At long last, one of Manchester’s most disliked landmarks has disappeared from the city centre, as the scaffolding in Piccadilly Gardens comes down.
The concrete structure that carves across the southern end of Piccadilly Gardens, known by many as the ‘Piccadilly Wall’, is undergoing a bit of a transformation.
When it’s completed, the Piccadilly Pavilion will display a light installation with criss-crossed LED lighting, on the side of the Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.
The other side will have floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the businesses who are based here – viral corndog trader Bunsik and equally viral iced drinks brand Black Street.
This week, a major step has been made in the Piccadilly wall transformation project.
Now that some of the scaffolding has come down, we can see that the overhead concrete canopy is gone. Vanished. No more.
The light installation is also being installed as we speak.
The Piccadilly Wall wasn’t supposed to be such a divisive landmark. It’s actually designed by leading Japanese architect Tadao Ando following a competition to regenerate the area after the IRA bomb.
Ando is famous for his well-crafted concrete structures, including a circular fountain in Mayfair, but the scale and shape of his Manchester installation didn’t exactly go down well with locals.
The canopy of the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester has finally been demolished. Credit: The Manc Group
The way it blocks off Piccadilly Gardens from the busy tram and bus routes has often been cited as a reason for the rise in crime and anti-social behaviour here.
And while providing vital shelter from the relentless drizzle, the canopy has also been blamed for encouraging crowds to gather in the area.
Though thousands of Mancs would love to see Piccadilly Gardens restored back to the rose-filled sunken gardens it used to be, this big block of concrete disappearing is definitely a welcome step in the right direction.
When a photo of the building work was shared in the Manchester Histories page on Facebook, one person wrote: “Long over due! Should stay open and become a gardens again.”
Another said: “Its such a shame that this wasn’t better thought out, with architecture like this context is everything, if it had been built by the university of Manchester, next to the wonderful collection of brutalist buildings there, it would have looked great, in Piccadilly it just added to the dystopian vibe, especially as it was constructed just as the spice epidemic kicked in, context is everything.”
Someone else said: “I don’t think it has any future as a “garden” in this day and age- too costly to maintain in the age of cutbacks. But demolishing the canopy is a start. This whole project was not Tadao Ando’s finest work and never worked for this space and purpose.”
In pictures – the vision for the ‘Piccadilly Wall’ in Manchester
CGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRACGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRACGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRA
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival following Glastonbury controversy
Danny Jones
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from an upcoming music festival in Manchester following the recent controversy surrounding their set at Glastonbury 2025.
The media storm surrounding their much-talked-about and heavily televised Glasto appearance has seen them reportedly dropped by their agency and their US Visas cancelled, along with multiple concerts – one of those being right here in Greater Manchester.
Bob Vylan were scheduled to play RADAR Fest at Victoria Warehouse in Stretford this weekend, but now the organisers have informed gig-goers that the artists will not be performing in their planned slot on Saturday.
The alternative music event did provide any additional details, posting nothing but this image:
For anyone unaware, Vylan were heavily criticised for the pro-Palestine chants, which Glastonbury itself has deemed as having “crossed a line”, labelling the chants against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as antisemitic.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also commented on the situation.
In addition to RADAR, Vylan were also due to appear at Kave Fest in France the following Sunday, 6 July, but the music event has also decided not to host them.
The BBC also opted not to broadcast Northern Irish band Kneecap as part of their coverage this year, as the Belfast rap trio have also been outspoken on the issue, among many other musicians of late.
Responding to the decision on social media not long after the news broke, the act simply shared the post on their Instagram story along with the caption: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”
Trafford Centre launches school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families
Emily Sergeant
A school uniform drive has been launched at the Trafford Centre to support local families ahead of the new school year.
With schools across Greater Manchester soon set to be out for the summer holidays, many parents, guardians, and carers in the region may be looking ahead to the new school year in September, concerned about how they may be able to provide their children with the necessary uniform items needed.
According to a 2020 survey by The Children’s Society, 23% of parents reported that the cost of school uniforms led to their children wearing ‘ill-fitting, unclean, or incorrect’ items.
It’s these statistic that highlight the ongoing pressure faced by families.
This is why the Trafford Centre has partnered with both Manchester South Central Foodbank and local charity, Bridging the Gap, to launch a school uniform donation drive aimed at supporting more than 700 children across Manchester this summer.
The Trafford Centre launches a school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families / Credit: Trafford Centre
From now up until the 15 August, anyone heading to the region’s largest shopping centre is encouraged to donate new or pre-loved school uniforms.
“The cost of living crisis has deeply impacted our community, with more and more families unable to afford the essentials,” commented Emily Jeremy, who is the Assistant Project Manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank.
“As an anti-poverty charity, we recognised the need for school uniform support years ago. Though costs vary between schools, a full set of branded secondary school uniform can total around £150, which is a significant burden for many households.”
All items can be donated at the shopping centre’s Guest Services point / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography | Trafford Centre (Supplied)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at the Trafford Centre, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside Bridging the Gap and Manchester South Central Foodbank to support local families during these challenging times.
“School uniforms shouldn’t be a barrier to education, and we hope this initiative will ease some of the pressure many parents face as the new school year approaches.”
The school uniform donation drive is running up until 15 August.
All items can be taken to the Trafford Centre’s Guest Services Lounge, which is located on Lower Regent Crescent next to M&S, and they must be clean and free from stains or damage.
Daisy Jackson -
22nd August 2024 
