If you are going to Manchester for a night out then you are in for a fantastic time. The nightlife in this great city offers plenty of choice. There are many bars, cocktail bars, nightclubs and comedy venues to visit. You can also find many places with live music covering a range of genres such as rock and jazz. You are quite literally spoilt for choice.
With all this choice it’s no wonder there are so many stag dos, hen parties and students enjoying a night out in Manchester.
Locals, students and visitors only have one problem with having so many nightlife places in Manchester – deciding where to go. You could try and visit them all in one night but it’s not recommended.
Nightlife Areas
There are many nightlife areas in Manchester and we mean many! Here are the most popular areas.
Northern Quarter
In the Northern Quarter you will find many trendy and stylish venues. These include cool independent bars, traditional pubs and plenty of craft beers on tap. These venues are mostly found around Oldham Street, High/Thomas Street and Tib Street. On these streets you will find many fantastic venues to visit. Some recommended places are The Mint Lounge, Cane & Grain, Kosmonaut, Soup Kitchen and Hula. In the Northern Quarter there are also many venues which offer live music of all types of genres including jazz and rock.
Oxford Road
Manchester has the largest student population in Europe. And when night falls there needs to be a place for all of the students to go. The area where students enjoy the nightlife in Manchester is mostly on Oxford Road. This 2 mile road runs from St Peter’s Square in the city centre all the way down to the Curry Mile. And after a night out curry mile is the perfect place to have a great curry.
This road goes past all of the main universities. And it also goes past many great bars and pubs which you need to check out.
It’s not all about the students here though. The older crowd can also enjoy the many bars this place has to offer.
Deansgate Locks
The area of Deansgate Locks has been a place to go out for many years and is a great place to go. The ten converted railway arches has trendy bars and a comedy club for all to enjoy. When going to the Locks for a night out in Manchester, you can’t really go wrong.
Deansgate
The trendiest nightlife area in Manchester is Deansgate. It has fantastic restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Places to go include the very popular 42nd Street, Milton Club, The Botanist Elixir and rooftop bar, Cloud 23.
When in this area you might see a few celebrities enjoying a night out. The area is loved by many as there are places that play live music such as jazz and rock.
Spinningfield
The area of Spinningfield is called the ‘Canary Wharf of the North’. The area is becoming the place to be. Here you will find fancy bars, lounges and restaurants to enjoy.
Peter Street
This area is a favourite with stag dos, hen parties and students. There are many bars to have a drink in. There are theatres and the opera house nearby. As well as this there are the favourite drinking areas of Deansgate, Oxford Road and Deansgate Locks close by.
The Printworks
With venues such as Tiger Tiger, The Birdcage, Entourage and Bierkeller it’s no wonder The Printworks area is a busy place on Fridays and Saturdays.
Gay Village
Located on Canal Street the Gay Village is the liveliest place in the city. Whether you’re gay, bi or straight it provides a great night out. The Gay Village of Manchester is world renowned and is a very popular place every weekend.
Manchester offers even more nightlife areas – they are Castlefield, Piccadilly and Town Hall.
Nightclubs
The Warehouse Project is in Manchester from September to December every year and it is arguably the best 3 months of dance music in the country. Located in an underground car park, the atmosphere is electric. The best DJs from the UK and all over the world play nearly every weekend. Tickets sell out in no time so buy early.
In Deansgate there is the private members club called The Milton Club. When night falls this is the most exclusive place to be. If you are feeling very exclusive you can hire private booths and tables.
Another club to check out is near Deansgate and is a VIP superclub called Suede. This stylish nightclub is packed every weekend, especially on the large dancefloor! You can definitely party all night here. Don’t forget to dress to impress when going here!
The Bijou Club plays out funky house and R&B music all night long. It’s a popular and stylish place. Keep your eyes peeled when you are in Bijou Club as you may see a celeb or two.
LIV is a VIP Nightclub and restaurant in the city centre. This place has a fantastic reputation. Downstairs you will find the DJ booth and dancefloor whilst upstairs there is a Pan-Asian restaurant. What’s more, there is a large roof terrace which you should check out.
In this next club you can stay here all night. Tiger Tiger has eight rooms and all of them have dancefloors! Each room has a different music genre so this place will please all your friends. If you are on a stag do or hen party then Tiger Tiger is definitely the venue.
Hen parties will also love the Birdcage nightclub. When you are here you will experience Vegas style shows which feature showgirls, drag artists, DJs and more.
Manchester accommodates many music genre including rock. There some great rock clubs to check out including the famous Satan’s Hollow and Jilly’s Rockworld.
Other nightclubs in Manchester are The Deaf Institute, Antwerp mansion, Albert Hall, Sound Control, The Whiskey Jar, Elixir Tonics & Treats, Cirque, Hula Tiki Lounge, South Manchester, Suburbia, Mint Lounge, The Venue, Fifth Nightclub, 42nd Street, The Factory (FAC251), Sankey’s and The Brickhouse.
Bars & Cocktail Bars
Underneath the railway tracks is a bar that opens late and it’s a great place to go. The bar is called Dog Bowl and it has a 5 lane bowling alley to keep you entertained between drinks.
Lock 91 is a very popular bar to say the least. It has many rooms to explore including the Jack Daniels games room, the lounge and the club room. It’s no wonder this bar is one of the best in Manchester.
Gorilla is another well known bar. It has plenty of cocktails, beers and wines on the menu. This place has it all: bar, restaurant, live music venue and nightclub. You might stay here all night long.
Another recommended bar is located on Deansgate Locks and it’s very busy when the weekends arrive. Ark is a stylish and trendy venue but affordable. So expect students, stag dos and hen parties.
For rum, then you need to visit The Liars Club. This tiki bar has one of the largest rum collection in Manchester. For all your rum needs you can’t go wrong when you step inside The Liars Club. Don’t forget to try the tropical cocktails on the menu.
For brilliant views of Manchester visit Épernay Champagne & Cocktail Bar. This place is really nice. It has a large list of drinks to choose from with plenty of champagne drinks and around 80 cocktails. If you like the sound of this place, then you will also like the bar on the second floor at Harvey Nichol’s. The award-winning bar has plenty of champagne and cocktails to try!
Other bars to explore are Revolucion de Cuba, Lola lo, Joshua Brooks, Temple of Convenience (once a public toilet), Mojo, Kosmonaut, The Liquor Store, Dusk til Dawn, BrewDog, Be at One, the Gas Lamp, Australasia, The Alchemist and Apotheca.
Live Venues
Finding a place in Manchester playing live music won’t be a problem. This city has a great live music scene. Many people would say that it’s the best in the UK. Here are the many places to find live music:
- Manchester Arena
- Albert Hall
- Soup Kitchen
- Band On the Wall
- The Deaf Institute
- Gorilla
- Sound Control
- Manchester Academy
- O2 The Ritz
- O2 Apollo
- Mint Lounge
- Matt and Phreds (Jazz club)
- Night and Day Cafe
Pubs
Pubs in this great city are all around and you will find them in all the nightlife areas. Pubs that are recommended to visit include The Shambles, The Wharf, Tib Street Tavern, Britons Protection, The Oxford and The Thirsty Scholar.