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.”
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
‘A new kind of night out’ – new competitive social games venue opens in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
A brand-new competitive social games venue is opening in Manchester city centre this week, bringing a completely original format to the city’s nightlife scene.
Gameface has made itself at home inside Manchester‘s Printworks complex.
Built around 10 games designed and developed from scratch, Gameface turns a standard night out into a fast-paced, shared experience.
The 5,400 sq ft venue has capacity for 120 players and has been created by CONDUCTR, the creative innovation studio powered by technology, meaning every game has been built in-house – with bespoke mechanics and technology developed specifically for the experience.
Having been in development for over a year now, and becoming the first venue for the brand – with further expansion planned in the future – Gameface joins an already-competitive socialising scene at Printworks, alongside venues like Boom Battle Bar, Tenpin, and Treetop Golf.
However, unlike existing concepts, all games at Gameface are completely original and do not exist anywhere else.
So, how does it work then? Well, groups move between games in a 60-minute session, competing for points across physical, reactive, and problem-solving challenges, before heading straight to the bar.
Rather than putting technology front and centre, Gameface uses it to ‘quietly power’ the experience.
Score tracking, reactive gameplay, and dynamic challenges all sit behind the scenes, designed to make each game feel intuitive, fast and competitive from the first round.
New competitive social games venue Gameface opens in Manchester city centre / Credit: Supplied
There are no long instructions or complicated rules. Players arrive, tap in, and start competing within seconds, so the result is apparently something ‘closer to a house party than a traditional activity venue’.
“It’s a night out where you’re actually doing something,” explained Leanne Casey, who is the General Manager at Gameface. “You’re moving, competing, laughing, and it gets competitive almost instantly. People care about the score quicker than they expect.”
Daisy Jackson -
14th August 2024 
