Mention ‘B of the Bang‘ to Mancunians, and you’ll probably wish you hadn’t.
Even to this day, the infamous 00s East Manchester sculpture – designed to look like an exploding firework – still manages to have people rolling their eyes, generate heated discussions, prompt a wide range of responses, and remain as polarising as ever before, despite eight years having passed since it was finally dismantled for good.
Alongside the constant critique and ongoing debate surrounding its place and purpose in the city over the five years it was erected for, B of the Bang was given a slew of nicknames by residents and was branded by many as an eyesore.
It also seemed to enjoy much of its life as the butt of many a local gag.
But what was B of the Bang really about?
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What was it for? What inspired its creation? Why did it call Manchester home? Why was it so controversial and problematic? Why did people seem to have so much to say about it? And what actually happened to it in the end?
Well, it all started with a simple quote.
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Taking its name from a quotation by British sprinter Linford Christie, in which he said that he started his races not merely at the “bang” of the starting pistol, but at “the B of the Bang”, B of the Bang B was a sculpture created by Thomas Heatherwick – often deemed one of Britain’s most significant designers – that was commissioned to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in the city, and was installed at Sportcity next to the City of Manchester Stadium (Etihad Stadium) in the East Manchester area of Beswick, at the corner of Alan Turing Way and Ashton New Road.
The sculpture was first commissioned by New East Manchester Limited in 2003, but construction overran – largely due to a rather optimistic estimated completion date – and the official unveiling was delayed until 12th January 2005.
Being taller and leaning at a greater angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, B of the Bang B was one of the tallest structures in Manchester, and was even confirmed to be the tallest sculpture in the UK right up until the completion of Aspire in Nottingham in 2008.
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Credit: Sportcity
B of the Bang originally stood 56 metres (184 ft) tall, with 180 hollow tapered steel columns – or spikes – radiating from a central core. It was angled at 30 degrees and supported by five 25 m (82 ft) long, tapered steel legs, which connected to the spikes 22 m (72 ft) above the ground.
The sculpture weighed 165 tonnes, with the concrete in the foundations weighing over 1,000 tonnes, including a 400 m2 (4,300 sq ft) reinforced concrete slab.
In contradiction to its eventual fate, the sculpture was built to last, having been made from the same weathering steal as the iconic Angel of the North sculpture, which gradually develops a tightly-adhering oxide layer as it’s exposed to the elements, and this layer inhibits further corrosion by reducing its permeability to water.
As part of the design, the spikes even swayed slightly in the wind in order to withstand gusts in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h).
As well as being constructed to tackle the inevitable Manchester elements, it seems that B of the Bang was also built with a legacy in mind, as at the time of its construction, a time capsule was even placed inside one of the spikes of the sculpture – containing children’s poems and paintings – which was due to be opened circa 2300, but after being dismantled, the location of this time capsule is currently unknown.
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The sculpture cost £1.42 million in total to design and construct.
This actually ended up being twice the original estimate, as the initial costing plan had neglected to include installation costs.
Funding for the sculpture was sourced from a European Regional Development Fund contribution of £700,000, the North West Development Agency contributing £500,000, and Manchester City Council providing the final £120,000 towards its completion.
Credit: Connell Brothers / Sportcity
Its hefty price tag was only the tip of the controversy it generated over the years though.
Only six days before the sculpture’s official unveiling, the tip of one of the 2.1 m (6.9 ft) spikes detached and fell, but after close inspection, the launch event went ahead as planned.
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Four months later, in May 2005, a second spike had to be cut off by firefighters after it was discovered hanging loose, and at that time, the sculpture was closed off to the public, and the junction and pathway near the sculpture were temporarily closed.
As a result, some of the joints were re-welded, with equipment put in place to prevent excessive movement.
Despite these modifications though, B of the Bang remained fenced off.
After ongoing and worsening concerns, in May 2006, a total of nine spikes were removed from the sculpture and taken away for metallurgical analysis to discover the stresses being placed on the steel, but all of that meant nothing after it was announced in October 2007 that Manchester City Council were taking legal action against the makers of the sculpture, with the aim of completing the necessary repairs to the sculpture.
This resulted in an out-of-court settlement totalling £1.7 million in damages for breach of contract and negligence.
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Credit: Geograph (Peter Teal)
Following the publishing of an investigative report into the sculpture in 2009, Manchester City Council recommended that B of the Bang should be dismantled and placed in storage until funds could be raised for its safe reinstatement.
Several possibilities for the future of the sculpture were posed, but the report underlined the necessity for extensive testing to ensure these were safe first.
Despite a number of pleas to keep the sculpture erected – including from revered artist Anthony Gormley, who spoke out in its support, stating that: “It is a great tribute to Manchester that this groundbreaking work was commissioned [and] to allow it to disappear would be a loss not just of an inspirational artwork but also of the council’s nerve – removal of B of the Bang began in April 2009.
Although the council had originally promised to store the complex central core and legs, these too were cut apart during removal, which casted further doubt on future prospects for the landmark sculpture’s return at the time, and in early July 2012, the core was finally sold as scrap for £17,000.
But even though B of the Bang eventually fizzled out before its time, it’s hard to deny it made its mark on the city of Manchester.
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Just perhaps not in the way it was originally intended.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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A massive bowling, games and entertainment bar is coming to Manchester next year
Danny Jones
A popular bowling and table games bar that has already proved a hit in Liverpool is coming to Manchester for the very first time next year.
If you’re from the North West, PINS Social Club may not be a new name to you; nevertheless, this will be its Manc debut, with the location not only their first beyond Merseyside but just their second site to date.
As the name would suggest, PINS is primarily about bowling and socialising, but there is plenty more going on at this social club as you’ll find out soon enough.
Scheduled to open in late spring 2026, Manchester and our nearby neighbours in Liverpool are about to strike up a firm party partnership.
CGIs of PINS Social Club Manchester (Credit: Supplied)
Selecting the shifting face of Sunlight House for the space – already home to the likes of Schofield’s Bar – the 25,000 sq ft unit will span three whole floors, offering a next-generation social and entertainment experience in one of Manchester’s most stunning buildings.
A Grade II-listed, Art Deco structure, Sunlight House is undergoing a major £35 million refurbishment, with ‘grade A’ offices set to take up a significant chunk, but it’s soon set to house the latest PINS venue.
Sitting on Quay Street, just off the main Deansgate strip, the busy Peter St corner, and adjacent to Spinningfields, PINS Manchester is springing up right in the midst of arguably the city’s busiest stretches for nightlife.
Promising not only bowling, darts, and table games like pool, shuffleboard and beer pong, but karaoke, live music and all the biggest sporting events on the box, PINS Social Club really does aim to be a one-stop shop for all your needs on a night out.
For instance, their food offerings will run all the way from breakfast through to the late evening, and PINS Manchester is also set to feature a main stage on the ground floor for “electric half-time shows”, with the gaming mezzanine looming just above.
Not only is this going to be PINS’ biggest venue yet, but it’s well and truly on track to be one of the biggest hospitality openings coming in the next 12 months.
Headed up by MD Daniel Kelly, who has also been helping run the resurrected Almost Famous brand here in Manchester, the team knows all about this city. Speaking on the announcement, Kelly said: “Manchester is a city that thrives on energy, culture, and community – everything that PINS is about.
“This new venue will be our biggest yet, offering a bold and exciting social space that’s purpose-built for entertainment, competition, and ultimately, having a great time. We can’t wait to bring our concept to Manchester’s incredible social scene. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon.”
Julien Buronfosse, Managing Director at Karrev (the estate company who have leased the building to the business) added: “The PINS offering is diverse, dynamic and will provide tenants and the local community with an unparalleled leisure experience.
“We wanted to work with an operator that understood our vision of breathing new life into a historic building, contributing to the new era that Sunlight House is entering. The building has ambitions to be much more than Grade A office space, with a specific emphasis on community building. The addition of PINS to Sunlight House will contribute greatly to that.”
Consider us here at The Manc GroupVERY excited for this one.
As you can see, they’ve got plenty of room to work with. (Credit: Calmafftaylor via Wikimedia Commons)
Featured Images — CGIs (supplied)/Wikimedia Commons
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Lemn Sissay OBE pens powerful poem about Manchester City for Black History Month
Danny Jones
Lauded local poet Lemn Sissay MBE has penned a moving poem in collaboration with Manchester City, looking back on the club’s cultural past and key persons of colour for Black History Month.
Born in Orrell in the borough of Wigan, the published author, playwright, and BAFTA-nominated broadcaster has made a name as one of our region’s most notable wordsmiths, so it’s no wonder that he was selected by the Cityzens to touch on this particular topic.
Teaming up not only with Man City but the club’s first-ever Black footballer, Stan Horne, as well as other senior stars from the Maine Road days, all the way up to the modern Etihad era.
‘The Stadium Speaks’ by Lemn Sissay – a poem commissioned by Manchester City for Black History Month 2025
Entitled The Stadium Speaks, the public reading of the verses runs for just under two minutes, but even in the relatively short space of time, there is so much power in this poignant poem.
Roping in help from other past players like Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater, as well as current stars like Ruben Dias, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Jeremy Doku, each line leaves just as much impact as the last.
Just as importantly, they were also joined by Jahmal Williams-Thomas, City Matters’ Black and Mixed Heritage representative, Bing Findlater – the Official Supporter Club’s Equality and Inclusion Lead, as well as several other City fans and staff who work throughout the Eithad Campus.
Each individual who lends themselves to the performance delivers their part perfectly and from the heart; after all, Black culture isn’t something strictly celebrated during the month of October, but throughout communities all year round – as it should be.
Sissay, 58, clearly relished the chance to dive into how Greater Manchester‘s history intersects with not only football, but racism, equality, progress and more.
One stands and we all stand One falls and we all fall We are Manchester City And we stand tall
To celebrate Black History Month Manchester City Football Club commissioned me to write this poem to reflect on the club's journey from Maine Road to today. I have called it…
Speaking via a statement on the club website: “Manchester felt like home to me, the moment I stepped foot across the boundary. I came here very early on, when I think I was 13, I came to see Manchester City play. The first time I came to this city was to see City.
“I want the poem to be owned by the person who’s in the stand watching the game. And I wanted the poem to be owned by the person on the pitch who’s playing it. And I want them to feel proud reading it.”
The post goes on to reiterate that just like all teams throughout the football pyramid, racism and discrimination in all its forms should not and WILL not be tolerated.
Asking supporters to step up and speak as and when needed, City fans can report abuse and/or inappropriate behaviour to 07700151894, which will make security aware of what has been witnessed.
Feedback can also be shared anonymously by texting the specific block, row, seat number and a short description of the incident to the number; if in doubt, talk to a steward or police officer at the game.
Elsewhere, the official MCFC Supporter Charter sets out their zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination, and fans can also report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly HERE.