The Manchester skyline and surrounding landscape are always shifting and evolving year after year, with new buildings being erected and recognisable old corners getting facelifts, but sometimes the winds of change blow so hard that once familiar landmarks are completely flown from our memories.
It’s just the way the metropolitan cookie crumbles sometimes; being a city as innovative, progressive and fast-growing as we are means that the Manc face is always shifting, but it only further adds to our ever-unfolding history and heritage.
But just because things change doesn’t mean we forget entirely – sometimes we just need the memory jogging with helpful little articles like, oh, this one for instance.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up just a small handful of the forgotten Manchester landmarks, sculptures and points of interest from the past that may have slipped your mind. Let’s start with one that
Old Manchester landmarks and sculptures you may have forgotten
The Wheel of Manchester
The wheel lit up at night in Piccadilly.You could get a pretty great view even from Exchange.Credit: Stephen Gidley/Mikey (via Flickr)
Yes, remember when Manchester had its own London Eye? Well, the ‘Manchester Eye’, the ‘Big Wheel’ or whatever you preferred to call it when it still graced our streets.
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For anyone struggling to recall it, the transportable Ferris wheel used to stand pride of place in Piccadilly Gardens before moving to Exchange Square in front of Selfridges and just across from the Arndale – right around where you’ll find various pop-up stalls and many of the Christmas Markets these days.
First assembled back in 2004 before being made a whole 60 metres bigger in 2007, it ultimately began being dismantled in 2012 ahead of the celebrations for the London Olympics and various works on the Metrolink tram line. It had several sponsors in its lifetime but took its final spin in 2015. RIP.
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Market Street Obelisk
Just seen this on @TheMancUK FB page. Absolutely blew my mind…. zero recollection of this at all. Couldnt have been up for long 🤔🤔🤔. Can remember the Market Street Mincer clear as day but not the Market Street Obelisk. Make it make sense 🫠🫠🫠(pic taken in 96) pic.twitter.com/1qSsonaxTB
Next up is one that is still technically around but now seems like it couldn’t have possibly sat in its original location: the Market Street Obelisk.
Placed there in the 90s, the idea was supposed to help give Manchester’s main high street a more market town feel – think a kind of focal point in the middle of a town square – and although it did provide an easy meeting spot on lunch breaks, it was ultimately prone to little more than loitering.
The pillar was ultimately removed in 1997 and then moved to Crumpsall Park where it still remains to this day and, dare we say it, the obelisk looks much better in its current location than it did on Market St.
Perhaps more commonly known as the ‘Big Horn’ back in the day, it still feels like only yesterday that we were walking down towards the corner of Tib and Thomas St in the Northern Quarter and looking up the remaining structures of the old hat factory building and the trombone-shaped sculpture hanging off it.
Designed by artist David Kemp back in 1999 as part of his ‘Unsound Instruments’ series, we’ll admit it always looked a bit random but we still had a lot of affection for it and it certainly served as a bit of natural signposting in the district.
After the plot it was on was bought out, the sculpture was donated to Manchester city council in 2017 and although it’s not too long ago since we said goodbye to it, this thing could even be tooting its way back into our lives someday soon…
One of the more recently forgotten Manchester landmarks.
B of the Bang
The penultimate point of interest on our list is the immortally interesting sculpture and just as intriguingly titled B of the Bang by artist Thomas Heatherwick, which we still just commonly refer to as ‘the big spikey thing’ when it seems to come up in conversation.
It felt like we’d wiped this from our hard drives completely at one point as it seems strange to think that this (respectfully) death trap stood near walkways towards what would ultimately become the Etihad Stadium, close to passing traffic and was even green-lit to begin with, to be honest.
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Inspired by sprinter Linford Christie’s description of a starting gun and commissioned in honour of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, it ended up costing a total of £1.42 million to build – twice as much as was originally intended – and was finished in 2005, but it only lasted four years after spikes started falling off.
SportCity’s once eye-catching sculpture.The B being dismantled in 2009 over safety concerns.Credit: Nicholas Smale (via Flickr)/Mike Peel (via Wikimedia Commons)
Belle Vue Zoo and fairground
Last but not least, this blast from the past might pre-date many of you (ourselves included), but it’s still pretty mad to think that long before Belle Vue Sports Village served its modern function, it was once a zoological garden, amusement park and all-North West tourist attraction.
Yes, even before its days as a speedway stadium and greyhound arena – which was finally phased out in 2015 after decades as a much-loved pastime for locals – Belle Vue used to house exotic animals from all over the world, feature a number of classic fairground rides and serve as an exhibition hall.
Belle Vue Zoo eventually closed in September 1977 after the owners could no longer afford to run it, though the amusement park itself remained open during supper periods until around 1980. The land was finally sold in 1982 and now, the best of a half-century later, it’s a far cry away from what
Credit: Local Image Collection (via Flickr)Credit: Chetham’s Library (via Flickr)You could argue this is one of the Manchester landmarks that has already been forgotten by most simply due to the passage of time.
Now, as always with these round-ups, it goes without saying that this is by no means an exhaustive list and given how much Manchester changes from month to month, let alone over the course of a full year, we’re sure there’ll be a few more added to it by the next time you read this.
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That being said, if there are any glaring omissions that you think we’ve overlooked then feel free to give us hell in the comments – that’s what they’re for after all.
In fact, whilst you’re here: is there a Manc landmark that you really miss and wish we could bring back?
The Weeknd finally adds Manchester stadium gig to huge tour
Daisy Jackson
The Weeknd has added a whopping seven dates to his upcoming tour – including a stadium gig here in Manchester.
The Blinding Lights singer is taking his The After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour to massive venues across Europe next year, but had previously skipped our city in favour of London.
But today The Weeknd has announced a night at the Etihad Stadium next June, along with new dates in Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Copenhagem, Munich and Lille.
The diamond-certified global star performed here back in 2023, with a giant moon balloon hanging over the Etihad Stadium.
The 2026 After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour was already a 40-date sold-out stadium tour, and now the Live Nation produced tour has added extra stops.
Playboi Carti will appear as The Weeknd’s support act on all EU/UK dates.
The Weeknd adds Manchester gig to upcoming stadium tour
This particular tour celebrates his album trilogy of After Hours (2020), Dawn FM (2022), and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025).
The Weeknd will perform at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on 11 June 2026.
Tickets will go on sale via an artist presale and Mastercard presale from 12pm on Tuesday 14 October, followed by a Nespresso presale, and then general sale from 12pm on Friday 17 October.
The Weeknd UK and European dates for After Hours Til Dawn 2026 tour
Thu Jun 11 – Manchester, UK – Etihad Stadium – NEW DATE
Fri Jun 19 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Parken – NEW DATE
Sat Jun 25 – Munich, Germany – Allianz Arena – NEW DATE
Fri Jul 3 – Lille, France – Stade Pierre Mauroy – NEW DATE
Wed Jul 8 – Paris, France – Stade De France – NEW DATE
Fri Jul 10 – Paris, France – Stade de France
Sat Jul 11 – Paris, France – Stade de France
Sun Jul 12 – Paris, France – Stade de France
Thu Jul 16 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
Fri Jul 17 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
Sat Jul 18 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
Tue Jul 21 – Nice, France – Allianz Riviera
Wed Jul 22 – Nice, France – Allianz Riviera
Fri Jul 24 – Milan, Italy – San Siro Stadium
Sat Jul 25 – Milan, Italy – San Siro Stadium
Sun Jul 26 – Milan, Italy – San Siro Stadium
Thu Jul 30 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park
Fri Jul 31 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park
Sat Aug 01 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park
Tue Aug 04 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
Wed Aug 05 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
Sat Aug 08 – Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena
Sun Aug 09 – Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena
Mon Aug 10 – Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena
Fri Aug 14 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
Sat Aug 15 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
Sun Aug 16 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
Tue Aug 18 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
Wed Aug 19 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
Sat Aug 22 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
Sun Aug 23 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
Fri Aug 28 – Madrid, Spain – Riyadh Air Metropolitano
Sat Aug 29 – Madrid, Spain – Riyadh Air Metropolitano
Sun Aug 30 – Madrid, Spain – Riyadh Air Metropolitano
Tue Sep 1 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys – NEW DATE
Sat Sep 5 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estadio do Restelo – NEW DATE
In celebration of Momo Shop: a Chorlton favourite that has flourished since its rebrand
Danny Jones
It’s not often we go out of our way to hammer home just how staggering we found a restaurant, but after now losing track of the number of times that a member of our team has eaten at Momo Shop in Chorlton and come back near speechless, it deserves more than a review.
We regularly hold ourselves back and resist the urge to talk in superlatives wherever possible, especially because we worry we might be falling into the recency bias trap, but in this instance, we’re going to go out on a limb and fall on our hospitality sword. Well, this particular writer is…
It’s official: Momo Shop Nepali Street Food – for our money, anyway – is up there with one of THE best restaurants in Manchester right now.
And there are plenty of reasons why, not least of all because of the years of practice they have feeding increasingly discerning Manc diners under a different moniker.
Simple but charming – all the focus is on the foodAnd the food speaks for itselfSome of the most flavourful fillings you’ll find in ManchesterBusy any given night of the weekNo review (Credit: The Manc Eats/Momo Shop via Instagram)
If you don’t live in/frequent Chorlton, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that this gaff was a somewhat new addition to Chorlton, but in actual fact it’s been gradually growing a loyal and passionate following for more than seven years.
This is because before the miniamlist rebrand that saw the walls stripped back, the exterior painted blue and cutesy little bits of artwork hung amidst that familiar and atmospheric festoon lighting, Momo Shop was once The Little Yeti.
Its former iteration boasted hundreds of glowing reviews in its own right, which already plated up plenty of stunning Nepalese food, but since switching primarily towards serving a menu primarily made up of momos (Tibetan-style fried dumplings hand-folded into various shapes) they’ve well and truly shone.
Now approaching a full 12 months under the new name, the Nepali street food spot isn’t just one of a relatviely small handful considering how much great South Asian food there is across Greater Manchester, we’d wager it could be the very best representing that Alpine-Himalayan belt in our region.
Our latest visit was genuinely just as good as our first, second, third and so on – take your pick.
From the simply incredible deep fried pork dumplings and the deeply moorish butter sauce that goes with literally any momo filling, to the super traditional buffalo ones that are not only authentic but, come on, where else can you find such a unique meat in these parts? It’s some of the best food we’ve eaten.
And we don’t just mean of late; Momo Shop might genuinely among of the nicest scran we’ve had in ages and it’s no exagerration to say that the first taste we enjoyed from many of these flavours have formed some of the strongest culinary memories we’ve created in quite a while.
It’s also worth nothing that it isn’t just one main snack-sized dish. The chow mein, keema noodles and cheesy chops are showstoppers themselves, and we’ve already booked in again for a 30th birthday celebration purely so we can try those lambs ribs and their take on a shashlick.
Nevertheless, we love the idea of the numerous configurations and concotions by pairing different dumplings and owner Niti Karki gave us some pro-tips of the best duos and even let us in on the trade secret of her go-to combo when she’s hungover. Legend.
Once again, at the risk of sounding too hyperbolic, odd moments have felt like core foodie memories on a par with our favourite all-time meals.
Personally, I’m glad to report that this isn’t just a review: consider this a declaration that Momo Shop has quickly become my favourite restaurant not just in Chorlton but in all of central Manchester, something I haven’t had since the heartbreaking closure of Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun in 2023.
Plenty of varietyDamn straightNiti = absolute iconWe’ll keep your condiment secret forever, Niti…
There might be an element of the almost HakkaPo-esque style drawings, the colour palette and the carefully curated pop-punk, old school emo and post-hardcore playlist that’s over half a decade in the making that makes particualrly partial to this place
But before we wrap up this glorified love letter parading as a ‘review’, we also want to give a special nod to the charming staff and Niti’s mum, specficially, who was too modest to even let us share her picture, but whose wealth of wisdom, influence and experience has clearly inspired Momo Shop’s success.
Don’t be shy, Sue – the only thing more stylish than the food was you, girl. Pop off.
Put simply, we’ll be going back here as regularly as possible until we try every different momo + sauce variation there is, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.
If you are in the mood for more dumpling excellence, by the way, you might want to check out the unassuming Northern Quarter gem that is Chef Diao.