One of Manchester‘s best-loved neighbourhoods has been named the second “coolest” in Britain by a renowned national media outlet.
And it’s not the first time it’s been given a similar honour to this before.
If you were taking guesses as to which area it would be, then you probably wouldn’t have got that far before, or really be shocked to hear, that Ancoats has made its way on to a round-up list of the 15 coolest neighbourhoods in Britain by The Telegraph – coming in second place, just behind Walthamstow in London.
Finnieston in Glasgow claims the third spot on the list, with the top five being rounded out by Kelham Island in Sheffield, and Cathedral Quarter in Belfast.
Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, Ouseburn in Newcastle, and Meanwood in Leeds are the fellow northern neighbourhoods to have also made it onto the exclusive list of 15, with Stockbridge in Edinburgh, Pontcanna in Cardiff, and North Laine in Brighton just a selection of the other places getting a mention.
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🇬🇧From London’s hipster enclave to Glasgow’s ‘WeMo’ (West of Motorway), we reveal the trendy spots far from the tourist crowds https://t.co/hSeJtvLq7s
A part of town with a rich history that has undergone quite significant regeneration this side of the century, we all know by now that Ancoats is widely-considered to be one of Manchester’s, the UK’s (and the world’s) most sought-after neighbourhoods, so this most-recent nod from The Telegraph praising its coolness won’t come as a surprise to many.
Home to a hub of thriving independent eateries, bars and shops, it’s fair to say Ancoats has changed a hell of a lot over the years – from being the sort of place you’d be wary to wander around alone in at night, to an Instagram-friendly hipster’s paradise.
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But just what exactly is it that’s made The Telegraph take note and praise it for being ‘cool’?
Well, the publication explains that Ancoats “has been here for an age”, and noted the fact that it was once an important textiles centre dubbed the world’s “first industrial suburb”, as well as also being known as ‘Little Italy’ in reference to a surge in Italian immigration at the turn of the 20th century, all before it became what we know it to be today.
Ancoats has been named one of the 15 coolest neighbourhoods in Britain / Credit: Rudy’s | General Store
“As rentals have become pricier closer to town, Ancoats has emerged as the next major gentrification area, with Cutting Room Square a popular meeting place and drinking hole,” The Telegraph writes.
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Several of Ancoats’ most well-known and best-loved independent eateries and bars were named as places to head on down to if you’re looking to see the area “like a local” – including Elnecot, Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza, Canto and Little Vietnam.
The area has also been noted as being the place to hit up for a tattoo at Tooth and Talon, and somewhere to get your beard tidied at Jersey Street Social Club, while the mini-market reinvention that is Ancoats General Store also getting an expected worthy mention.
The Telegraph does advise that people “hop across Great Ancoats Street into the Northern Quarter for indie shopping heaven” though.
Ancoats has a rich past, and is home to a hub of thriving independent eateries, bars and shops / Credit: Visit Manchester
When it comes to somewhere to stay the night in Ancoats, the outlet has named the Copper and Blossom Boudoir as the place to go for, praising its “dimly lit, lavishly fixtured, and blinged-up suites” that sleep anywhere from two to 14 people.
Thoughts then? Is Ancoats as ‘cool’ as everyone always says? Would you stick anywhere else in Greater Manchester on the list?
Featured Image – Visit Manchester
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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.
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 UK arena tour – 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 long 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.
Returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves, 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.
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.