Manchester City Council has announced plans to launch an international design competition this autumn to create a “world class space” in the area centred around Piccadilly Gardens.
With an estimated construction budget of around £25 million, the council is inviting urban design and landscape teams from across the globe to present their ideas for the regeneration of the 10-acre site – which also takes in Mosley Street and New York Street, Parker Street, the section of Portland Street which Piccadilly Gardens runs alongside, and the section of Piccadilly which runs alongside the gardens.
The Piccadilly area has been described as a “prominent gateway location” as it serves a unique range of functions – including as a major route through the city centre, a transport interchange, a space for markets and events, a meeting place and a green space to spend time.
The council says that work will continue to develop a detailed design brief ahead of expressions of interest being invited in autumn this year from those looking to take part in the competition.
The competition comes after over 1,700 responses were submitted by Manchester people, businesses and organisations at a consultation held earlier this year that discussed future uses for the area.
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An international design competition has launched to find a team to create a world-class space in and around Piccadilly Gardens.
Proposals will be based on a consultation earlier this year, which attracted 1,700 responses from residents.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 31, 2021
So, what brief will competition entrants need to follow then?
Manchester City Council says it envisages that Piccadilly will be a special place with a strong sense of identity, welcoming and uniquely-Mancunian, and one that allows for the flexible hosting of events.
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It must be “a place for all” that incorporates space where children can play, while full access and inclusivity will also be integral to the design process.
The council recognises that it is important to the people of Manchester to retain a green space in the centre of the city, and is calling for planting to encourage biodiversity and improve air quality in line with the wider environmental goals.
It is also essential that the design promotes safety, and is well lit with clear sightlines.
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The council says it is looking to potentially relocate existing Parker Street bus services if improved alternatives can be found, and the winning design will need to retain the existing listed monuments and statues, and tramlines and infrastructure, as well as the existing Pavilion structure.
The Piccadilly area has been described as a “prominent gateway location” as it serves a unique range of functions / Credit: Manchester City Council
Speaking ahead of the competition’s launch this autumn, Sir Richard Leese – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “The Piccadilly area has the potential to become an outstanding open space in the heart of Manchester, befitting the city’s international status.
“We recognise that it needs to be transformed to ensure that it can realise its potential as a welcoming and flexible space.
“We want to create a place that people are talking about for all the right reasons.
“The publication of this notice is an important step closer to this aspiration and underlines the ambition we have for the area – ambition we know that Manchester people share – and we will of course be seeking further views from the public later down the line once we have a successful scheme to put to them.”
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You can find more about the Piccadilly Design Competitionhere.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Manchester
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Manchester
Phoebe Bridgers announces long-awaited return with HUGE phones-free arena gig in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s official, Phoebe Bridgers is back on earth.
More than six years since her last studio album, Punisher, was released to the world, cementing her status as one of indie folk’s leading figureheads, Phoebe Bridgers has given fans the news they have been waiting so patiently for.
A new tour North America and EU tour is on the horizon, and she’ll be stopping off here in Manchesterlater this year for a huge arena gig.
Following a sold-out acoustic show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden last night (4 June), Phoebe has now revealed details of ‘The Lost Tour’ for 2026.
Other than the series of surprise pop-up acoustic shows that have wrapped around the country over the last few weeks – beginning in Roswell in New Mexico on 8 May, and continuing on to smaller venues in other US cities before culminating in last night’s dazzling MSG show – this upcoming full band tour marks the first Phoebe Bridgers shows since early 2023.
Phoebe will be taking to the stage at Co-op Live here in Manchester for one night only on 26 November 2026 – with tickets going on sale next week.
And just like the pop-up shows, the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other recording devices will be strictly prohibited on this tour, encouraging fans to be more present in the moment.
This means the Co-op Live event will utilise secure pouches to store all devices during the performance.
Phoebe Bridgers is playing a huge arena gig in Manchester on her UK tour later this year / Credit: Supplied | Raph PH (Wikimedia Commons)
Upon arrival, all phones, smartwatches, and related accessories will be secured in these pouches, the pouches will be unlocked at the conclusion of the show, and any guest observed using a non-permitted device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.
If the news of Phoebe’s return wasn’t exciting enough for fans as it is, she won’t be the only one making a highly-anticipated return to the stage, as support on the UK & EU leg of the tour is to be provided by former Black Country, New Road frontman, Isaac Wood.
Wood stepped away from the ensemble band – and the limelight as a whole – right before the release of BCNR’s critically acclaimed second studio album, Ants From Up There, in 2022, citing mental health reasons.
Phoebe has also partnered with PLUS1 so that €1/£1 from every ticket sold on the European tour leg goes to local organisations throughout the EU/UK working to support those impacted by sexual assault and violence.
Phoebe Bridgers will be playing Co-op Live as part of ‘The Lost Tour’ on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Tickets officially go on sale first through the Phoebe Bridgers Pass Presale via Fan3, and Co-op Member Presale starting at 10am on Wednesday 10 June, before general sale then begins on Friday 12 June, again at 10am.
The Manc -
2nd August 2021 
