Scott’s in miniature, this atmospheric Northern Quarter
institution is where you can hear jazz of the highest order on most
nights well into the early hours.
www.mattandphreds.com