Manchester has once again been named on of the best UK cities to visit in 2024 by Time Out, thanks to some huge cultural openings last year.
Our city has been praised for being a ‘cultural banquet’ and local favourites like Mackie Mayor, Idle Hands and Queer Lit all referenced.
Manchester snuck into the top 10 on Time Out’s list, but the overall winner this year went to Bristol.
Also on the list for 2024 is Hull (which placed second), the Isles of Scilly, and London (boring).
But for our home city, it was massive openings and reopenings like Aviva Studios, Manchester Museum and The Snug that earned us cool points.
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Time Out also looked ahead to exciting new developments like the Co-op Live Arena and Skof, both due to open in the coming months.
They said: “Manchester never fails to serve up a cultural banquet.
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“After a huge year that saw the launch of Factory International at Aviva Studios, the rescue of grassroots gig venue, The Snug, and the long-awaited reopening of Manchester Museum, 2024 is set to be another big one.
“The star of the show will be the huge, innovative Co-op Live which is opening in April, backed by Bruce Springsteen and Harry Styles and already has the likes of Liam Gallagher and Oilvia Rodrigo lined up to perform.
“And in much-anticipated news for its food scene, L’Enclume chef Tom Barnes is opening his first solo restaurant, Skof, in the Noma district in spring.”
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Mackie Mayor was included in the ‘perfect day’ in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupCelebrated chef Tom Barnes will open Skof restaurant in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Describing the perfect day out when visiting Manchester, Time Out suggested: “Swing by Idle Hands to fuel up on carbs and caffeine before perusing around the Northern Quarter’s indie shops (don’t miss Queer Lit or the Craft and Design Centre).
“Pick from a huge range of edible options at Mackie Mayor for lunch (or head to the Michelin-starred Where The Light Gets In, for something special) then use the new Visit Manchester Pass to check out the National Football Museum and take a craft beer tour of the city. End with a tipple and live music at YES.”
Chiara Wilkinson, Features Editor at Time Out UK said: “We’re over the moon to share our Time Out list of the best places to visit in the UK in 2024.
“These destinations have buzzy new openings, excellent food and drink offerings and pinch-me-moment landscapes.
“With its vibrant cultural scene set to get even bigger next year, Bristol was a deserving winner – but it was also great to see underrated destinations like Hull, Wrexham and Falmouth take their spots in the top 15. If you need an excuse to book a staycation, surely this is it.”
Passengers across the North warned as new train timetables launch this month
Emily Sergeant
Passengers across the North are being told to plan head as new train timetables with ‘targeted adjustments’ are being introduced this month.
Forming part of the national timetable change – which takes place twice a year each May and December – train operator Northern is reminding customers about changes which are going live next week following recent feedback from customers on how to improve.
While most of Northern’s services set to see little to no change this month, there are some ‘targeted adjustments’ taking place.
Here in the North West and Greater Manchester, there will be some small changes on a few routes to ‘help with punctuality’, but it’s elsewhere across the region where more significant changes are set to take place.
In the North East, more customers will be able to travel between Newcastle and Whitby on Sundays without changing trains, and there will be some small tweaks to the timetables on other lines.
Passengers across the North are being warned as new train timetables launch this month / Credit: Northern
Then, over in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, trains running between Sheffield and Lincoln will now call at all stations along the route on Sundays.
“We’ve listened to feedback from our customers and have focused on improving reliability when the May timetable change takes place,” commented Toby Higgins, who is the Head of Business Performance at Northern, ahead of the timetable changes being introduced next week.
“Whilst there won’t be widespread changes to times, I’d advise customers to check before they travel as some services will leave a few minutes earlier than they do now to help with overall punctuality.”
New train timetables go live from next Sunday 17 May, and the full details of all of the changes taking place across the network can be found on Northern’s website here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Travel & Tourism
Iconic boutique hotel in Manchester unveils stunning new look, including redesigned roof terrace
Daisy Jackson
An iconic hotel in Manchester that’s already home to a rooftop terrace, serene spa, private screening room, and dozens of beautiful boutique bedrooms has unveiled a new chapter.
King Street Townhouse is now ready to introduce 10 totally reimagined guest rooms, plus refined event spaces, all still honouring the building’s Grade II-listed heritage.
The boutique accommodation in the city centre has just unveiled this design refresh, coinciding with its recent 10th anniversary.
One of the major developments at the luxury hotel is the collection of 10 new Signature Guestrooms, each with its own unique character, defined by rich textures and curated art.
Beyond the quiet luxury of the new bedrooms, you’ll find newly reimagined event spaces, like its beautiful South Terrace and Lounge with panoramic skyline views which has always been popular for weddings, conferences, and other private events.
Now, the interiors flow seamlessly onto the terrace for an indoor-outdoor experience, with a sculptural feature bar and discreet flexible partitions.
Elsewhere in King Street Townhouse, the Mezzanine Lounge has also had a refurb, now offering bespoke seating and its own dedicated bar.
And that’s alongside all the long-loved features from the last decade, like The Tavern restaurant, the infinity pool, the private screening room, the gym, and the King Street Spa.
King Street Townhouse has refurbed its roof terraceThe new bar at King Street TownhouseThe refreshed Mezzanine Lounge One of the Signature GuestroomsDetails of the new barEach Signature Guestroom has its own characterThere are 10 redesigned bedrooms at King Street Townhouse
Viki Tahmasebi, CEO, THG Experience, said: “This marks an exciting new chapter for King Street Townhouse.
“Our vision has always been to create guest experiences that feel deeply personal and intuitively luxurious, and these enhancements further bring this to life.
“We’ve reimagined our spaces to reflect how our guests want to live, gather and unwind – building on what has long been cherished.”
You can see more and book a stay at the new-look King Street Townhouse HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd January 2024 
