Manchester’s beloved independent shopping emporium Afflecks has recently been named in the top 10% of tourist attractions in the world.
The influential TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards – which takes place annually and sees TripAdvisor comb through reviews, ratings and comments from travellers across the globe and use that information to award the very best attractions – has featured Afflecks in the prestigious 2020 list.
This award means that Afflecks is in the top 10% rated visitor destinations in the world, and confirms the opinion of the thousands of loyal fans who flock to the shopping emporium every year.
Afflecks has long been celebrated as a bastion of Manchester’s famous independent and creative spirit, and a safe space in the city. Established in 1982, Afflecks has become famous the world over for its eclectic and eccentric shops and services and the hugely diverse and creative enterprises that the emporium supports.
Spread over three floors, the impressive, bohemian, maze-like environment is perfect for exploring.
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Afflecks
Afflecks remains one of the city’s longest-standing retail experiences.
It was saved from closure back in 2010 by Bruntwood Works – who still own and operate the building to this day – and currently supports over 60 independent traders within the building, from tattoo artists to fashion boutiques.
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Afflecks is undoubtedly a hive of creativity and a safe space for independent entrepreneurs, artists and makers to start out, experiment and grow, so it’s brilliant to see it awarded the accolades it deserves.
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Andrea George – Director of Retail for Bruntwood Work – said: “We’re delighted to receive this accolade from TripAdvisor. Mancunians have long known that Afflecks is the greatest, independent shopping experience there is and it’s wonderful to hear that the whole world agrees.
“Afflecks is part of the heart and soul of Manchester. Disruptive, different, independent, individual, trailblazing. It embodies the spirit of the city perfectly and that is why it holds such a special place in the hearts of the community and is beloved of visitors from around the world.
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“It’s a great award for Afflecks and for Manchester, and showcases just how far reaching the influence of our emporium is.”
You can find more information via the Afflecks website here.
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Two Manchester Basketball players have been named in the SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26
Danny Jones
A pair of Manchester Basketball players have been named in the latest SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26.
The most recent UK Super League Basketball (SLB) campaign is set to wrap up this month, with the playoffs taking place down in the capital, but there are other awards to be handed out before then.
It remains to be seen how ‘The Final Four’ phase will play out at The O2 in London on 17 May, but we can definitely take joy in moments like this.
Announced on Thursday, 7 May, Manchester Basketball confirmed that duo Max Jones and Jordan Johnson have joined the rest of the league’s roster of the best players this term.
As detailed on the club website, “Max has averaged 17.4 points in the SLB in 32 games – he’s been a starter for the franchise and was also named in the ENBL All-Star Five in Germany last month.
“Jordan averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 assists in 30 games in the SLB, had a stellar European campaign and hit 30 pts in just over 27 minutes in the SLB Cup Final.”
Commenting on social media, one fan wrote: “Both JJ and PJ have been so great at the PG spot all year. I feel this is a joint award for them both, but they can only fill one spot for the accolade. If we wanna be a serious club to build upon year on year, JJ also needs to be in an MCR jersey next year.
“We absolutely have the pieces to build around. JJ’s nerve is sooooo cool under pressure. You can just tell they wanna loft a meaningful trophy, and it’s gonna happen if we as a club plan and build the way we need to.”
Plenty of supporters have also stressed the importance of making sure that the board tie down the likes of Jones and other big talents this summer; the rest of the Molten All-League Team of the Season for 2025/26 can be found below.
It’s also worth noting that teammate Tim Adetukasi and women’s team star Irene Oboavwoduo have each been named in the SLB’s British Team of the Year in their respective divisions for 2026.
Writing in a club statement reflecting on a great week of recognition for the resurgent club, General Manager Dominique Allen said: “We are really proud to be a club flying the flag for British players.
Both Tim and Irene have made a real impact on and off the court. We’re really happy for both of them that they are getting some well-deserved recognition.”
Well done to all the MCR stars who are helping get the franchise back on its feet following such a major rebrand across the board.
Here’s looking forward to another promising and productive year for Manchester Basketball.
Akon speaks on his connection to Manchester after run of Co-op Live gigs
Danny Jones
Music veteran Akon has recently discussed his connection to our city following his run of live shows here in Manchester.
In fact, he went so far as to say he feels much more affinity here than he does with ‘The Big Smoke’.
The seasoned Senegalese-American rapper, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur and humanitarian, teamed up with fellow chart-topper Ne-Yo for not just one, not even two, but three whole nights at Co-op Live this May as part of their co-headline tour across the UK and Ireland.
Chatting with Simone Riley on BBC Radio Manchester before the third and final gig of the trio, Akon admitted that there’s “something about Manchester” that he loves way more than London.
As you can see, while he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly is about it in the North compared to the capital, he said simply that “it’s crazy here”, and he loves it.
Same, mate. Same.
Admitting that he feels “more attached to Manchester than London” and labelling the energy from the crowds as “stupid” up here (he meant it in a good way, we promise), Simone couldn’t help but confess her joy over his comments.
He’s not the only global superstar to have recently shouted out their affection for 0161, either, as Billie Eilish also said something similar.
Speaking to the mainline BBC at the premiere of her Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), she said that while the dates lining up were certainly a key factor, there were other reasons why she chose Manchester to film her new movie.
Our Audio North team were also lucky enough to chat with Akon’s touring partner Ne-Yo recently, too, who also had nothing but good things to say about us as a place to play.
As for Akon, the 53-year-old has obviously played here plenty of times over the decades, with last year’s tour being his first return in a decade.
That being said, given how glowingly he’s spoken about us and how popular these joint performances were, we reckon it won’t be that long before he comes back.
Last but not least, we obviously couldn’t resist going along to at least one of the nights for ourselves; listen to what we had to say about the tour in our full review down below.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd September 2020 
