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.”
Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy is bringing The Weight Of The Woods tour to Manchester for a night of powerful ballads and bangers.
After busking for a considerable time, Kennedy took to streaming platforms to upload his music before dropping notable tracks like ‘Glory’, ‘Moments Passed, ‘Power Over Me’, ‘Giants’ and more.
Since then, this Irish performer has amassed a total of 9 million monthly listeners and multiple songs with over 100 million streams across three chart-topping albums.
In 2023, Dermot Kennedy teamed up with electronic music group Meduza for a monster of a collaboration titled ‘Paradise’, which peaked at 5 on the UK Official Charts.
Gig guide | Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena, Manchester
Are there any tickets left for Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena?
Hoping for some ‘Better Days’? Well, maybe that can happen by getting the chance to see Dermot Kennedy live on his latest ‘The Weight Of The Woods Tour” in support of his most recent album of the same name, which dropped back in April.
Don’t be ‘Outnumbered’ and grab a ticket or two for Dermot Kennedy on Saturday, 30 May at AO Arena in Manchester HERE.
What are the stage times for Dermot Kennedy in Manchester?
AO Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you’ll be leaving the venue reminiscing ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’ before the sun’s up.
Supporting Dermot Kennedy on the night will be some of his fellow countrymen in the form of Irish trio, Amble, who will be taking the Manchester crowd on a journey to ‘Mary’s Pub’ and reflecting on ‘Schoolyard Days’.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Neighbourhood Weekender confirmed for return in 2027 after standout year
Danny Jones
It’s official: Neighbourhood Weekender WILL be back next spring, making that three consecutive years of the big outdoor bash over in Warrington.
We think it’s time we just scrap this whole hiatus malarkey and make it annual forever and always.
Thankfully, NBHD Weekender won’t be taking a fallow year like Glasto any time soon, as they’ve just confirmed that the festival will be returning in 2027.
It will be a while before we see the lineup, of course, but if the roster is even half as good as the one we just enjoyed over the late May bank holiday, it’s bound to be a belter.
Neighbourhood Weekender 2027 starts here! 😎🎉
Sat 29th – Sun 30th May, Bank Holiday Weekend. Earlybird tickets on sale 10am tomo via: https://t.co/j5GRbT0jDE 🎟️
10% cheaper than 2026 price, and payment plans available via SEE. Earlybird ends Fri 5 June.
Following a standout weekend, the much-loved North West favourite continues to grow in reputation with each and every iteration.
If anything, the short break a couple of years back only confirmed how much people missed it, with people travelling all the way from London, Scotland, the Netherlands and more to attend the two-day celebration of live music.
Managing to welcome one of the largest and most varied audiences they’ve ever pulled in, they’re expecting spring ’27 to draw even bigger crowds.
With the likes of Richard Ashcroft and Blossoms as their two main headliners across Saturday and Sunday, several other big regional names topped the bill, from The K’s and Kaiser Chiefs, to The Fratellis, The Royston Club, Mel C and many more.
And then there was the raft of talent from further afield, like Keo, Example, Brooke Combe, and Aussie exports turned adopted-Notherners, DMA’S, just to name a few.
Safe to say our Audio North team had a blast after making yet another visit earlier this month.
Once again, the latest iteration only further cemented Neighbourhood Weekender as a staple of the UK festival calendar.
As the festival now sets its sights on following up on the rousing success, they’re aiming to continue that growth over the same bank holiday weekend in 2027, and tickets for the next full NBHD Fest will be going on sale sooner than you think.
In fact, a limited number of discounted early bird tickets will go live from 10am this Friday, 29 May and be available until Friday, 5 June via their official website, where you can stay tuned for all further news and updates in the coming weeks.
Last but not least, it’s also worth reminding that its sister spin-off event here in Manchester city centre kicks off in October, and there are still tickets left HERE. In the meantime, you can find our most recent write-up in full down below.
Daisy Jackson -
14th August 2024 
