LGBTQ+ Manchester

Manchester has a thriving LGBT+ scene, centred around the world famous Canal Street – home of “The Village”. A beacon of celebration in the city, the Gay Village is a must for any visitor to Manchester.

Located just south of Chinatown, the village is not only a thriving hub for nightlife, but living proof that Manchester is one of the world’s leading gay-friendly cities.

With a combination of bars, clubs, restaurants and green spaces set alongside a long stretch of the Rochdale Canal, Manchester’s Gay Village has something to suit all tastes. The Village is also famous for hosting a number of regular annual events and special community activities – perhaps most prominent is Manchester Pride. Standing as one of the biggest Pride events in the UK, Manchester Pride attracts a huge number of visitors to the city each year.

Manchester also proudly hosts Sparkle, the national transgender celebration weekend in July, whilst the Great British Bear Bash sees the gay village taken over by the larger, bearded, hairier chap over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Gay culture has flourished into a village-like community with a combination of bars, clubs, restaurants and green spaces set alongside a long stretch of the Rochdale Canal, making it the perfect setting for alfresco drinking and dining.

Essential LGBTQ+ Manchester

Proud, an audio-visual exhibition, created by Heard Storytelling, to celebrate Manchester’s LGBTQIA+ community.

LGBTQ+ events

LGBTQ+ Manchester blogs

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Celebrating Pride across Greater Manchester in 2023

June marks Pride Month across the world, to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Pride Month is now dedicated to the celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. Pride Month is about acceptance, equality and celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people, it…

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The definitive list of Pride events across Manchester

Summer is the season of Pride events, and every year communities come together and show solidarity for LGBTQ+ people. Pride events are renowned for colourful parades, marches and great music but at their heart, it’s all about acceptance, equality and raising awareness for issues affecting the…

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Alternative LGBTQ+ Manchester

Manchester’s Gay Village, annual Pride Festival and strong LGBTQ+ community have long been celebrated as a core part of the history, identity and culture of the city – and rightly so. Canal Street was the setting for groundbreaking, hit TV series Queer as Folk in the late 1990s, and the canal-side…

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LGBT+ Manchester top 7 things to do

The Gay Village A beacon of celebration in the city, the Village is a welcoming community of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and businesses open to all. Centred around Canal Street, you can expect to find a flourishing queer scene with entertainment for all persuasions on every night of the week.

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Where to eat and drink