Manchester has been named as a must-visit global destination – the only UK city on the list – in Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2023 guide.
The prestigious list has recognised our home city for its dynamic arts scene and lists some major cultural moments coming in the next 12 months (and beyond) in its reasons to visit.
Manchester was last included in the Best in Travel list in 2016, when the Whitworth art gallery, HOME and Manchester Central Library were all recently reopened.
This year, Lonely Planet has heralded the ‘Renaissance City of Manchester’, naming it one of 30 global destinations to visit in 2023.
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Lonely Planet describes Manchester as a city that has ‘grown in both size and renown in recent years, metamorphosing into a brilliantly creative, proudly musical, and gastronomically diverse hub. Quite simply, it’s one of the best – if not the best – cities in the UK with something for everyone’.
Opening of a new green space on Castlefield Viaduct
Its one-day itinerary features local gems including the street art in the Northern Quarter, the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, Mackie Mayor, Manchester Art Gallery, and our beautiful libraries, as well as our nightlife scene, from The Refuge to Band on the Wall to the Gay Village.
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Each destination on the list has been chosen for its ‘topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainability, community, and diversity’.
Manchester joins New Mexico, Marseille and Dresden in the ‘Learn’ category, as well as other big names like Lima, Sydney and Jordan in other categories.
Commenting on the accolade, Sheona Southern, managing director of Marketing Manchester, said: “Seven years on from Manchester being championed as a must-visit destination in 2016, we are delighted Lonely Planet is once again heralding the city as one of the best places to visit in 2023.
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Mackie Mayor. Credit: Marketing Manchester
“This accolade comes ahead of an exciting year for Greater Manchester’s visitor attractions with major world-class openings coming to the city in fantastic culture, new music venues to bring in fans, beautiful green spaces, alongside a growing global reputation for outstanding food and drink, vibrant places to stay, and unique neighbourhoods to explore.
“We will be making the most of Lonely Planet’s accolade to encourage international visitors to come and see Greater Manchester and find out what makes it special for themselves.
“At Marketing Manchester, we have worked hard to rebuild Greater Manchester’s post-pandemic reputation, supporting our tourism and hospitality industry to ensure we offer visitors an attractive destination to check off their bucket list.
Manchester Museum. Credit: Marketing Manchester and Rich J Jones
“Lonely Planet’s accolade affirms Manchester’s position as a leading UK city destination and recognises all the city has to offer.”
Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “It’s great news for Manchester that trusted global travel experts Lonely Planet are singing the city’s praises as a must-visit place in 2023. This prestigious accolade is a further demonstration that we are making our mark on the world stage.
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“Tourism creates and supports jobs and other opportunities for Manchester people and is an important part of our economy. The array of attractions, many of which are free to visit, is something our residents can also enjoy.
“When Lonely Planet says there is something for everyone here, it’s the result of long-term planning and partnership. We’re proud to be the only UK city on this list.”
Tom Hall, Vice President at Lonely Planet, said: “Everyone at Lonely Planet is thrilled to have Manchester included in Best in Travel 2023. Manchester’s urban dynamism combined with a fascinating history and cultural scene makes it an exciting pick.
“Next year is going to be a great one in Manchester for cultural happenings like the reopening of Manchester Museum, the launch of the new Factory International and the chance to tour Castlefield Viaduct. It’s a city to experience, not just visit, so our suggested itineraries have also flagged up live music, great places to eat and drink and street art tours, and much more.”
Featured image: Marketing Manchester
Manchester
Here’s our petition for ‘Wonderwall’ to become England’s new football anthem
Danny Jones
All things considered, England have made a great start to the 2026 World Cup, pitching themselves as one of the great entertainers this tournament, and the scenes of the supporters and players alike serenading an entire stadium with ‘Wonderwall’ after the full-time whistle gave us chills.
So why not time for a change?
After all, that feels a lot like what this World Cup squad is about: a new manager, new teammates, not clinging to the previous ways of playing – and perhaps it’s time to put ‘Sweet Caroline’ to one side.
Now, we’re by no means saying that we’re ‘done’ with the John Denver anthem that has been reborn as a Three Lions anthem, but look at how good it was watching England belting out Oasis with the fans.
“Today is gonna be the day that England beat Croatia 4-2”, as BBC’s Match of the Day cleverly quipped.
Obviously, we’re biased as Mancs, but we also think there’s something special about having that particular track feel so good to hear again.
As much as we love Oasis, for a long time, it felt like we couldn’t enjoy arguably their biggest-ever single anywhere near as much as we once did.
We assume it’s something akin to hearing ‘Mr Brightside’ non-stop for what felt like millennia, and in truth, hearing those repetitions of “ba, ba, ba… SO GOOD, SO GOOD!” over and over again at sporting fixtures beyond just national team games has taken the magic out of it at times.
Perhaps it’s just a case of saturation in certain settings and songs simply being overplayed – FIFA’s co-hosts over in the US certainly helped see to that when it came to ‘Wonderwall’ for a long time.
On the other hand, it feels like we’ve now come full circle; singing those famous lyrics at the top of our lungs in a sea of Mancs and fans travelling from all over to Heaton Park for Live ’25 last year felt better than ever, and like we’d all remembered how great a tune it’s always been. So did this…
In fact, this felt so emotional that you’ve got people who aren’t even English praising both those on the pitch and up in the stands for the moment online.
Even the admittedly rather American Man vs Food himself, Adam Richman (though he does have British ancestry), felt compelled to write a moving response on social media: “Shut up. You’re the one that’s crying. Bravo, England.”
He’s far from the only one who was left bowled over by the atmosphere – us included.
And in case you’re wondering just how strongly we feel about this one, you can sign a literal petition we’ve made for ‘Wonderwall’ to become the new England World Cup anthem for 2026 right HERE.
Featured Images — Oasis/ITV Sport (screenshots via YouTube)
Manchester
Blossoms announce new album and HUGE Manchester arena gig on UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Blossoms are back with a new album and UK arena tour later this year.
Tom, Joe, Josh, Charlie, and Myles – also known as Stockport’s finest, Blossoms – have today announced their sixth studio album, Songs From The Wedding Cake, alongside an upcoming UK arena tour this autumn to celebrate.
The new album and tour comes fresh off-the-back of the success of their previous studio album, Gary, named after an eight-foot fiberglass gorilla.
Songs From The Wedding Cake takes its title from a Stockport nickname for the town’s iconic Victorian town hall, which is where Tom got married. It’s an apt frame for a record built around one guiding idea – taking the ordinary moments of life and putting them through an extraordinary lens.
The result is said to be Blossoms at their ‘most expansive’ and ‘most personal’, providing an irresistible cocktail of 80s-flecked funk, heart-on-your-sleeve anthems, and dance-floor indie bangers.
Blossoms have announced a new album and a huge Manchester arena gig on UK tour / Credit: Supplied
In their own words, as taken directly from their Instagram announcement this morning, Songs From The Wedding Cake is: “What an absolute joy this record was to make. Written and recorded over the last year, it’s a collection of songs about what might seem like ordinary moments, viewed through an extraordinary lens.
“Joking about divorce, hire cars, crying at the Kardashians, Wikipedia rabbit holes, trips to The Range, falling asleep in a taxi, your arm going numb because someone’s asleep on it, the 192, being an additional driver on your wife’s insurance and losing her 20 years’ no-claims bonus (ffs), dancing in the kitchen to Grease, crying at videos of dogs on Instagram, picking up parquet flooring, saying the wrong thing, growing older together… you get the idea.”
Alongside the album, the indie rockers have also announced an accompanying UK arena tour for the autumn, and of course they’ll be stopping off in Manchester.
The lads will be taking to the Co-op Live stage on Saturday 28 November.
They’ll also be playing in other major UK cities London, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Birmingham along the way, with tickets for the tour set to go on presale next Tuesday (23 June) at 9:30am, before general sale commences on Thursday, also at 9:30am.
Daisy Jackson -
16th November 2022 
