Time Out has just named the best cities for nightlife in the world – and Manchester is right up there with the best of them.
Our fair city, which has been famed for its clubbing and music scene for decades, managed to rank in the top 10.
Thousands of people were surveyed to compile Time Out’s list, with locals quizzed on their city’s nightlife and going out scene.
Each city was then ranked on things like quality, affordability, venues and experiences.
Time Out also reached out to a series of DJs to nominate three nightlife capitals.
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Manchester placed eighth overall, thanks to its ‘inclusive and authentic’ nightlife scene, with venues including Hidden and The White Hotel getting a name check.
We obviously already knew that our city is thriving after-dark – our nightlife page is one of the busiest on The Manc’s entire website – but its nice to know we’re not completely biased.
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Locals ranked the quality of a night out here at 80%, though affordability dragged us down with a score of just 28%.
Time Out wrote: “Anyone who’s been out in Manny will have a story for the ages, so legendary is the northern city’s nightlife scene in the UK.”
It continued: “Mancunians praised the ‘inclusiveness’ and ‘variety’ of Manchester’s after-dark offering (‘bubbly’ and ‘happy’ featured several times in the survey, too).”
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Hidden was name-checked by Time Out in its list of the best nightlife cities in the world. Credit: Facebook, Hidden
Manchester-based writer Ian Jones said: “As the city grows, so does the number of sub-par spaces charging sky-high prices.
“Clued-in clubbers are rejecting slick corporate clubbing and adopting the spirit of early rave – less TikTok, more arms-in-the-air.
“Most great nights involve a trip to an industrial estate for Hidden or The White Hotel, but nearer the centre, the cutting-edge stuff is happening in unflashy basements and backrooms at newer places like Peste, DBA and N/OM.
“Old-school outsider venues like Soup Kitchen, Star & Garter and Eagle Inn have a similarly unorthodox, queer-friendly vibe.
“Bottom line? Swerve the mainstream moneymakers, Manchester’s best clubs are equal parts inclusive and authentic.”
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Rio de Janeiro claimed the top spot, followed by Manila, and then (unsurprisingly) Berlin.
Also featuring ahead of Manchester were Guadalajara in Mexico, Austin, Lagos in Nigeria, and Rotterdam.
Manchester ranked more highly for its nightlife scene than Budapest, Buenos Aires and Singapore.
Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out, says: “Nightlife has changed a lot over the past four years. But while club closures and work-from-home culture have thrown its future into question, cities the world over have done what they do best: rolled with the times.
“Our inaugural Time Out ranking of the World’s Best Cities for Nightlife champions the destinations where a great night out is an easy find and, with affordability a key metric in our ranking, won’t break the bank.
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“With our on-the-ground recommendations from local Time Out experts and three DJ city picks, you have an essential guide to today’s nightlife capitals – and where to go out there.”
Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour
Danny Jones
Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.
The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.
Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.
The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.
Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.
The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.
Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.
Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”
“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”
Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.
What do you make of their new direction?
General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.
It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.
You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.
Chris Brown arrested at luxury Manchester hotel just weeks before major tour
Daisy Jackson
Singer Chris Brown has been arrested at a five-star hotel in Manchester on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
The ‘Forever’ singer, who is set to play four huge shows at the Co-op Live arena next month, was arrested at The Lowry Hotel around 2am today (Thursday, 15 May).
It’s been reported that the arrest is in relation to a bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago against music producer Abe Diaw at Tape nightclub.
Chris Brown, 36, flew into Manchester on a private jet on Wednesday, 14 May, and was later arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police at his hotel.
In a statement, The Met told The Sun: “A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 02:00hrs on Thursday, 15 May on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
“He has been taken into custody where he remains. The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on 19 February 2023. The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.”
Abe Diaw has alleged that Brown ‘smashed him over the head with a bottle’ in the attack on him, at around 3am at Tape nightclub.
Diaw has launched a civil claim against Brown for $16 million (£12 million) in damages for injuries and losses suffered as a result of the alleged attack.
Chris Brown has 10 UK tour dates in the pipeline as part of his ‘Breezy Bowl XX tour’, which includes four at the Co-op Live on 15, 16, 24 June, and 3 July 2025.
Daisy Jackson -
14th August 2024 
