Visit Manchester Insider's Guide Part 10: LGBTQ+

This content is drawn from the Visit Manchester Insider’s Guide. Filled with ideas and inspiration for things to see, do, and eat, as well as places to stay, the 40-page guide features dedicated sections on what's new and upcoming, along with maps and spotlight pages highlighting Greater Manchester's towns, boroughs, and trendiest neighbourhoods. It's the ideal resource for planning your next trip.

The 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 on any night of the week.

Alternative queer clubbing

Whilst the Village is the undisputed centre of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ life, a thriving alternative club scene occupies safe spaces with dedicated club nights like Homoelectric, and events at venues such as Hidden, The White Hotel, Firehouse, The Carlton Club and Derby Brewery Arms.

Manchester Village Pride 

Held August Bank Holiday Weekend, Manchester Pride is a four-day celebration featuring a festival-style programme of music with further events in and around the Village.

Greater Manchester Pride events

For an intimate way to celebrate pride season, the individual boroughs across Greater Manchester host fantastic community events. From Salford’s The Pink Picnic held in Peel Park to events in towns like Bolton and Wigan. Manchester also hosts The Sparkle Weekend, the world’s largest free-to-attend celebration of gender diversity.

LGBTQ+ art and culture

The SCENE Film Festival is just one example of the annual events dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ arts and performance, whilst Sugar and Spice celebrates queer women through a series of workshops. A year-round programme at spots like HOME and 53two also feature plenty of queer culture.

Sport groups

As a major sporting city, it’s no surprise there’s a welcoming LGBTQ+ group for almost any sport you can think of. From the Village Manchester FC and Manchester Frontrunners to the Village Spartan rugby club and GHAP badminton.

Queer history

Integral to the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in 1964, Manchester has always been at the centre of queer activism in the UK. You can follow the city’s queer history on the LGBTQ+ Heritage Trail which takes in locations including the Alan Turing statue, and the National Transgender Memorial Garden. LGBTQ+ walking tours are operated by Free Manchester Tours most Saturdays.