If Blue Monday really does get you down, the best possible thing to do is look forward – and it’s set to be a bumper year for Greater Manchester.
Some of the region’s biggest developments will finally complete, with giant new music venues, cultural hubs and tourist attractions on the way in the coming months.
Our food and drink scene is set to skyrocket again, despite the current wave of closures, with big names like Gordon Ramsay making moves in Manchester city centre.
And just wait til you see how busy summer will be for music, with more still to be announced…
Manchester’s £186m new cultural space, created by the minds behind Manchester International Festival, will finally open its doors in June 2023.
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The 13,350 sq metre space inside Factory International utilises supersized moveable walls, which can reconfigure the space for different performances.
Its first event has already been wowing locals, with a huge beam of light illuminating the skies above the city since the new year.
Manchester Museum reopens
Manchester Manchester Museum Credit: Chris Bull for Manchester Museum.
22/7/21
www.chrisbullphotographer.com
One of Manchester’s best-loved attractions will reopen after several years and a £15 million transformation.
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The new-look Manchester Museum will include a two-storey extension, a new exhibition hall, a South Asia Gallery and a Chinese Culture Gallery.
When it reopens on 18 February, visitors will be able to see the UK premiere of Golden Mummies of Egypt, after a successful tour of the USA and China.
Science and Industry Museum
A Family visit ‘Turn It Up’ at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, 29th October 2022
The Science and Industry Museum has been going through some major changes in recent years, with work still ongoing in the Grade II-listed Power Hall.
Running through into 2023 is the bold new exhibition Turn it Up: The Power of Music, which will stick around in Manchester until May.
Major theatre shows arrive in Manchester
2023 will be another huge year for Manchester’s theatres, with some of the world’s biggest touring productions touching down at venues including The Lowry, The Palace and The Opera House.
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That includes the continued run of The Lion King, plus the arrivals of Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia!, Life of Pi, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – The Musical.
Wigan Pier– made famous by George Orwell’s 1937 book, The Road to Wigan Pier, will be given a new lease of life this year.
After several years of work, the long-vacant 18th Century industrial buildings of the icon pier will be transformed into a new waterside destination that includes a gin distillery, micro-brewery, food hall, events venue, and cultural hub, Marketing Manchester reports.
Music
Co-op Live opens
The smart bowl at Co-op Live arena. Credit: Supplied
This is The Big One – a brand-new, 23,500-capacity music arena, built beside the Etihad Stadium with backing from Harry Styles.
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When the Co-op Live opens in Manchester in late 2023, it’ll be home to 32 bars and restaurants (with homegrown operators manning them), a music-first ‘smart bowl’ designed with acoustics in mind, and a programme of 120 major live events in its first year.
Strap in everyone – 2023 is going to be one of Manchester’s biggest-ever years for live music, with some of the world’s most famous faces touching down on home turf.
June in particular will be jam-packed, with Parklife at Heaton Park, four nights of Coldplay at the Etihad Stadium, Elton John at the AO Arena, Courteeners at Heaton Park, Arctic Monkeys at Emirates Old Trafford, and Iron Maiden at the AO Arena.
Then Sounds of the City will kick off at Castlefield Bowl, as well as other gigs this year from The 1975, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paramore Lewis Capaldi, Shania Twain, and Blink-182.
This will be a big one, in every sense of the word – Diecast is set to take over a 200,000 sq ft industrial unit in Piccadilly East, turning it into a beer hall, brewery, night market and bakery, with creative studios and a tech hub.
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It will also have a huge garden space with a beer garden and beehives.
The exciting new plans come from some local hospitality heavyweights – A Very Inc. is headed up by Adelaide Winter and Joel Wilkinson, the team behind Ramona and The Firehouse as well as previously founding the likes of the Albert Hall, Albert’s Schloss, Gorilla and Rudy’s.
Soho House
Soho House Manchester. Credit: Soho House
It’s one of the biggest names in the world of hospitality, attracting the rich and famous across the planet, and it’s finally got Manchester in its sights in 2023.
Soho House is currently transforming the old Granada Studios building into a luxury destination, complete with a hotel, a bar and terrace, workspace, and a rooftop swimming pool.
The private member’s club is set to feature a number of restaurants including A-list celeb Italian favourite Cecconi’s.
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Lucky Cat
Sweary TV chef Gordon Ramsay is planning to open an enormous three-storey Lucky Cat restaurant inside the old HSBC bank on King Street.
The magnificent old bank space, formerly home to Jamie’s Italian, has lain empty at ever since The Naked Chef’s restaurant company collapsed into administration back in 2019.
Set to open later this year, it will evoke 1930s Tokyo drinking dens in the heart of the city’s business district with a mixture of Japanese whiskies, Asian small plates, Robata dishes and innovative cocktails.
The Stock Market Grill
Credit: The Bull & BearJoe and Daniel Schofield, James Brandwood, and Gary Neville. Credit: The Bull & BearStock Market Grill restaurant will take the place of The Bull & Bear at the Stock Exchange Hotel.
Following the exit of Michelin-star celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, there’s a new vision for the restaurant space at Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel.
The former Bull & Bear site will become The Stock Market Grill, operated by Joe and Daniel Schofield (the brothers behind Schofield’s, Atomeca and Sterling) and wine expert James Brandwood.
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The restaurant promises ‘traditional British dishes executed with technique’, with a bespoke menu that will include dishes like whipped black pudding on toast, tartare of rib-eye with caper jam and smoked dripping, steamed cod with caramelised mash, and a sticky toffee tart with honey custard.
Sexy Fish
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 for Manchester of 2023 – though its opening seems to have dragged on a bit since it was first announced.
Hotels
Forty Seven
Credit: Supplied
Situated right above the much-loved restaaurant Asha’s (run by Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle), Forty Seven is set to be one of Manchester’s most luxurious new hotels.
There’ll be 32 one and two-bedroom suites in the Grade-II listed building on Peter Street, plus a new bar at The Peterman offering drinks.
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Treehouse Hotel
A building long-seen as an eyesore in Manchester is finally being transformed into a new hotel, turning the former Renaissance site into a 216-room hotel, complete with ‘secret forest’ treehouse canopy and three new restaurants and bars.
The Nest (a 14th-floor restaurant and bar) will be headed up by chef Sam Grainger (of critically-acclaimed Liverpool restaurant Belzan), restaurateur Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, while the ground-floor all-day dining space comes from the mind of Mary-Ellen McTague.
Mollie’s Motel – also from the brains behind Soho House – will open its first-ever city centre property and its first foray into the north at the old Granada TV Studios on Quay Street.
With 140 rooms it’ll be their largest hotel yet, featuring a lounge bar, a huge restaurant, workspaces and an outdoor heated terrace.
It’s all inspired by classic roadside motels and drive-in diners seen across 1950s America, from the red neon signs to the burgers and shakes – but with surprisingly affordable prices.
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Malmaison
Taking shape just off Deansgate, Malmaison Manchester Deansgate will have views across Albert Square and Manchester Town Hall.
With 70 guest rooms, it will pay homage to retro 60s and 70s design, with Chez Mal Brasserie serving food, and SORA serving panoramic views from its rooftop bar.
The Reach at Piccadilly
The Reach at Piccadilly will open as a new 215-room hotel just beside Manchester Piccadilly.
It’s taking over a former aparthotel and rooms will feature natural materials like wool, cotton and timber.
Travellers will be able to enjoy a fully equipped fitness centre, as well as a restaurant with canal-side views and all-day dining with speciality small plates and local beers.
There’ll be a new attraction at the Trafford Centre geared towards football fans this year.
METRIX is opening a permanent site at the huge shopping centre, with players able to play physical and virtual games with smart technology and virtual reality.
Live data will track ball speed, power, touch and accuracy for players to compare with their friends.
RHS Bridgewater developments
Two years after opening, Salford’s RHS Garden Bridgewater will add two new garden highlights in 2023.
There’ll be a series of structures installed at the Chinese Streamside Garden, a music pavilion.
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GM Ringway
Get your hiking boots on – Greater Manchester’s ambitious GM Ringway is ready and waiting for exploring.
The massive 300km walking trail will make use of existing footpaths and parks, and will connect the beautiful countryside in the north west with tourist attractions and heritage landmarks.
It all splits down into 20 stages, and every section is designed to be accessed by public transport.
Spanning all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, the GM Ringway will pass more than 40 Grade I and Grade II*-listed buildings, 13 museums, 57 conservation areas, 18 local nature reserves, 14 ancient monuments and parts of the Peak District.
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.
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The green space is already open for exploration, planting and exploring one of the 12 bee hives, with wider plans for Summer 2023 to add a new visitor centre with shop and café, a learning space, swimming pond, natural amphitheatre and a large market garden.
Eden Project North
From the team behind the much-revered Eden Project in Cornwall, Eden Project North is a major new eco project set on the sea front of Morecambe.
Plans include a Natural Observatory, theatrical experiences, and Eden Project’s famous biomes, full of natural planting to tell the stories of the natural environment of the area.
The ambitious project is set to open in 2024 but we should all be able to see it taking shape this year.
Featured image: Sexy Fish / Soho House / Co-op Live
Art & Culture
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 23 – 29 June 2025
Emily Sergeant
How have we all been enjoying the sun this past week? There’s more where that came from too.
June is in full swing, and now that summer is here in all its glory, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester this month, as you’d expect – we’re talking festivals, themed events, new foodie openings, and loads more on the horizon in the coming weeks.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries.
We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide, both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too.
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Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
Monday 23 June – onwards
Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline / Credit: Supplied
A new free exhibition is now open allowing visitors to open the door into the rich history of one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings the Refuge Assurance Building, which is now the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline has transformed the walls of the hotel’s Refuge bar and dining space to chart the building’s remarkable journey, from its beginnings in 1895 to its current life as one of the city’s most loved luxury hotels.
Alongside the story of the building itself, the exhibition also highlights the people who have shaped the building over the decades.
National Trust – Sky Gardening Challenge / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s time to get your green thumbs out, as the National Trust has challenged city dwellers to ‘green’ their balconies this summer.
We know the city is a little lacking in greenspace, so why not bring the greenspace to you? If you need some tips and tricks on how to get a little greener, and what plants would work best in your mini oasis, then you can grab yourself booklets, seeds.
Plus, they’re also running free workshops across Greater Manchester.
Oh and hey, if you think you’ve got a bloomin’ lovely balcony, then you can now enter the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge and be in with the chance of winning some exciting prizes.
An award-winning play about the England men’s national football team is playing outside of London for the first time ever, and Greater Manchester has been chosen as the lucky location.
The National Theatre’s smash-hit production of writer James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England, has started its four-week run at the legendary The Lowry in Salford, and audiences have a chance to catch it up until 29 June.
Directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director, Rupert Goold, Dear England tells the story of the England men’s football team under former manager, Gareth Southgate.
Stories – Brought To Life / Credit: The Manc Group
A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.
The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.
Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.
Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
MOTH, which sells premium cocktails in a can, has launched its first ever MOTH: Licence corner shop here in Manchester’s Northern Quarter
This convenience store with a twist on Oldham Street is now serving delicious boozy beverages in a can, with live DJ sets and the chance to win prizes.
These refreshing, bar-strength premium canned cocktails are ideal for picnics, single-serve drinking, and shoving in your bag for whatever summer adventures you may be heading out on.
The UK’s first official Oasis merch store has now opened in Manchester.
Officially throwing its doors open in Spinningfields at the end of last week, the Oasis Live ’25 Fan Store is stocked full to the brim of all the official merch for the hotly-anticipated reunion tour this summer, and it’s also launching online as well as in store.
As well as the official tour merchandise, the store sells exclusive brand collaborations, limited-edition products, and items not available to buy anywhere else.
Did you see that Manchester Museum has been named European Museum of the Year for 2025?
Talk about a prestigious title.
Yes that’s right, congratulations are in order, because Manchester Museum – which is part of The University of Manchester (UoM) – has received one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world, the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA).
Not only that, but it’s made history in doing so too, as it’s the first university museum to ever receive the annual prize.
Manchester Museum has been named the European Museum of the Year for 2025 / Credit: Manchester Museum
It beat out 41 other cultural hubs across the continent to claim the coveted prize.
Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field.
A free open-air cinema is coming to Manchester city centre this summer.
With a backdrop of the modern Manchester skyline, Screen on The Square will be a go-to hangout for Mancs this summer, as audiences will be able to recline in deck chairs surrounded by one of the city’s best views, and watch everything from classic and family films, to music, sporting events, and so much more.
It’s all launching at New Jackson – Renaker’s world-class skyscraper district and thriving new neighbourhood that’s taken shape at the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Glastonbury weekend is upon us, and to celebrate the UK’s biggest music festival in all its glory, Nell’s is hosting its own festivals instead.
The beloved New York-style pizza specialists – which now has four sites across the region – is turning two of its most popular restaurants into festival hubs next weekend, bringing all the spirit of Glastonbury to Kampus and Altrincham.
Manchester’s thriving canalside neighbourhood Kampus will become home to the aptly-named Kampus Fest, while over in the Trafford town of Altrincham, Alty Fest will be in full force.
You can expect big screens live streaming the full Glastonbury festival throughout, plus pop-up markets, face painting and hair tinsel stations, outdoor tequila and margarita bars, happy hours, and of course, lots and lots of Nell’s pizza.
Find out more about both these free festivals here.
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Street Eat
Rochdale Town Hall Square
Saturday 28 June
Street Eat / Credit: Supplied
Rochdale Town Hall Square will be packed with foodies galore this weekend, as the town marks the return of its popular food festival.
Street Eat is one of the biggest days of the year in the Rochdale calendar, organised by the Rochdale Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), welcoming food and drinks stalls from local vendors and restaurants.
A whole host of other free activities will be happening throughout the day, including live Punch and Judy shows, face painting, a caricaturist sketching portraits, and lots of live music.
One of Manchester’s historic market halls has been revived for a new era, and a series of free summer festivals are set to celebrate – with the first kicking off this weekend.
As part of the unveiling of the newly-revived Campfield Mega Campus – a grade II-listed building that will be returning to its original purpose as a bustling market hall for the first time this century, a one-of-a-kind artisanal festival called The Weekender will be back on Saturday.
Expect a curated makers market, live music, creative classes, kids activities, top street food, delicious beverages, and a few other creative surprises.
A massive music-filled takeover of Manchester arrives this weekend ahead of 1.3 million music tourists descending on the city centre this summer.
MCR Live ’25 will celebrate what promises to be a sensational summer of sound.
There’ll be everything from a pop-up bar in Piccadilly Gardens with surprise live acts doing sets, and markets in St Peter’s Square selling vinyl and vintage goods, to block parties in the Northern Quarter, and the already-announced Music for the Senses art trail dotted around all the well-known city centre sights.
Featured Image – Nell’s | The Manc Group | Rochdale BID
Art & Culture
Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ is coming to Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
This Vogue-fronted experience will incorporate interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Vogue is using this show to honour anyone who has made an impact in the fashion world.The Met Gala has become a staple in everyone’s calendar year in and year out.First Northern Quarter’s Chanel show, now this… Très chic. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/GoodFon)
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January when it visits Aviva Studios this winter.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
16th January 2023 
