So 2021 didn’t exactly go to plan, did it – but our buzzing region is looking forward to the year ahead with some seriously exciting things on the horizon.
Greater Manchester has done its best to bounce back from another year of decimated tourism, delivering amazing outdoor experiences and attractions.
2021 saw the return of huge city events like Manchester International Festival, Manchester Pride festival, and Parklife.
New restaurants and bars have continued to spring up in every direction too.
It includes outdoor experiences, cultural developments, hospitality openings, and events.
We’ve picked out 22 things heading to Greater Manchester in 2022.
Mayfield Park
Credit: Mayfield Parnership
Manchester’s first new park in more than 100 years will be unveiled in late 2022.
Spanning 6.5 acres, Mayfield Park is currently under construction on the sprawling Mayfield site adjacent to Piccadilly Station.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022
This will be massive for Greater Manchester – the women’s tournament is kicking off here next year.
England will play Austria at Old Trafford on July 6, with several other fixtures at Manchester City Academy, Leigh Sports Village, and DW Stadium in Wigan.
Mrs Doubtfire the Musical
One of the best films of all time has been turned into a Broadway show, and Manchester will be treated to the first performances on home turf in 2022.
Mrs Doubtfire the Musical will have its UK premiere at the Opera House Manchester on September 2 and will run until October 1.
This long-neglected and under-appreciated gem of industrial architecture in Manchester city centre will have new life breathed into it in 2022.
The Grade II-listed Castlefield Viaduct is being turned into an elevated urban park, much like New York’s High Line, by the National Trust.
Phase one will open to the public in the summer – read more here.
Soho House
One of the biggest hospitality names in the world will make its way to Manchester in 2022, taking over the upper three floors of the former Granada Studios building.
It will be a key operator in the new St John’s neighbourhood, which will also be home to MIF’s The Factory from 2023.
It’s expected to include a rooftop bar and pool as well as dining rooms, lounge areas and a Mollie’s Motel & Diner concept.
Band on the Wall
CGI of how Band on the Wall will look
Gosh, we’ve missed this place – the historic gig venue Band on the Wall will finally reopen in the spring.
It’s been undergoing a big renovation while we’ve all been nipping in and out of lockdowns, expanding into the Victorian Cocozza building that’s been derelict at the back of the venue for decades.
Manchester Museum
Another reopening here – the much-loved Manchester Museum closed back in the summer while it grows into its £13.5 million extension.
When it reopens late in 2022, it will have a new two-storey extension, a new exhibition hall, the South Asia Gallery, and Chinese Culture Gallery.
Rugby League World Cup
Old Trafford might be famed for its football pedigree, but in 2022 it will turn its attention to the world of rugby.
The rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup, and Women’s Rugby League World Cup, will take place in October and November.
The Wheelchair Final will be held at Manchester Central, and additional fixtures are taking place at the University of Bolton Stadium and Leigh Sports Village.
Sexy Fish
Credit: Spinningfields
Decadent Mayfair restaurant Sexy Fish, owned by The Ivy’s Richard Caring, is taking over the old Armani unit in Spinningfields.
It first opened in 2015 and is famed for its luxurious dining environment and will be one of the most talked-about restaurant openings of 2022.
Gratitude Games
This is a new event – a multi-sport games created to support the mental health of emergency service and NHS workers.
It will be held at venues across Greater Manchester in April and May. Spanning 20 sports – including both traditional sports such as athletics, cycling, swimming, as well as niche sports like angling, lawn bowls and squash – it’s a chance for our emergency services and NHS to have fun, enjoy the benefits of sport and for the public to thank them for the amazing work they do.
Northern Roots
Oldham’s ambitious eco-project, which will see the UK’s largest urban farm built just outside Oldham town centre, is moving forward.
The 160-acre Northern Roots will include hand-on community projects like beekeeping, animal husbandry and growing plots, as well as a bike hub, mountain biking trails, arts, culture and events, and a natural amphitheatre and swimming pond.
Pollen Bakery
Credit: Pollen / No Chintz Studio
Famed Ancoats bakery is expanding with a second location, this time at Kampus.
The new location will offer an expanded brunch menu as well as more room for baking their sell out breads and pastries, with a chance for customers to see the kitchen working.
Leonardo Hotel
The Leonardo will open in Manchester in 2022. Credit: Capital & Centric
Capital & Centric’s Jenga-inspired hotel is well on the way and due to open in spring.
The £35m development, in the heart of Piccadilly East, will be draped in plants and plans include a ground-floor restaurant, cafe, and external terrace connecting to a new public square.
Jodrell Bank
Cheshire’s UNESCO attraction Jodrell Bank will welcome its new addition, the £21m First Light Pavilion, in May.
It will be a new gallery dedicated to telling the story of Jodrell Bank, with an immersive projection space and auditorium, and a new education hub and café.
Wigan Pier
The long-vacant 18th century buildings of Wigan Pier will finally be brought back to life, as a waterside destination.
It was made famous by George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier in 1937 – but its new life will include a gin distillery, microbrewery, events venue and cultural hub.
The Locationist
Manchester has a rich history of being used as a filming location, including Peaky Blinders, Captain America, The Crown, and It’s A Sin.
The Locationist tour is set to launch early in the year and will show off the city’s top locations.
Bistro Marc
A great team effort by many at the Cumbria Clock Company bringing the Winters Clock House back up and running…a little more to do but nearly there… pic.twitter.com/jnsjnaVApd
There’s been painstaking work going on in Stockport, where the historic Winter’s building on Little Underbank is being turned into a new French restaurant.
Bistro Marc will be a 70-cover restaurant spread over two floors that will serve French favourites, with a focus on using fresh local produce from Stockport Indoor Markets and other local suppliers.
Treehouse Hotel Manchester
That big brutalist Renaissance Hotel on Deansgate is being turned into a 206-bedroom hotel.
Forming part of the wider £200m redevelopment of the area, there’ll also be new retail space and room for pop-up food and drink vendors alongside the River Irwell.
Royal Exchange
Credit: Flickr
The magnificent Royal Exchange theatre has a packed year-long programme that will celebrate the joy of theatre, with bold plays, new writing and cast-iron classics.
Maxine Peake will star in a new show Betty! A Sort of Musical, while Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie will also come to the stage.
Queer Contact
Queer Contact has been a staple of Manchester’s cultural calendar for more than a decade, but this will be its first year in its newly-transformed home.
Contact theatre on Oxford Road has undergone a £6.75m refurbishment.
The event in February will again be a celebration of queer culture and LGBTQ+ talent, including drag kings, comedy, variety, ground-breaking performance and the annual Vogue Ball.
Claus the Musical
There’s a world premiere in store for Salford, with a brand new Christmas musical debuting at The Lowry.
From the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz comes Claus the Musical, telling the story of Claus and how he became an icon of our hearts and the skies.
Manchester Open
The walls of HOME’s gallery will again be filled with work from the region’s artists, with more than 400 residents taking part.
Following on from 2020’s award-winning exhibition, almost 2,300 artwork entries were submitted for judging for its second outing and the resulting show promises to deliver an unmissable insight into the city-region’s local artistic talent.
Featured image:
Feature
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.
14 iconic Oasis locations you need to visit in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Oasis are back and ahead of their sold out Heaton Park gigs, we’re showing you some of the band’s most iconic Manchester-based locations.
If you haven’t heard already, the Oasis reunion is well and truly in full swing, so what better way to celebrate than visiting some of the band’s most iconic locations in and around Manchester city centre.
Whether you want to visit the place where the boys sat together practicing their hits and eating ‘Digsy’s Dinner’, or feel ‘Supersonic’ as you stroll past their favourite football stadium, these locations should be on all Oasis fan’s radars.
Take it easy and ‘Roll With It’ as you admire an Oasis mosaic in Manchester’s Northern Quarter or ‘Go Let It Out’ as you fangirl before posing next to the actual fireplace from the Definitely Maybe album cover.
Enough time talking, now we’ve got to figure out ‘The Masterplan’ to fitting a visit to each of these iconic Oasis locations all in one day… ‘Stand by Me’ we’ve got some ground to cover.
Iconic Oasis locations around Manchester city centre
Oasis are set to play five historic sold out nights at Heaton Park in Manchester this July.
Etihad Stadium
Both Liam and Noel Gallagher have been Manchester City supporters since day one / Credit: The Manc Group
If there’s one thing Manchester loves as much as its music – it’s football, and these two Burnage boys are no different, because they’ve been showing up for a familiar blue team since day one.
Located and right next to Manchester’s newest live entertainment venue Co-op Live, why not pay the Manchester music landmark a visit too.
Where to find: Etihad Stadium, Etihad Campus, Manchester M11 3FF
India House
Noel lived in a flat at India House from 1989 to 1993 / Credit: The Manc Group
Just off Oxford Street you’ll find a very impressive Edwardian-style building with a big gold plaque outside labelled ‘India House’ – it’s even more impressive when you learn that Noel Gallagher had a flat here.
Legend has it the Gallagher brother came up with lots of the Britpop band’s most legendary hits including ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ here. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Noel wrote ‘Live Forever’.
He loved this city centre flat so much that he decided to pose outside it in 2023 for a student-led photography project titled ‘Greater Mancunians’.
Where to find: India House, 73 Whitworth Street, Manchester, M1 6LG.
This place needs no introduction as the second you even speak the word ‘Hacienda‘ the yellow and black striped poles, spotlights and cigarette smoke hit you like a brick.
Besides being one of Manchester’s most famed nightclubs thanks to the help of performances from The Smiths, New Order, Oasis and even pop royalty Madonna.
Unfortunately, this piece of Manchester’s music history was demolished in 2002 but its legacy lives on with the film 24 Hour Party People Where one scene was filmed on a rooftop in Rochdale – now The Hacienda Apartments stand in its place.
Where to find: The Hacienda Apartments, 21 Albion St, Manchester M1 5DA
The Boardwalk Nightclub
Oasis played their first gig at The Boardwalk on 14 August 1991 / Credit: The Manc Group
The Boardwalk was once a thriving nightclub and entertainment venue that welcomed the likes of The Charlatans, Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and of course the venue where Oasis played their first gig.
The basement of this popular live music venue was once a rehearsal space for some of Manchester’s most recognisable names including James and Simply Red.
From the 90s until its closure just before the Millennium, The Boardwalk became a cultural hub for all things indie rave scoring itself a blue plaque as a ‘Madchester Venue Nightclub and Rehearsal Rooms’.
Where to find: 21 Little Peter St, Manchester M15 4PS
The next place isn’t just an iconic Oasis location, it’s also one of the most important as it’s where the band came to fruition.
This terraced property is the childhood home of founding Oasis member and guitarist, Paul Arthurs, more often known by his nickname ‘Bonehead’.
The West Didsbury house is also a part of global music history with the band shooting the artwork for their 1994 debut studio album Definitely Maybe, now one of the most recognisable Britpop covers ever.
Where to find: 8 Stratford Avenue, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2LH
Fog Lane Park
The Didsbury green space has a very special place in the Oasis brothers’ hearts after being an outdoor area they used to play football at growing up.
Eagle-eyed Oasis fans will be able to recognise particular shots from the band’s ‘Shakermaker’ music video which features Fog Lane Park and Burton Road.
This park is also not too far from Sifter’s Records, another notable Manc spot for the band, which also sits pretty on, you guessed it, Fog Lane.
Where to find: 139 Fog Ln, Parkville Rd, Park, Manchester M20 4UP
This musical instrument superstore near both Manchester universities has been a trusted trader for all artists and acts since 1955.
Oasis pay homage to the blue-and-yellow-signed music shop in their The Masterplan video which sees the matchstick figures of the band woven into Lowry paintings with an Oasis twist.
Roadhouse himself was known as Manchester’s Mr Music so it’s only fitting that Manchester’s biggest musical export added this shop in this animated music video.
Where to find: 123 Oxford Rd, All Saints, Manchester M1 7DU
New Islington Marina may have been completed after the boys stopped making and releasing music but it sure knows its musical history.
This canal side spot has attracted many due to its modern charm but it’s also drawn in an Oasis fan or two who have spotted a hidden message under the marina’s footbridge.
Underneath this raised walkway, Oasis fans have spotted that the title to their 1995 track ‘Cast No Shadow’ reflects in the water below, now isn’t that just ‘Supersonic’.
Where to find: New Islington Marina Prom, Manchester M4 6BX
If you know your Manchester lore then you know this record shop we’re talking about here – Sifters in Burnage is well known for being mentioned in Shakermaker by Oasis.
‘Mr Sifter sold me songs when I was just sixteen..’
Walking through the doors is like stepping through a time machine and you’re transported back to an era when physical media was still appreciated and music came on round pieces of plastic.
Microdot Boutique
Microdot on King Street is run by Brian Cannon, the designer behind iconic artwork for Oasis and The Verve (Richard Ashcroft is supporting them at their Manchester gigs), plus loads more.
It’s packed with original prints, rare memorabilia, and design history you’ll recognise instantly, such as the actual fireplace from the ‘Definitely Maybe’ cover, kindly on loan from Bonehead himself.
From the original Oasis logo to some of the most iconic sleeves of the 90s, this store is a proper slice of UK music culture – whether you’re just having a nosey or looking to take something home.
Definitely Maybe bar (and mosaic)
Everywhere in Manchester has been pretty lively ahead of the reunion shows – but it’s really going to go off at Definitely Maybe, a new Oasis-inspired bar beneath Afflecks in the Northern Quarter.
There’s a menu of cocktail inspired by the Burnage brothers, loads of memorabilia and photography from the band’s illustrious career, and even a pair of Liam’s Tommy Hilfiger underwear pegged up alongside a variety of awards, posters and vintage memorabilia of the Manchester music pioneers.
A new mosaic by Mark Kennedy has also just been unveiled on the side of Afflecks just outside.
Oasis Live ’25 wall art
Now this, is a Wonderwall.
The Coach and Horses pub in Whitefield, which has found itself on the doorstep of the Oasis reunion shows in Heaton Park, unveiled a new mural last year dedicated to the Gallaghers.
Painted by Snow Graffiti Scott, it replicates that first photo we had of the boys together for the first time in 16 years.
adidas shop
adidas made a return to Manchester city centre in spectacular style last month, launching back onto Market Street with a huge store packed with sportswear and streetwear.
And they’re honouring The Band with the Three Stripes too, with an entire section dedicated to the Oasis x adidas collection.
The limited-edition 26-piece drop brings together classic 90s silhouettes with a fresh twist including bucket hats, Firebird tracksuits, jerseys and more. So if you’re heading to Heaton Park this month, you know where to head to.
Daisy Jackson -
26th December 2021 
