Manchester is predicted to be one of the first cities in the UK to lose all its public toilets, according to a new study.
Apparently, data shows the city will have nowhere to wee for free by the time 2059 rolls around.
For some Mancs, it’s probably not a thought that crosses your mind very often, but for those with weaker bladders, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed public toilets are much thinner on the ground and a lot harder to come by these days – especially here in Manchester.
And it turns out there’s good reason for that, as our city has ranked among the top 10 UK cities that are most-likely to lose their loos within the next couple of decades.
Manchester is predicted to be one of the first UK cities to lose all its public toilets / Credit: Supplied
According to a new study carried out by bathroom specialists Victorian Plumbing, the number of public toilets in the UK has dropped from 6,087 in 2000, to just 3,990 over the last 10 years, and if it continues at this rate, the current trajectory is predicting a future where the country’s streets lack free lavatories altogether.
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Experts say this would lead to a public health crisis that “disproportionately affects people with disabilities or ill health”, as well as the elderly, women, outdoor workers, and the homeless too.
The company’s research has discovered that Manchester is one of the worst-affected regions in the UK when it comes to the rapid decline in public toilets – with only seven estimated in the area currently, and a loss of 2.1% per year.
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Top 10 UK cities most likely to lose their public toilets
Newcastle
Birmingham
Plymouth
Manchester
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Preston
Salford
Liverpool
Lancaster
Manchester takes the fourth spot on the list, with our fellow Greater Manchester neighbours Salford also claiming eighth place, and the rest of the top 10 list overwhelmingly featuring other northern cities like Preston, Lancaster, and Liverpool.
“It may seem like a trivial thing to worry about, but the dwindling number of public toilets speaks to a broader issue of societal neglect,” comments Brenna Ryan, from Victorian Plumbing.
Data shows the city will have nowhere to wee for free by the time 2059 rolls around / Credit: Supplied
Urging the UK Government to “take action”, Brenna added: “Every year, the number of public toilets decrease, and with it, so does our promise of a basic human right – the right to sanitation. It’s not just about answering nature’s call, but about upholding the dignity of everyone, irrespective of age, gender, or social status.”
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Victorian Plumbing has now launched a petition calling on local authorities to provide public toilets by law – with more than 2,000 people and counting having put their names to it.
“It’s high time we voice our concerns, rally behind the need for accessible public toilets, and urge our Government to understand that this isn’t just about toilets, but about the dignity, health, and wellbeing of everyone,” Brenna concluded.
Manc music legends James announced MASSIVE hometown show
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester music legends James have just revealed a massive hometown show here in the city centre as part of a landmark domestic arena tour.
Daisy bucket hats at the ready.
James is arguably the epitome of what it is to be the understated, underdog British band; they’ve gone about the business of making quality music somewhat quietly for several decades now, but they’ve had a fresh wave of interest over the past year or so
Having opened up for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback shows, not to mention playing multiple big festival slots in recent months alone, they’ve now announced a huge run of UK arena shows – and nowhere does a James crowd quite like us Mancs.
Details have been announced for our 2026 UK arena tour, and we’re delighted to be joined by very special guests @dovesmusicblog with tickets going on general sale this Friday at 9:30am. Access the ticket pre-sale on Wednesday via our official store: https://t.co/DwpGrAUESZ NBL x pic.twitter.com/A4CWVpCooL
Announced as part of the celebrations around their Nothing But Love ‘best of’ LP, which pulls tracks from James’ whopping 18 studio albums, the new run of UK arena shows in 2026 follows on from numerous noteworthy shows this calendar year.
In addition to the aforementioned outdoor gigs, like their stunning sold-out night at The Piece Hall in Halifax – not too far from frontman Tim Booth’s hometown in Yorkshire – the indie veterans also celebrated a huge landmark in 2025.
Surpassing the milestone of 40 years as a band, with a lineup that’s remained largely intact and only really grown in terms of live session players and touring bandmates.
The new “definitive” greatest hits record also includes two brand-new songs in ‘Wake Up Superman’ and ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’, both of which are produced by Leo Abrahams, who worked with the band on their long-awaited number one album Yummy in 2024 – a feat loooong overdue if you ask us.
As evidenced by the sheer amount of new material they continue to put out and the almost non-stop touring, they remain one of the most prolific artists in the country. FACT.
You can see the rest of James’ upcoming tour dates, including a healthy number of Northern stops in the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and more.
James UK arena tour dates 2026
Fri 2 Birmingham Utilita Arena
Sat 4 Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Tues 7 Aberdeen P&J Live
Wed 8 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Fri 10 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Sat 11 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Mon 13 Cardiff Utilita Arena
Tues 14 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Fri 17 London The O2
Sat 18 Manchester Co-op Live
With James returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live arena debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves (I know, how lucky are you lot?!), you can bank on this one selling out quickly.
General admission goes on sale this Friday, 10 October at 9:30am, so you’d better be ready to grab yours in a flash.
You can find the ticket link HERE, and we’ll see you in the crowd for a good ol’ singalong.
Featured Images — Ehud Lazin/Press shots (supplied)
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Electronic icons Kraftwerk announce first Manchester gig since 2017
Danny Jones
Pioneering German band Kraftwerk have announced their first UK tour since 2017, with fans having to wait almost a decade for another Manchester gig.
Thankfully, they’ll be heading back down the Autobahn and across the channel for a return to our shores soon enough with a long-awaited list of British and Irish live dates.
Kraftwerk remains one of the most groundbreaking groups in the electronic scene to this day, having paved the way for generations of new artists to keep experimenting with the genre in the 50+ years since their formation.
Heading back to Manchester early next year, die-hards will no doubt snap these tickets faster than you can say ‘Das Model’.
For anyone unaware of these veritable legends of electronica and the world of alternative/Euro-synth pop, Kraftwerk formed all the way back in 1970 and went on to shape the modern music industry, bridging the gap between music and the digital age.
Best known for tracks like ‘Computer Love’, ‘The Robots’, ‘Pocket Calculator’ and the aforementioned on named after the national motorway network, they spearheaded futurism in the musical landscape from the outset.
It seems only fitting, therefore, that their upcoming highly anticipated return to the UK comes as part of their ‘Multimedia’ tour.
While they have played a number of live shows all over the globe this year, including an extensive run in the US, next spring will be our domestic visit from Kraftwerk in nine long years.
Credit: Press shot (supplied)
You can see the full list of UK and Ireland tour dates – including a handful of Northern gigs – down below:
Spanning a total of 15 UK dates, as you can see, there will also be tickets to see Kraftwerk nearby in the likes of Liverpool and with our mates over in Sheffield.
Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter famously played a set inside our city’s velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for Manchester International Festival (MIF) back in 2009, and has collaborated with the event on multiple ocassions.
In fact, that very performance was seen as a turning point for MIF, so the Manc Kraftwerk connection speaks for itself; O2 members can obviously get pre-sale, but general admission tickets go live from 9am this Friday, 10 October.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd November 2023 
