You can pack a lot into a weekend, especially when you’re in a city with as much to offer as Manchester.
From the indie bars of the Northern Quarter, to traditional shopping arcades Deansgate, the high-end luxury of New Cathedral Street and beyond, Manchester has loads going on – but where should you begin?
The Manc’s got your back.
With these unmissable highlights and local insights, you’re sure to have an unforgettable weekend in Manchester.
From the best brunch spots and late-night hangouts, to art galleries, and top shopping destinations, here’s our guide for making sure you get the absolute most out of your 48 hours in Manchester city centre.
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Where To Stay?
Native Manchester: Found in the Grade II listed Ducie Street Warehouse, Native aparthotel is a stone’s throw from Piccadilly train station and offers the best of inner-city luxury.
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It was the winner of The Sunday Times Best Hotel, North of England 2019, and boasts 162 luxury serviced apartments. Go on, treat yourself.
Prices from £131 per night.
Manchester South Hotel: Staying a little further out from the city centre can bring you big savings. Manchester South Hotel in Fallowfield is just 15 minutes from the city centre by car and less than half an hour by public transport.
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It offers guests light and airy rooms, free WiFi, and easy access to the rest of Manchester. With a bus stop just outside the hotel, it makes a great base for 48 hours of exploring.
Prices from £54 per night.
Friday Evening
Start your weekend right in Manchester’s lively Northern Quarter.
This vibrant neighbourhood has long been recognised as one of the city’s coolest hangouts – and you’ll see it at its best on a Friday night.
Grab a pre-dinner drink at El Capo, a buzzing South American bar and cantina that’s sure to get the party started with its amazing selection of 70 different types of tequila.
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If it’s a cocktail you’re after, we recommend the ‘Mezcal Mule’ (Montelobos Mezcal, agave, lemon, and ginger beer) for an innovative twist on a classic.
Work up an appetite by taking a stroll to spot some of the neighbourhood’s famous street art.
The art in the Northern Quarter is always changing, but the enormous blue tit mural on the side of a building in Newton Street is an iconic long-term fixture.
Credit: BAB | Unsplash (Louis Hansel)
When dinner calls, head over to BAB – a unique independent restaurant on Little Lever Street that offers mezze and “kebabs worth sitting down for” – think fresh flatbreads, moreish small plates, homemade marinades, and a serious commitment to big flavours.
In more of a pizza mood? We’ve got you covered.
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PLY lies in the heart of the Northern Quarter and serves some of Manchester’s best sourdough pizzas, along with a regularly refreshed range of craft beer, quality wine, and twists on classic cocktails.
When you’re fed and watered, head along to Matt and Phred’s – a jazz club and live music venue on Tib Street to dance the night away to their live jazz, funk and soul acts, or sip on a cocktail in the laid-back basement bar.
Not ready to call it a night? Then head down to Dusk ‘til Pawn – a nearby speakeasy bar with an enormous range of drinks on offer and open till 2am.
Fuel up for the day (and chase away any thoughts of a hangover) with a proper breakfast from one of the Northern Quarter’s best cafes.
We love Federal, Fig + Sparrow, and Foundation Coffee House for their French toast, granola pots, and vegan options, but if you’re after a hearty full-English, you can’t go wrong with Koffee Pot.
Spend the rest of the morning browsing some of the city’s best independent shops.
Find vintage treasures in Cow, Blue Rinse, and Pop Boutique, before popping into Oklahoma – an artsy boutique bursting at the seams with handmade jewellery, eclectic homeware, and unique gifts.
Continue your shopping spree with a quick tour of some of Manchester’s beloved record shops, as vinyl havens such as Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, and Eastern Bloc are essential stop-offs for any music junkie.
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If you feel yourself flagging, Eastern Bloc has a great coffee counter where you can get re-caffeinated ready for the rest of the day.
For lunch, head to Pollen, an airy bakery and cafe overlooking New Islington marina that has recently won Best Food and Drink Retailer at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards to indulge in one of the signature pastries for dessert.
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more hearty, neighbouring Sugo Pasta Kitchen offers amazing spreads of Southern Italian pasta dishes.
Continue your afternoon at Manchester Craft and Design Centre – a creative hub located in a Victorian former fish and poultry market building – where you can uncover hidden gems in the artists’ studios and purchase contemporary jewellery, ceramics, art, and more.
A must-see for bookworms, architecture enthusiasts and Harry Potter fans alike, the library was built in the 1890s and has been called “a real-life Hogwarts”, and the gift shop is well worth a visit too.
Credit: Sugo Pasta Kitchen | Unsplash (Chris Curry)
This impressive Grade II listed building received a £50m refurbishment in 2010 and is home to a huge collection of rare books.
Tick off another iconic Manchester building by finishing your afternoon in the shops of The Royal Exchange. From luxury boutiques to some of the world’s favourite high-street brands, the historic arcade has over 30 shops to choose from, as well as tempting coffee shops and tearooms.
Saturday Evening
Bundobust on Oxford Road is a great choice for dinner.
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This 150-seat restaurant is also home to Bundobust’s own brewery, able to produce 20,000 pints of beer a month, so you can sit under the huge glass ceiling and feast on the best Indian street food the city has to offer.
Kick off Saturday night at Albert’s Schloss – a Bavarian-style bar that bills itself as “a retreat from the modern world” – and expect impromptu live performances and tankards of Europe’s finest beer.
If you want to keep the party going, Deansgate Locks and Canal Street are two of Manchester’s best clubbing hotspots. From Lola Lo, a lively tiki bar on Deansgate Locks, to Via, one of Manchester’s favourite gay bars, there’s something on offer for every night owl.
If clubbing isn’t your thing, get a dose of culture at one of Manchester’s many theatres.
The Palace and the Opera House are two of the city’s main theatres, welcoming some of the biggest touring shows from the West End and beyond.
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Sunday Morning
Pick up a takeaway breakfast pastry from Trove bakery and stroll to Manchester Art Gallery for a morning exploring its collection of over 25,000 objects of fine art, sculpture and costume.
Not sure where to start?
The gallery is best known for its important Pre-Raphaelite collection, so ask one of the friendly staff members to point you in the right direction.
Sunday Afternoon
A Sunday afternoon in Manchester wouldn’t be complete without a great roast dinner, and the team at Trof have been cooking up a storm in the Northern Quarter for over ten years now, so they know what’s what when it comes to a great Sunday lunch.
Think free-range crispy pork belly, slow-roasted Lancashire beef, and some of the best roast potatoes around, and there’s great veggie options too.
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If you’ve got room for dessert, Trof’s sticky toffee pudding is the ultimate Sunday indulgence.
Credit: Trof / Lifestyle Commercial Photography / Sam Docker
The Science and Industry Museum traces the ideas and inventions that have shaped our world, from the Industrial Revolution to today and beyond, and the National Football Museum is the biggest football museum in the world, featuring iconic objects from sport history and exploring the importance of the beautiful game to the UK’s identity.
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Featured Images — Charles Bowring (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
Feature
10 fascinating photos that show how much Market Street has changed over the years
Thomas Melia
Whether it’s your default place to visit for shopping on your days off or just a necessary evil you dash down when nipping through town, Market Street is one of Manchester’s best-known streets.
And looking back on it over the years, Market Street has been one of Manchester city centre’smost popular streets even all the way back in the 1900’s.
Retailers have come and gone, trends flew by and consumables were snapped off the shelves, but the one thing that has kept this central street alive and beating is the people of Manchester.
The appeal of this high street really can’t be beaten and it seems its reputation has been following it around for over 100 years. If there’s one thing Market Street is never short of, it’s a crowd.
Have a look back over these photos of Market Street over the years – can you remember any of this?
Market Street – Over the years
Market Street, 1823
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Shops and people galore, it’s almost like we’re looking at our modern day Market Street from 200 years ago. Oh wait, we are!
In this photo from 1823, there are families, workers, friends and couples, just like the street attracts in this day and age, it’s lovely to see that this central point has seen many people and witnessed many special memories.
Considering Market Street is uphill and this picture is facing downhill, we tried our best to recreate this moment in the present day.
Market Street/ Cross Street, 1890
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Gone are the Tudor style buildings of the previous photograph and in are the Victorian gas lamps and shop awnings.
It’s hard to make out what sellers and makers are perched up in each shop unit, but I want to visit whichever place is selling those fancy black top hats.
It’s great to see Royal Exchange has kept its legacy in our city even with all the developments happening in and around the city.
Market Street, 1905
Credit: The Manchester LibraryCredit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Alas, colour! There’s some lovely gold brand embellishing spelling out ‘Brothers’ and even a hanging sign to match.
You’ll definitely never lose track of time, especially when there’s clocks sequenced in between the street’s high risers.
After some significant research the ‘Hope Brothers’ building may no longer be with us but a shop filled with Canadian sweet treats and coffee is, Tim Hortons.
Market Street, 1924
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
This image is taken from a shop window overlooking Market Street and although the picture may be black and white, it looks as though the sun is beaming down over Manchester, someone got lucky!
1920’s Manchester would certainly put a smile on Andy Burnham’s face, just look at how many trams are running in this photo.
The clocks are no more and it seems the tram wires may have stole the skyline instead, our picture was taken from the top floor of clothing retailer H&M.
Market Street, 1940
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
There was a time when everyone’s favourite affordable clothing shop, also known as Primark, was a department store branded ‘Lewis’s’.
Known for its grand window displays and the infamous phrase “If something happened it happened at Lewis’s.”
On the left of this photo you can see an arch detailing ‘Lewis’s Arcade’, this is now where Cafe Nero and Costa stand proudly on one of Manchester’s finest retail streets.
This photo was taken during World War Two and you can see in the windows a message – ‘Are you supporting the national effort?’
Market Street/ Cross Street, 1974
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Cross Street neighbours our beloved Market Street and is also where you’ll find a host of shops occupying the impressive perimeter of the Royal Exchange.
One of the city centre’s newest retail arrivals to nestle in this grand building is Astrid and Miyu, luxury jewellery makers and designers.
Manchester Arndale has seen a major facelift since this photo was taken as it opts for a more glass-heavy fronting and futuristic style.
Market Street, 1984
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Now in the 80’s and florescent lights and neon colours were all the rage, something which you can see in HMV’s logo shining brightly above its shop window.
The music catalog maestros may not be sitting pretty on Market Street anymore, but you will still find them in the Arndale Centre spotlighting loads of incredible new music, like they’ve always done.
You might not be able to pick up a copy of Madonna’s ‘True Blue’ or Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, but you will get yourself a ‘Black Hoof’ from ‘Black Sheep Coffee’.
Market Street/ Mossley Street, 1985
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
A shop called Pizzaland dedicated to all things pizza? Here’s another reason why the 80’s were one of the best decades.
This popular eatery chain shut down in the early 90’s and some of these sites went on to become Pizza Hut sites but ours became a Santander, now closed down to make room for Pop Mart.
If all this food talk has made you hungry, fear not, there’s a Burger King just next door, or explore all the various food options in Manchester via our foodie friend, The Manc Eats.
Inside Arndale Centre, 1978
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Manchester may be one of the most eccentric cities in the world with a constant array of new openings and arrivals but the trusty Arndale has been by our side since the very beginning, or at least the 70’s.
The same can’t be said for this lovely sculpture by Franta Belsky, which was installed in 1977 and removed in 1988 after refurbishments to the shopping centre.
This big open plan mezzanine might not be present anymore but it’s clear to see that one thing certainly hasn’t changed and that’s our love of shops.
The retailers might not be the same, but this shopping powerhouse is never short on some incredible and wonderful vendors.
Outside of Manchester Arndale,Market Street, 1990’s
Credit: The Manchester Library / The Manc Group
Manchester’s Arndale Centre sees 41 million visitors each year and has undergone some very big changes throughout its time.
We’re sure some of you looking at this picture will remember when the Arndale had its own deep blue awning and a few benches perched outside.
Whether its 1823 or 1990, one thing’s for sure, Market Street has always looked sharp!
Rachel Kevern -
20th October 2021 
