Feature

22 things to look forward to in Greater Manchester in 2022

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 26th December 2021

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.

So, what have we got in store for 2022?

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Marketing Manchester, the organisation that incorporates our tourism board and the official website visitmanchester.com have once again pulled together their list of things to get excited about in the year ahead.

It includes outdoor experiences, cultural developments, hospitality openings, and events.

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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.

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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.

Read more about it here.

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Castlefield Viaduct

Credit: Twelve Architects & Masterplanners

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

This tiny hole in a wall is home to Greater Manchester’s best smashed burgers

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

Bob over Salford way, and any burger fan worth their salt will tell you that there’s only one place to go for a smashed burger in this neck of the woods. Yes, we’re talking about Burgerism.

First founded in 2018, Burgerism has been quietly setting the standard for dark kitchens way before the pandemic made them so popular.

For years, it has been delivery only – drawing regular queues outside its Salford site and churning out thousands of its popular smashed patty burgers a day. More recently, the kitchen has gone exclusive on Deliveroo and is slowly expanding its empire across the UK with further sites in Liverpool and Leeds.

This year, the team also opened a second site on the other side of Manchester in Gatley.

As a result, Stockport locals can now enjoy their smashed patties, perfect potato buns and crunchy fried chicken without having to make the drive across town (once a regular occurrence, or so we’re told).

Serving up a range of stacked burgers, chicken wings and others sides, alongside Burgerism’s award-winning mains takeaway fans will find a whole host of other treats including lemon pepper, BBQ and buffalo wings.

Burgerism’s famous smashed burgers. / Image: The Manc Eats
Burgerism’s new site in Gatley. / Image: The Manc Eats

Fries come with the skin on, tossed in a signature house spice mix, whilst burgers are pressed down onto a hot grill using a super-secret smashing tool that the team will not reveal on camera for love nor money.

As for the main event, smashed burgers can be ordered as singles or doubles with optional extras like cheese and bacon.

There’s also the slawed-up Freebird chicken burger, which is deep fried and then dipped back into spicy oil for an extra kick.

Burgerism also makes all its own sauces in house. / Image: The Manc Eats
Burgers at Burgerism. / Image: The Manc Eats

Non-meat eaters are also well catered for, with ‘Veggied’ and ‘Veganed’ options both made using Moving Mountains ‘bleeding’ plant-based patties.

Last but not least, we have to give a shout out to Burgerism’s new dessert offering which sees the team partner with Leeds favourite Get Baked to serve up some of the fudgiest, gooey brownies we’ve had the pleasure of tasting.

Read more: The fried chicken bottomless brunch with an epic ‘carb-fest’ chip butty

With the salted chocolate brownie a solid mainstay, you’ll typically also find a special on offer. This week? A hot cross bun caramel brownie, in a nod to Easter. Don’t mind if we do.

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

Read more: The team behind Gooey has launched a new pasta concept on Peter Street

To see the full menu click here and to find out more about Burgerism head over to their Instagram page here.

Oh, and to save on your next Deliveroo order from Bundobust make sure to use our code 5OFFBURGERISM when you check out.

Featured image – Burgerism

Feature

The award-winning cocktail bar hidden beneath the old Coronation Street cobbles

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

Unbeknownst to many, there is an award-winning cocktail bar hidden beneath Coronation Street‘s original cobbles serving up some of the best drinks in the city.

Recently named ‘one to watch’ at the UK’s Top 50 Bar awards 2023, Project Halcyon has also just won the Best New Bar award – voted for by a community of some 17,000 hospitality staff at this month’s Manchester Bar Awards (MBAs).

Brought to Manchester by the team behind Zymogorium distillery, it originally opened in early 2020 – launching just weeks before the Covid 19 pandemic hit.

Like many other operators, the secret speakeasy – which is connected to the working distillery for Manchester gin makers Zymogorium – closed its doors during lockdown, then quietly relaunched in late October last year beneath Old Granada Studios.

Since reopening, it’s been flooded with accolades. General Manager Adam has just been named amongst the UK’s top 100 bartenders by World Class UK, whilst house bartender Reah Owen recently won the Rising Star award at the MBAs.

And yet, somehow, it’s still managing to fly under the radar as one of Manchester’s best-kept secrets – although, considering all the awards the team is winning, we expect this won’t remain the case for long.

Image: Project Halcyon
Image: Project Halcyon

The bar is something of a labyrinth with numerous corners to explore within its underground warren. As well as housing a large bar at its entrance, it’s also home to a dedicated absinthe parlour, Salon Vert, which has been painted to look like a woodland scene and features vintage crystal absinthe fountains.

Read more: This Manchester restaurant is serving an all-you-can-eat curry buffet throughout Ramadan

Elsewhere, there’s a still room and laboratory where the team uses chemistry equipment to create all the insane ingredients that go into their cocktails.

Add to this a self-playing grand piano and a rare collection of expensive spirits, and it’s safe to say Project Halcyon is very much up there with the city centre’s best cocktail bars.

As for its current drinks menu, open it up and you’ll discover that each signature cocktail is accompanied by a stunning illustration of a rare bird.

Choices include ‘Fourteen Days’, a long, tart drink that nods to the Halcyon days of Ancient Greece, and ‘Phoenix Down’, a smoky combination of smoky, nutty bourbon with bitter back notes that symbolises rebirth and eternal life.

Image: Project Halcyon
‘Murder of Crows’ (Chairmans Reserve Original – Cane Toad SMBS – Ming River Baijiu – Mandarin – 5 Spice). / Image: Project Halcyon

Elsewhere on the list, you’ll find the brilliantly-named cocktails ‘Act of Vanity’, a combination of melon liqueur, blueberry and Veuve Cliquot champagne, and ‘Murder of Crows’, a moody and short mix of spiced spirits that promises to be both dark and funky.

Read more: Inside the Manchester restaurant serving ‘India’s answer to a Wigan kebab’

The bar also serves up a list of six house classics, all of which are prebatched, prediluted and kept at -14 degrees ready to be poured at your table. Interestingly, though, because the drinks are already kept at the right temperature they aren’t diluted with water but rather with a variety of house-made concoctions.

General Manager Adam told The Manc that the most famous of these is the house vodka martini, made with Boatyard vodka, Cocchi Americano vermouth and clarified banana juice as the dilute.

Image: Project Halcyon
Image: Project Halcyon

“It makes for this insanely creamy, flavourful martini that’s classic but approachable,” he said, adding: “Our approach to the bar is that the science is for us to worry about, the hospitality is for the guests.

“We don’t put all this crazy techy stuff at the forefront of what we do. We prioritise good, classic, personal hospitality first and foremost.”

Read more: ‘We were treated awfully’ – ex-staffer speaks out as Freight Island gears up for reopening

The bar also boasts a vast collection of rare and expensive spirits – and amongst the usual suspects, such as Louis XIII cognac, sit some interesting pieces like the latest seasonal release from Nc’nean and Elena Wright, the latter a close friend of the bar and an award-winning Manchester bartender.

It also serves up a strong selection of wines and beers, not to mention a cracking gin and tonic. Of course, being run by one of Manchester’s original craft gin distilleries, we’d expect nothing less.

Feature image – Project Halcyon

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