24 Best Nightlife in Manchester, Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District
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Manchester vies with London as Britain's capital of youth culture, but has vibrant nightlife and entertainment options for all ages. Spending time at a bar, pub, or club is an essential part of any trip. For event listings, check out the free Manchester Evening News, widely available throughout the city or as a website or app. Other helpful websites include www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk, www.manchesterwire.co.uk, and creativetourist.com.
The neighborhood of Gay Village lines up stylish bars and cafés along the Rochdale Canal; Canal Street is its heart. There are several gay bars, but most attract a mixed crowd.
Depot Mayfield
This vast cultural venue in the historic former Mayfield railway station showcases the city's industrial past alongside a lively roster of arts, music, industry, culture, and community events. Its atmospheric spaces include the old concourse and the roof-top, open-air platform, and the place is dotted with street food vendors.
FAC 251
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The Deaf Institute
42nd Street
Off Deansgate, this venue plays retro, indie, singalong anthems, and classic rock, with Manchester's proud musical heritage at the fore.
Aatma
This multipurpose, fairly intimate and stripped-back space hosts club nights from northern soul to electro, live music, poetry, and more. There's also a pizza menu.
Band on the Wall
This famous venue has a reputation for hosting both established and pioneering acts.
Cloud 23
This dressy Champagne and cocktail bar in the city's second-tallest building has stunning 360-degree views. Some of its inventive concoctions make a playful nod to local culture. You can also get afternoon tea or snacks such as tacos and antipasti.
Dukes 92
Once a stable block for horses working the canals, this is a great spot for a pub lunch or drink, especially in the summer, thanks to its waterside terrace, balcony, and outdoor kitchen.
Folk
Bars and restaurants come and go on trendy, ever-evolving Burton Road, but this bar and café has stood the test of time thanks to its heated terrace (complete with palm trees), chic interiors, and good food.
Gorilla
Hidden
This former mill building near the infamous Strangeways prison hosts house, disco, and techno nights.
Manchester Arena
Europe's largest indoor arena by capacity hosts shows by major rock and pop stars, as well as large-scale sporting events.
New Century Hall
Once host to the likes of Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, this iconic 1960s venue has reopened but retains many of its original features, including vintage wooden paneling and a sprung dance floor, which contrast with newer additions such as a disco ceiling lighting installation. In addition to live music and a full bar, it hosts a street food hall and a creative college in music, games, and computing.
Night & Day Café
O2 Apollo Manchester
Housed in an art deco venue, the 3,500-seat venue (known by locals as just "the Apollo") showcases live rock and comedy acts before a mixed-age crowd.
Peveril of the Peak
This photogenic throwback Victorian pub with a green-tile exterior draws a crush of locals to its tiny rooms.
Sonata Piano & Cabaret Lounge
Providing a Manchester spin on the cabaret clubs of New York and Berlin, this welcoming venue offers up nightly live entertainment from singers, pianists, and cabaret artists from across the U.K. and beyond, showcasing everything from pop standards and Broadway ballads to jazz classics and quirky cabaret.
The Angel
The Briton's Protection
You can sample more than 230 whiskies and bourbons at this gorgeous pub with stained-glass windows, cozy back rooms, a spacious beer garden, and a mural of the Peterloo Massacre.
The Liars Club
This self-described "tiki dive bar" serves up generously sized cocktails in its kitschy Polynesian beach–style bar. Order a Zombie if you like your drinks set on fire. They also serve a hundred types of rum and run cocktail-making masterclasses.
The Marble Arch Inn
This handsome, unspoiled Victorian pub specializes in craft beers brewed by local firm Manchester Marble and offers a famous cheese board.
The Molly House
This lively Gay Village bar has an outstanding selection of beers from around the world, in addition to good wine and cocktail lists. The tapas nibbles are delicious and surprisingly inexpensive.
The Oast House
This unique pub, surrounded by a large terrace with cabanas, occupies a 16th-century oasthouse (where brewers roasted hops) that was brought here, brick by brick, from Kent. The emphasis here is on craft beers and ales, accompanied by playful food such as Northern poutine with Lancashire cheese.