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.”
Sir Rod Stewart announces Manchester gig on final ever tour
Daisy Jackson
Sir Rod Stewart has announced his final ever tour, with the legendary singer set to perform in Manchester along with some of Europe’s biggest arenas in 2027.
The ‘The Final Encore’ tour will mark the end of a live career spanning more than six decades, with Stewart kicking off the run in Dublin next spring before heading across the UK and Europe.
The music icon will be heading to the Co-op Live in May next year, with support from synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones.
Announcing the tour, Rod Stewart said: “The time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last.
“I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.
“I hope you’ll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how… with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.”
The Final Encore is expected to feature many of Stewart’s biggest songs, including Maggie May, You Wear It Well, Tonight’s the Night, Hot Legs, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Young Turks, Baby Jane, Forever Young, You’re in My Heart, Rhythm of My Heart, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Sailing and Have I Told You Lately.
Credit: Denise Truscello Credit: Jonathan Kammen 2007
Stewart has sold more than 250 million records and singles worldwide and has amassed 31 UK Top 10 singles, including six number ones. His career has also seen him inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice and named a Grammy Living Legend.
His touring career has been just as remarkable, with Stewart having performed for an estimated 20 million fans around the world.
That includes his famous Guinness World Record-setting performance on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where an estimated 3.5 million people watched him perform, as well as a 13-year, 200-show residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Now, after more than 60 years on stage, Stewart is preparing to bring the curtain down on his touring career.
General release tickets for Rod Stewart’s The Final Encore will go on sale from 10am on Friday 2 October, with a number of presales taking place in the days prior.
Rod Stewart will perform in Manchester one last time on Thursday 6 May 2027 – tickets will go on sale HERE.
Oasis Live ’27 – what to expect if you’re successful for ticket registration in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s go time… fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27, so here is everything we know about the process so far.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little first, it was announced last week, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park – that Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for six special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
The iconic Manchester band will also be taking to a range of other world-famous stages across the globe, including five nights at Glasgow’s Celtic Park, and major cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Las Vegas.
Fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27 in Manchester / Credit: Joshua Halling (Supplied) | The Manc Group
If you’re reading this, you’ll probably know by now that tickets are being sold through a strict fan registration process this year – with no general onsale and only successful registrants even invited to try and buy them.
Prices will be fixed, however, meaning fans will be able to snap up a ticket for as little as £74.60 for seated tickets, with seats then costing up to £266.60, including fees.
Standing tickets will be priced at either £173.60 or £206.60, and there are also hotel packages, coach packages, and VIP packages available.
And today’s the day that lucky fans have started receiving the codes and information they need to be in with a chance of securing tickets to next year’s hugely anticipated tour.
The all-important email being sent out to fans reads: “You have been selected to receive a unique code to access the onsale for the Oasis Live ’27 dates at [relevant venue]. Codes do not guarantee tickets, which are limited and subject to availability.
“To reduce waiting times, onsales will be staggered across three days – Friday 25, Saturday 26, and Sunday 27 September 2026, with three on sale windows per day. Don’t worry, each ticket sale will have its own portion of tickets for all Manchester dates, across all ticket types and prices
“You have been assigned a unique code for the [specific time] onsale on [specific date].”
The email also clearly informs fans that there is a limit of four tickets per code, and that codes have no cash value either, meaning they are non-transferable, case-sensitive, and can only be used once by the email address they were sent to.
Daisy Jackson -
14th August 2024 
