A new multi-purpose food, drink, entertainment and leisure destination is coming to Manchester city centre and the Salford border this autumn, and you won’t find many places that roll so much into one spot.
Mancs, get ready to welcome ‘Tangerine’.
Conceived by an impressive collective of local creatives, indies and those with plenty of experience catering to the Northern masses, Tangerine is promising everything from multiple resident kitchens, a live music hall, an arthouse stage, a specialist martini bar and more.
Better yet, after a year in the making and quietly chipping away at the striking space, it opens later this month, so you don’t have to wait long to try it for yourselves.
Located on New Bailey Street, just on the edge of Spinningfields and Salford Central, this groundbreaking new venue features two main platforms (utilising the integrated charm of the historic railway arches), each boasting its own selection of attractions.
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While platform one will offer a bakery, coffee roastery, wine store and bottle ship, the ‘Canteen Club’ and even a florist, number two will contain the music hall, arthouse stage and the stylish ‘Grand Departures’ bar – serving seven espresso martini alone – Tangerine will deliver a seamless day to night transition.
Arguably, however, the centrepiece is the ‘Cantina Collective’. The food and drink hall promises seven in-house kitchens, showcasing a variety of cuisines.
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The opening line-up already confirmed includes Vanda: a family-run Parisian-inspired Ukrainian bakery; Mexican taqueria, PANTERA, burger joint Juicy, as well as Yo Dutchie (a unique fusion of Dutch-Japanese food) and a new Korean/ramen concept from local sushi favourites, Unagi.
Our stomachs are already grumbling just thinking about it.
CGI renders of the completed space. (Credit: Supplied)
Designed not only by the brains behind Northern Quarter’s beloved Mala hidden garden but WANT STUDIOS, who will be ensuring local artists, independents, and traders will be regularly spotlighted, the site will boast a capacity of well over 300 people.
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Artyom Dmitrijev, owner of Tangerine and Mala, said in a statement: “Over a year in the making, we’ve used all our experience in design, interiors, architecture and hospitality to create our dream project. A place for all the independents to come together and thrive.”
Andy Windsor, Director of WANT STUDIOS, added: “Tangerine unites the city’s independent kitchens, bar tenders, bakeries and entertainment specialists. It is a unique showcase of what we do in the city. This is a new space for creativity, food, and culture, and we’re proud to be part of it.”
Debuting to the public with a big Halloween weekender on the evening of Friday, 31 October, with another launch event the following Saturday, you can sign up for exclusive early access for free, which could see you score a few freebies to boot.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Tangerine MCR (via Instagram)
Art & Culture
Science and Industry Museum announces programme of FREE ‘spooktacular’ October half term activities
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s best museums has announced a programme of free ‘spooktacular science’ activities for October half term.
With half term right around the corner and Halloween not far off either, it won’t be long before parents and carers are looking for ways to keep little Mancs occupied… luckily, the Science and Industry Museum has got you covered.
With only a few weeks to go until schools in Greater Manchester are out for October half term, the massively popular museum in the heart of Manchester city centre has unveiled a jam-packed lineup of free events.
Families are being told to get ready for ‘spooktacular’ science, hands-on activities, and loads of interactive fun, all inspired by the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition.
You can storyboard and then animate your own extra-terrestrial character inside the Animation Studio, let your imagination run wild and design your own alien species, or even go on a galactic treasure hunt around the museum and build your own interstellar spaceship with a giant rocket building kit.
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has announced a programme of free ‘spooktacular’ October half term activities / Credit: Science Museum Group
In the mornings, you can take a break from your cosmic adventures and enjoy family-friendly sci-fi screenings in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also then be able to put your skills to the test with classic space-themed games on the big screen every day in the afternoon.
And don’t forget, this half term is your only chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster who’ll be popping up in the Upper Yard as part of the annual Halloween in the City MCR Monsters trail.
If you’re planning on visiting on actual Halloween day itself, then the museum is inviting you to come dressed in your best costume so you can get properly stuck into all the spooky fun.
The unveiling of the October half term events programme comes after the museum also announced that its popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event would be returning for one night only later this month, also with a Halloween twist.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions. Find out more here.
Science and Industry Museum’s October Half Term Programme is running from 24 October to 1 November. Entry to the museum (except the exhibitions) is free of charge, but it’s advised that you book your admission in advance, as it’s expected to be busier than normal.
Featured Image – Drew Forsyth (Science Museum Group)
Art & Culture
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A new digital archive documenting the legendary Queer Up North festival has launched this month.
Running for an illustrious decade from 1992 to 2002, Queer Up North was the first multi-artform LGBTQ+ festival in Europe, but its significance has extended far beyond the arts as a beacon for queer culture, and is largely described as being one of the most pioneering and influential festivals ever.
From the very start, Queer Up North had an international standpoint – gaining support and recognition from much further afield as well as here in Manchester.
The festival emerged during a period where Manchester’s queer communities were navigating new ways to gain visibility and to create culture on their own terms.
It played a central role in uniting artists, performers, audiences, and venues – helping to establish Manchester as an international destination for LGBTQ+ arts and culture.
The newly launched digital archive shares materials from the iconic festival’s history, making them easily accessible to the public online for the first time, and for free.
The curated collection features 1420 images, 275 artefacts, and 29 oral histories revealing amazing stories about the people, performances, art, club nights, cabaret, and comedy that all helped to shape culture in Manchester during the 90s.
It offers a chance to explore a pivotal decade of Manchester’s history and understand how a generation of artists, performers, and audiences created a whole host of new opportunities for the Mancunian queer community.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival / Credit: Jonathan Keenan (Supplied)
It also facilitates a platform for new work, inspired by the legacy of Queer Up North, with founders emphasising that its purpose is as much about the future, as it is the past.
Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow, founder-directors of Queer Up North shared: “The festival set out to be pioneering, innovative, international and inspirational, and looking back 34 years later, is it incredibly exciting to see that history preserved and celebrated.
“The Queer Up North Archive ensures that the creativity and contributions of LGBTQ+ artists and communities are remembered, while opening up their work and stories to a new generation.
Danny Jones -
8th October 2025 
