Let’s be clear. The ‘second city’ is an informal title and the choice is clearly a subjective one. So, obviously, the victor has to be Manchester.
Over the years, people have struggled to make up their minds as to which area is the UK’s biggest (culturally speaking) besides London. In the early 19th century, it was Dublin, then later Glasgow and Liverpool battled it out for the honour, both being major industrial cities at the time.
In 2015, research conducted by YouGov proved more people think of Manchester as the second city more than any other after we beat Birmingham to the top spot with 30% of the vote. But how does the land lie now?
B’ham has a strong claim – given the city-region is the second-largest in England, particularly in terms of its urban economy. Manchester is only the fifth largest by population.
Progress in Manchester, however, has put the city in the spotlight in recent years and now it seems primed to take the crown, after being ranked as the second city in numerous polls since the 2000’s.
St. Peter’s Square in full spring bloom / Image: Adam Pester
When you ask people why, it really seems to come down to culture.
Perhaps this is unsurprising, given the famous cultural exports of Manchester ranging from the suffragette movement to the Hacienda and the world’s first professional football league.
The city is also home to the longest-running soap opera in the world and has spawned a staggering 25 Nobel prize winners to date, as well as famous authors like Elizabeth Gaskell and Anthony Burgess.
According to the Trinity Mirror Data Unit, Manchester ranks ninth out of 50 cities for culture, with more music venues per 100,000 people than anywhere else in the country. It is also second for most libraries and cinemas.
Birmingham, on the other hand, ranks 47th. Still, it beats us on Michelin stars with four more than Manchester (if you count Where The Light Gets In’s green award).
A birds eye view over the city of Manchester / Image: Adam Pester
The Midlands has also made some cultural strides in recent years with big club nights like Bigger than Barry and Moho, alongside arthouse venues like Yard and Ikon gallery.
It’s also started to get more food and drink independents popping up, as the dining culture moves away from big chains to a more local focus. Credit where credit is due.
Culture aside, there are other important factors to take into account such as universities, which are the lifeblood of many UK cities.
The University of Manchester currently ranks sixth in the country, whilst Birmingham sits at 87th. No competition to speak of there, then.
And what about sport? Well, in 2020 Manchester ranked the 8th best sports city in the world by BCW Sport. It also successfully hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002, whilst Birmingham failed in its bid to host the 1992 Olympics.
However, Birmingham does host the international athletics meetings and will be the centre of the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
It also goes without saying that Manchester has two of the best football teams in the country, no matter if you’re red or blue. Yes, for a time Aston Villa were the best in England – winning their first division title five times before United or City – but since then Manchester has far out-stripped the Midlands teams in terms of titles.
Overall, it seems clear Manchester is the victor.
Even Birmingham’s own residents seem to agree, according to a study conducted in 2017 which discovered a massive 38 percent view the birthplace of Oasis, Corrie and The Stone Roses as the true second city. This figure increased to 44 percent when only 18 to 24-year-olds were asked.
Even though Birmingham might be the most populous city outside of London and a bigger contributor to national GDP, most people believe Manchester is worthy of the second city title. After all, size isn’t the only thing that’s important.
Feature image / Adam Pester.
Art & Culture
The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time
Thomas Melia
There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.
Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.
This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.
Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.
Credit: Forever Manchester
The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.
This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.
The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.
This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.
Credit: Supplied
Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.
Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.
Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.
And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.
A candlelit concert and drone show is visiting Manchester later this year
Thomas Melia
A drone show that doubles as a candlelit concert is stopping off in Manchester this autumn after visiting countries across the globe.
What’s better than a candlelit concert, I hear you ask? Well, how about a candlelit concert that also doubles as a drone show?
The masterminds at DroneArt Show have figured out a way to combine the two mesmerising experiences into one unforgettable night, and we are definitely not complaining.
You can expect to see visual displays in the sky of swans, parrots and even a ballerina, all of which will be synchronised to some of the greatest classical arrangements.
The DroneArt Show is visiting Manchester on 19 and 20 September.You can watch a candlelit concert and a drone show all in one night.Credit: DroneArtShow
While you sit back and gaze at these majestic illuminations, your ears will be delighted with the wonderful tunes and melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ and more.
As you watch this 65-minute-long show, your whole night will be soundtracked by a live string quartet as you’re surrounded by a 20,000 candlelit display and a synchronised team of 500 drones up above.
With this show expected to start at 8pm and run for just over an hour, families attending this event don’t have to worry about their child staying up past their usual bedtime.
And, you might not have to worry about the cost of an extra ticket, because if your little one is three or under, they get access to the candlelit concert and drone show for free.
Expect a live string quartet paired with synchronised drones.The DroneArt Show has travelled the world now stopping off in Manchester.Just a few examples of what the Manchester drone show will look like. (Credit: Supplied)
The organisers are encouraging anyone attending to get there early in order to secure the best seats for the night and sample some of the delicacies that the on-site food vendors have to offer.
Anyone looking to start their music enrichment early can do so too, as the full DroneArt Show programme is readily available to view, as well as all the information you need to know before you go.
The DroneArt Show is coming to Barton Aerodrome in Manchester across two dates: Friday, 19 and 20 September, with doors expected to open at 6pm and a kick-off time of 8pm.