One carpet company has compiled a list which ranks all of the Greater Manchester Wetherspoons’ locations based solely on their carpets.
Might they have too much time on their hands? Maybe? Do we care? Not one bit.
If you didn’t know already, this pub chain is famed for its reasonably priced drinks, both cheap small and big plates (usually decorated with some kind of garish pattern), and the ability to convert old cinemas, halls, churches and pretty much anything into a boozer.
But there’s also one key ingredient that makes each ‘Spoons’ special that goes over most people’s heads, or rather right under their fight: it’s the funky, unique and individually-designed carpets.
This attention to detail caught the eye of writer and publisher, Kit Caless, who launched a blog and social media account dedicated entirely to archiving these fascinating floor coverings, quite simply titled ‘Wetherspoons Carpets’.
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Local carpet shop, Urmston Carpets, understands the importance of these fluffy floor patterns too and recently released a list ranking all Manchester’s Wetherspoons locations based on how many likes they received – again, the classification being driven by the carpeting.
There’s 35 pub chain sites throughout the Greater Manchester region, and nine of these can be found in Manchester city centre, although none of these pubs nabbed the top spot or even the top 10.
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In fact, the borough which finds itself having some of the most liked Wetherspoons’ carpets according to the Instagram pages likes is Trafford, with three venues, closely followed by Rochdale with two.
Eccles Cross landed the number 10 spot, a pub which has a carpet full of alternating blue-and-gold-toned intertwining squares, receiving a total of 65 likes.
Next is The Unicorn, with its deep-red floral printed flooring, amassing 70 likes and a post with quietly one of the best hashtags ever invented: “#altrinchtothat”, paying homage to the area where this pub resides, Altrincham. Top notch.
Castle in the Air, attached to indoor slope attraction Chill Factore over in Trafford, has 75 likes, and although the carpet design is very fitting with its mountain-inspired landscape, the comment section isn’t too impressed…
Yes, people take this random passion project just as seriously as its creator.
Right in the heart of Oldham town centre is The Up Steps Inn, which finishes as the seventh most-liked Wetherspoons carpet in all of Greater Manchester, with 82 people giving this beige vine-covered floor a double tap or two.
Just missing out on the top five is Ashton’s local Wetherspoons, aptly named The Ash Tree, with a bonfire-esque design with a variation of bright orange, grey and black tones, which amassed 86 likes.
Off to Chorlton-cum-Hardy next, where the top five kicks off with a combined 87 likes for The Sedge Lynn – famously beloved for its striking tiled exterior – thanks to its peach and red floral artwork adorning a blank black canvas, one fan describes it as “Very strong. Royal even”.
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In fourth place is one of Stretford’s go-to Man United pubs: The Bishop Blaize. It collected 88 likes across two posts, and we can definitely see why with its funky and very swirly carpet, which probably would’ve been a dress pattern in the 60s.
Grabbing the bronze podium position is The Mardi Gras, Trafford’s third contribution to the top 10, with its New Orleans-cum-Trafford Centre Wetherspoons, boasting 92 likes.
Scoring the silver medal is the Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale and its trusty ‘Spoons location, The Regal Moon, which has been liked 99 times; the carpet may be dashing, but it’s the piano man above the bar who steals the show.
Now, are you ready to see who took home the gold?
Reigning victorious with a whopping 104 likes is the mighty Middleton Wetherspoons, The Harbord Harbord, with its wave-inspired warm-toned carpet; a massive pat on the back for this boozer from everyone on the internet – well, at least those in this particular corner, anyway.
The top 10 most liked Wetherspoons carpets in Manchester
The Harbord Harbord – Middleton, 104 likes
The Regal Moon – Rochdale, 99 likes
The Mardi Gras – Trafford Centre, 92 likes
The Bishop Blaize – Stretford, 88 likes
The Sedge Lynn – Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 87 likes
The Ash Tree – Ashton-under-Lyne, 86 likes
The Up Steps Inn – Oldham, 82 likes
Castle in the Air – Trafford, Chill Factore, 75 likes
The Unicorn – Altrincham, 70 likes
Eccles Cross – Eccles, 65 likes
If you’re questioning the accuracy of this ranking, don’t worry, you’re in safe hands as this flooring store is only a one-minute radius away from The Tim Bobbin on Flixton Road, so they definitely know their way around a good ‘Spoons.
Adrian Brown ofUrmston Carpetsprovided the following advice for homeowners looking to recreate: “While Wetherspoons carpets have become something of a design icon, it’s important to remember that pub carpets are made very differently than what you’d typically find in a home.
“Commercial carpets are designed to handle thousands of footsteps a day, resist spills, and stand up to regular deep cleaning. They’re built for durability first.
“If you’re trying to recreate the look at home, choosing a patterned carpet, you’ll need to find a balance between visual impact and practicality.”
Sounds From The Other City releases 2026 lineup with 100+ acts playing on 17 stages across Salford
Emily Sergeant
More than 100 exciting artists are set to perform on 17 stages dotted across Salford this spring.
In case you hadn’t heard, 2026 is the year Salford is celebrating 100 years since it was first declared its own city, and to celebrate such a monumental occasion, the popular Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) festival has now released its full lineup ahead of its return on the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Salford’s long-running independent festival of new music is known for its genre-spanning showcase of new artists from across the UK and beyond.
This year’s festival is curated by some of the most exciting promoters, record labels, radio stations, magazines, and tastemakers in the North.
Music lovers will get the chance to see artists in a wide range of independent venues and unconventional spaces across the city – with 17 stages around Chapel Street and The Crescent, from pubs and churches, to concert halls and galleries.
Artists announced today include the uncategorisable masked provocateur Lynks, South African ‘future ghetto funk’ trailblazer Moonchild Sanelly, Manchester-based artist jasmine.4.t, who has recently been named BBC 6 Music Artist of the Year 2025.
Other artists to look out for include Grey Lantern, FaT OuT, ambient pop artist Pollyfromthedirt, genre-straddling South London six-piece, Blue Bendy, South London trio ashnymph, and Manchester quartet Pyncher.
The Sounds From The Other City festival has released its 2026 lineup / Credit: Breige Cobane (Supplied)
One of the undeniable highlights of the lineup is that the spiritual home of the festival, Islington Mill, will be programmed day and night by the legendary Band on the Wall, multi-award-winning Reform Radio, Manchester’s infamous queer day-rave BENT, and the LGBTQ+ POC collective Swagga, with performances from Sorvina, Renee Stormz, and Chimpo.
“This year, we’re shining a spotlight on Salford’s independent venues and the selectors in the North who shape our programme,” commented Emma Thompson, Co-Director of From The Other, as the lineup was announced this week.
“Giving these organisations the space to showcase the artists they champion is vital, not just for discovering emerging talent, but to recognise how important these spaces are for our scene.”
Sounds From The Other City 2026 takes place on Sunday 3 May, and tickets go on sale this week – with Early Bird ticket access available to mailing list subscribers from tomorrow (Thursday 29 January) and the remaining tickets going on general sale from Friday 30 January.
Prices remain unchanged from 2025 with tiers at £30/35/40/45, and you can get tickets when they go live here.
Featured Image – Breige Cobane (Supplied)
Art & Culture
Northern veterans Embrace announce new album and special UK anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Northern rock veterans Embrace have announced a new album, as well as a raft of landmark anniversary tour dates in the UK, including a big Manchester gig.Guess you could call it ‘A Glorious Day’…
In all seriousness, we’re big fans of Embrace here at Audio North, and a lot of people across the wider team grew up listening to these lot, either through our parents or as part of our first adolescent forays into music.
Often lumped in with so-called ‘dad rock’, perhaps due to the era and radio-friendly sound they’ve cultivated over the course of their long and successful, albeit somewhat underdog career, it’s merely a sign of their longevity and how palatable their brand of alternative guitar-driven tunes has always been.
LP number nine – simply entitled Avalanche – will be no different, we’re sure.
Pre-order ‘Avalanche’ from our official store for priority access to pre-sale tickets for the tour 👉 https://t.co/LZwz3o7xY5 or link in bio ☝🏻
UK Tour Pre-sale: 4 Feb UK Tour General sale: 6 Feb
Well, the record itself is set to be a highly personal one, according to a recent interview with Clash Magazine, but the boys have always put plenty of themselves into their long-running discography.
As per an official press release, frontman Danny McNamara believes this might be more “honest, open, and raw” than anything they’ve done before.
This being their first new material since 2022, when the band released How to Be a Person Like Other People (album number eight, which recieved largley positive reviews for being similarly introspective), die-hards are understandably hugely excited, with pre-orders already flying.
The Bailiff Bridge-born band were praised on that last outing for returning to something closer to their classic post-Britpop sound, and judging by the latest release, ‘Road to Nowhere’, we’re getting more of that familiar style that fans have grown so fond of over the decades.
Speaking of which, the Embrace boys are celebrating 30 years as a touring band in 2026: an incredible feat for any artist, but we’re always especially proud of those from up North.
Confirming the full news via social media on Wednesday, 28 January, the well-established and long-running Yorkshire group revealed a healthy run of live tour dates for this winter.
Listing a run of a dozen dates in total, Embrace comes to Manchester Academy (1) in mid-November, with Newcastle being the other northernmost show in England.
Surprisingly, there are currently venues booked in their home county, but you may well see special shows announced there in addition to the first batch of 30th anniversary gigs. You can see the full list of tour dates announced down below.
Embrace 30th anniversary UK tour dates 2026
Aberdeen Music Hall – Monday, 9
Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom – 10 Tuesday, 10
Newcastle NX – Thursday, 12
Manchester O2 Academy – Saturday, 14
Nottingham Rock City – Sunday, 15
Brighton Dome – Tues, 17
Bristol Beacon – Thurs, 19
London Roundhouse – Friday, 20
Birmingham O2 Academy – Sat, 21
Cambridge Corn Exchange – Sun, 22
Margate Dreamland – Tues, 24
Torquay Arena – Thurs, 26
Southampton O2 Guildhall – Fri, 27
Cardiff Tramshed – Sat, 28
As for those of you looking to watch them in the city centre, early access will be granted to those pre-ordering the album, which drops on 12 June, from Wednesday, 4 February. General sale tickets will be available the following Friday (6 Feb) at 10am.
You can get ready to grab your tickets for the upcoming Embrace gig at Manchester Academy when they go live right HERE.
Meanwhile, you can hear the band’s new single, which is already becoming a fan favourite Embrace song, in full down below – let us know what you think of it in the comments.
Thomas Melia -
16th August 2025 
