The nights are drawing in and autumnal hues adorn the treetops in Manchester’s parks, which can only mean one thing: Hallowe’en is on its way.
Away from the bustling streets, local folklore suggests that there’s something strange in our neighbourhood; it’s bursting to the seams with ghostly residents.
If you’re feeling brave, put some batteries in your torch and come with me to our city’s darker corners to uncover uncanny tales of ghouls, demons, and macabre happenings.
Here are just a small taste of Manchester’s most spooky legends and tales.
Decades of drama and tragedy are woven into the fabric of the Royal Exchange Theatre on St Ann’s Square; in fact, it’s packed to the rafters with some of the more artistic spirits that Manchester has to offer and our first bit of local folklore.
Late at night, a phantom piano player is said to tinkle the ivories from deep within the darkened building. During refurbishment work, shocked builders heard an old-fashioned show tune being played from a disused room.
Would you dare to investigate? In the green room, multiple witnesses have seen a spectral couple rehearsing their lines, thought to be a pair of actors from yesteryear; meanwhile, along the corridor in the wig room, a melancholy poltergeist often throws objects around and even causes flowers to wilt.
2. Devilish encounters at Bury Grammar School and Chetham’s Library
Chetham’s in Manchester is the UK’s oldest public library and is rich with folklore. (Credit: Third Eye Traveller)
Lucifer himself is said to have appeared in Manchester on at least two occasions, and who can blame him? It might not be as warm as his usual abode, but it’s the perfect place for a night of mischief.
In the mid-18th century, anarchic schoolboys at Bury Grammar School supposedly summoned the dark one, only to discover that he intended to set up shop right there in their school. Thankfully, their wily schoolmaster outfoxed Satan and banished him back to hell. Teachers are clever like that.
Before his departure, the Devil furiously smote the fireplace with his cloven hoof, leaving a huge crack in the wall. That’s how the schoolboys explained the vandalism, anyway… Before that, famed alchemist, occultist and man of mystery, Dr John Dee summoned the Devil to Chetham’s Library in the 1500s.
This time, he burned a hole in Dr Dee’s table, where you can still see the scorched hoofprint on the wooden surface to this day. If you go on a Chetham’s tour, look up to the ceiling, and you’ll see a devilish face peering back at you.
3. Satanic sacrifice in Saddleworth
This particular spot is buzzing with Manchester myths and legends. (Credit: Diego Sideburns via Flickr)
When the sun is shining, the Saddleworth Valley is a picturesque stretch of countryside popular with outdoor enthusiasts from near and far. But, as soon as the weather closes in, the vast swathes of barren moorland take on a different personality, exuding a bleak and sombre atmosphere.
It’s no wonder, then, that tales of phantoms and dark magic trickle down from these mist-shrouded hills. Back in the days when Druids called the valley home, the rock formations crowning the hilltops above Uppermill and Greenfield are thought to have been used to catch the blood of sacrificial victims. Other markings on the rocks suggest offerings for the fairy folk were once left here by Saddleworth residents.
According to reports from decades gone by, evidence of satanic rituals was uncovered on Saddleworth moor; demonic symbols, suspected animal sacrifice remains, and other unsettling paraphernalia. So, just the usual, then. But it happened again, just down the road in Standedge’s disused railway tunnels – then, again at an abandoned church in nearby Oldham. Gulp. So, next time you’re in one of the Ale Trail pubs and you hear someone talking rubbish, remember demonic entities might be to blame!
Besides that, locals in Scouthead have reported numerous encounters with a troop of spectral Roman soldiers over the years. Some say that this legion met their doom when a tribe of native Mancunians funnelled them across the boggy heath, where they were dragged to a watery grave by the weight of their heavy armour and weaponry.
What does Manchester have in common with ancient Egypt? We’ve got our very own mummy! In the 18th century, a fear of being buried alive swept the nation amidst newspaper reports that numerous coffins had been exhumed with scratches on the interior lid. Horrifying.
A Manchester woman named Hannah Beswick gave her doctor strict orders to keep her body above ground after her death; a wish that set her on course for a rather eventful and bizarre afterlife. The doctor soon embalmed her, then stored her mummified remains inside the case of a grandfather clock!
As you do…
Her mummified body was put on display by Manchester Museum‘s Natural History Society; one of their more gruesome artefacts. Meanwhile, back at Hannah’s old manor house in Oldham, numerous people witnessed her pale figure haunting the grounds, even after it was converted into a factory. Eventually, more than 100 years after her death, Hannah’s body was laid to rest in Harpurhey Cemetery.
5. Goblin builders of Rochdale
Another intriguing bit of Manchester folklore. (Credit: Gerald England via Geograph)
Alongside Manchester’s abundance of ghostly tales, we’ve also got our fair share of goblin folklore. According to legend, supernatural forces were at work when St Chad’s Church in Rochdale was built.
Overnight, the heavy masonry was mysteriously removed from the building site, leaving the workmen baffled. The night watchmen claimed to have seen strange goblin folk interfering with the construction site, hoisting the stones up the steep hillside with unearthly strength.
If you visit St Chad’s, a couple of eerie sights await you; within the church grounds, the town’s medieval stocks still stand, used for centuries to torture and punish Rochdale’s criminals. From the rooftop, Gothic gargoyles guard the graveyard.
Can you also spot the tomb lid that looks as if it has shifted? Almost like unseen hands have been meddling with the stones…
So, do you think it’s just a bunch of hocus pocus? Or will you be brave enough to go on the hunt for Manchester’s ghostly residents?
There is plenty of Manchester mythology and folklore to dive into and whether you believe in any of it or not, it’s still a fun world to immerse yourself in come Halloween. You never know what might be waiting just around the corner.
The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time
Thomas Melia
There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.
Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.
This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.
Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.
Credit: Forever Manchester
The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.
This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.
The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.
This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.
Credit: Supplied
Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.
Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.
Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.
And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.
Billie Eilish at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Billie Eilish is ready to take over Co-op Live for four nights of tear-jerking, heart-wrenching, belly-aching hits right here in Manchester.
Ms. ‘Ocean Eyes’ herself is coming to Manchester this month, and we’re on hand with all the info you need so you don’t have to ‘Guess’ anything on the day of your show.
Billie Eilish has cemented her position in the music industry as one of the leading hitmakers, and at only 23 years old, this artist has won nine Grammy Awards and racked up three UK number-one singles.
The American star has been grafting since her early teens, dropping her first ever EP, don’t smile at me, in 2017 at only 16 years old and has reached height after height ever since.
Billie Eilish gig guide
Billie Eilish is playing at Co-op Live in Manchester on 19, 20, 22 and 23 July.Credit: Press shot (supplied)
Her latest album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, which is also the name of the tour, is Eilish’s third studio album and it’s stacked with bangers like ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Wildflower’, just to name a few.
Are there tickets left for Billie Eilish tickets in Manchester?
Anyone after tickets to any of the upcoming Billie Eilish gigs in Manchester might be in for a ‘not-so-lovely’ surprise, as you can expect, as most general tickets are sold out.
However, anyone who’s missed out on tickets for Billie’s FOUR-gig run in Manchester can still take a look at a variety of premium ticket packages.
You can grab your ‘Birds of a Feather’ and a ticket or two for the Saturday, 19 July show HERE.
Pack your ‘Lunch’ and put on your best outfit because there are exclusive tickets for the Sunday, 20 July gig HERE.
Your friends will be calling you ‘The Greatest’ when you let them know about the premium tickets still left for Tuesday, 22 July right HERE.
Finally, grab ‘L’amour De Ma Vie’ and sing your heart out with a range of hospitality tickets to choose from on Wednesday, 23 July HERE. And breathe…
Billie Eilish setlist
Chihiro
Lunch
NDA
Therefore I Am
Wildflower
when the party’s over
The Diner
ilomilo
bad guy
The Greatest
Your Power
Skinny
TV
bury a friend
Oxytocin
Guess
everything i wanted
lovely / Blue / ocean eyes (Medley)
L’amour De Ma Vie
What Was I Made For?
Happier Than Ever
Birds of a Feather
What are the stage times for Billie Eilish in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing ‘when the party’s over’ it won’t be well into the early hours.
Doors for ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour are scheduled for 6pm with support acts Syd and Magdalena Bay on hand to soundtrack your evening and leave you feeling ‘Happier Than Ever’ before Billie at 8pm.
The first act, Syd, is known for co-founding influential R’n’B band, The Internet (big fans, by the way), and has just dropped a new solo single ‘Die For This’ ahead of her Billie Eilish tour stint.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour’ will mark Billie Eilish’s first ever Co-op Live appearance.Credit: William Drumm (supplied)
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via 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. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Katie McCall -
19th October 2024 
