Manchester is a popular cultural destination for tourists, with a great musical culture. The city also hosts famous festivals, such as Manchester Pride and the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Manchester is first known as England’s second largest city. A former industrial lung, the city is now famous for its many nightclubs, libraries, and glorious sporting history. Some areas of this city like the Northern Quarter have many independent shops, bars and cultural spaces and offer a beautiful playground for lovers of street art.
Large buildings such as Town Hall and Manchester Central Library can be found around St Peter’s Square. Here are some must-see things to do in Manchester throughout the year if you have the chance to visit this magnificent city!
Must-see Activity: The Manchester Museum
The Manchester Museum is as famous as the British Museum in London. The permanent exhibitions showcase more than 4 million objects. Dinosaur skeletons and mummies from ancient Egypt can be found there. The site also has a vivarium, in which researchers breed extremely endangered frog species. The local café will allow you to take a break between the different galleries. As admission is free, you can spread your visit over several days.
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St Mary’s RC Church “The Hidden Gem”: In the Heart of Manchester
The “Hidden Gem” is a little-known little church in the heart of Manchester. A modest brick building set in a quiet street lined with similar buildings, St. Mary’s is Manchester’s oldest Catholic church. Behind its walls lies a treasure trove of marble sculptures, works of art and stained glass. Don’t miss the 7-astonishing works of modern art by Norman Adams displayed on the left wall as you enter.
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Manchester’s Famous Nightclubs
Music has been an important part of Manchester culture since the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the “Madchester” movement has flourished in the nightclub and rock scene. Even today, Manchester is renowned as one of the best cities in the UK to party. The Warehouse Project, which takes place every 12 weeks from September to December, attracts over 3 000 visitors per night. You should also go to the Gorilla, the Soup Kitchen, and the Hula, which offer a wide variety of festive atmospheres.
Old Trafford, Home to One of The World’s Biggest Football Clubs
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Manchester United have supporters all over the world. Its stadium is therefore a must-see for football fans, which is why it is one of the largest in the UK. It is renowned for the fantastic atmosphere that reigns there on match days. You can take a tour of the museum and the stadium, which will allow you to admire the club’s rich collection of trophies!
A Thoroughbred Horse Breeding Farm Near Manchester
Some thoroughbred horse breeding farms are located near Manchester. These farms select the best thoroughbred horses from the best lines. Some horses are also chosen to compete in the most famous horse races in the country. A racehorse can follow several paths to become successful. It can be bred in national or private stud farms on a larger or smaller scale. There are also racing stables which are there to bring together horses from all backgrounds to perfect their training and make them suitable for racing performance. The Cheltenham Festival is the perfect opportunity to experience the best horses in the country. If you are passionate about horse racing, don’t hesitate to visit these farms and follow the cheltenham festival tips for the week. to fully enjoy this event.
Heaton Park, Far from The Hustle and Bustle of The City
Heaton Park covers an area of over 240 hectares and is one of the UK’s largest city parks. You will have access to sumptuous gardens, a famous golf course, several ponds, and many well-preserved historic buildings. This is a popular spot with families thanks to the Animal Centre, playgrounds, navigable lake, and various cafes. Kilometres of paved paths allow you to walk or run in the park. If you don’t feel like walking, a tram can help you go around the park.
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Famous Chinatown
Chinatown is one of the UK’s largest Chinatowns. There are dozens of Chinese businesses: restaurants, shops, supermarkets and even banks. Year after year, the Chinese New Year festivities in this district are growing in scope and intensity.
Manchester
Acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar named one of UK’s best quietly closes its doors
Emily Sergeant
An acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar that was formerly named one of the best in the UK has quietly closed its doors for good.
Tucked away beneath the former set of Coronation Street in the Old Granada Studios complex, and hidden in the basement of Manchester‘s historic 1800s Bonded Warehouse at St. John’s, Project Halcyon Distillery officially opened its doors in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic delays – with the intimate venue going on to become a city favourite.
The acclaimed, Speakeasy-style bar drew inspiration from Prohibition-era Chicago, focusing on ‘halcyon days’ of calm and luxury.
It included an on-site distillery used to create bespoke ingredients for its seasonal menu, and beyond cocktails, even featured a so-called ‘Stillroom’ for masterclasses and had private, curtained room dedicated to absinthe, with traditional fountains, called ‘Salon Vert’.
Project Halcyon has quietly closed its doors for good / Credit: Project Halcyon | The Manc Group
But despite its success over the years, and even earning a place in the coveted Top 50 Cocktail Bars in the UK list on several occasions, Project Halcyon has officially – but somewhat quietly – now closed its doors for good.
“It was with sincere regret that due to unexpected challenges at the ownership level we must close our doors for the foreseeable. Though we say goodbye, the memories live on.
“Thank you to everyone who shared in our craft, our community, and our story.”
After the news broke on social media, Project Halcyon’s Instagram post was flooded with dozens of comments showing support for staff members, and remembering the venue as one of their favourite cocktail bars in the city centre.
The nature of some of the comments also prompted Project Halcyon to issue a follow-up statement below addressing concerns over money owed to workers and other partners, adding: “We sincerely hope that anyone who may be owed by the owners of Project Halcyon – past and present team included – receives what they are owed.
“We are not deleting comments and have no interest in doing so. We also cannot control how Instagram manages comment threads. This page is run by the team, not the owners.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Manchester
‘Hefty’ Foo Fighters ticket prices for surprise Manchester gig divide opinion
Danny Jones
Foo Fighters fans, gig-goers and all-round music lovers in general have been left up in arms after the legendary American rock band announced some surprise shows in the UK and Ireland – including here in Manchester – as ticket prices have labelled ‘shameful’ by some.
In case you missed the news that sent us here in Manchester and all over the nation into bedlam, Foo Fighters recently revealed they would be playing just a handful of shows up and down the country, all at smaller venues than their usual arena tour dates.
Sharing the news fairly last-minute over the weekend, with tickets going on sale this past Sunday and (shock) selling out almost immediately, many have taken issue with the band’s and/or promoters’ approach to the event.
While lots have revelled in the excitement of a show scheduled for this week being dropped on our laps in the eleventh hour, lots of others feel the price point for the tickets is ‘ridiculous’.
Although they’re not quite on the level of the controversial Oasis/Harry Styles sagas, at £99 including all fees, they’re still up there with the most expensive gig tickets venues like these will ever charge.
Most poignantly, the tickets were sold strictly in person via the box office, with fans queuing up outside a trio of venues.
Taking place at the O2 Ritz, which has a capacity of roughly 1,500, the Foo Fighters’ Manchester date is not only one of the most in-demand gigs, but also promises to be one of their sweatiest – and, apparently, most divisive.
For some, this is a very cool bit of marketing and at least an attempt to curb online ticket touts, plus helping support live music spaces directly; on the other hand, the significant fee remains a sticking point they refuse to move past.
Responding in the comments underneath the post by the Ritz, one person wrote: “That ticket price is f****** disgusting. It’s not costing them f*** all to play there, if Harry Styles can play the Co-op Live for £20 then they should”; another simply added, “99 quid is wild, do better.”
Safe to say it has split opinions across the board.
i really want to know who is paying £100 to see foo fighters at o2 academy ritz and what they do for work to justify that
Big fan of the foo fighters but having only in person tickets and then still charging £100 is a joke. Then to move other bands earlier to slot them in isn’t fair
As you can see, it’s also affected other acts set to play these same rooms this month, too.
Others have also doubted whether the ‘face value exchange’ tactic really works all that much, as a few people on social media reported having already found a number of tickets being listed on resale on certain platforms.
What do you make of artists charging these kinds of prices for exclusive one-off shows like this, or the cost of gig tickets in general these days?
Better yet, did any of you succeed in grabbing tickets to see Foo Fighters at the Ritz here in Manchester this Friday, 27 February?
The Manc -
2nd January 2021 
