What's new in Greater Manchester for 2024

Visit Manchester Pass: city’s first tourist pass launches

Launched in December 2023
Manchester’s first visitor pass launched in October with the Visit Manchester Pass, offering 1, 2, and 3-day passes with entry to attractions including Manchester City stadium tours, RHS Garden Bridgewater, and East Lancashire Railway. A total of 30 add-on offers are also available with hotels, bars, restaurants, and spa treatments.

Club de Padel: first dedicated padel club arrives at Deansgate Square

Opening in December 2023

Manchester's latest sporting venture, Club de Padel, is coming to the emerging New Jackson neighbourhood. Featuring four state-of-the-art courts, it brings the first dedicated venue to the city as the sport continues to grow. Federal, the popular Australian-inspired café, has partnered with the club to provide a selection of coffee and snacks to the members.

Co-op Live: UK’s biggest new music venue announces first live concerts

Opening in April 2024
The new 23,500 capacity live music venue Co-op Live is confirmed to open in April 2024 at a site next to Manchester City Football Club. The venue, backed by Harry Styles and Bruce Springsteen, has now announced the first wave of its opening acts which has so far included Olivia Rodrigo, Eric Clapton, and a residency from Manchester-born band, Take That. The venue is planned to have 32 bars, restaurants and lounges, and features a smart bowl design to bring fans closer to the stage.

Rochdale Town Hall: restoration continues at Grade I listed building

Reopening in early 2024
An incredible £16m restoration is taking place to allow Rochdale's Town Hall to be fully opened to the public for the first time in history. The Grade I listed building will feature new exhibition spaces and a new hall for community events. An iconic location, Rochdale Town Hall has also appeared in film and TV including Tolkien, Peaky Blinders, and World on Fire.

Hollingworth Lake Country Park: new accessible garden to open in Rochdale 

Opening in early 2024
In the Rochdale town of Littleborough, Hollingworth Lake Country Park will be unveiling a new £60,000 accessible sensory garden. Located near the new café, wheelchair-friendly paths, vibrant flora and interactive features like wind chimes and sculptures will cater to diverse abilities and ages. Further support from a local memorial scheme and company will enhance the space, making it an all-season, educational hub that will host horticultural events and classes.

John Rylands Library: transformation of city’s first public library to begin

Reopening in Late 2024
The Grade-I listed John Rylands Library, opened in 1900 and renowned for its impressive Victorian Gothic architecture, is preparing for a one-year project that will transform its exhibition spaces, provide a refreshed main entrance, and enhanced academic facilities. The library, now owned by the University of Manchester, is approaching its 125^th anniversary in 2025, whilst the University celebrates its bicentenary in 2024.

Manchester Town Hall: iconic Victorian building to reopen following transformation

Reopening date TBC 2025/26
Manchester’s impressive 19th century Town Hall will reopen to the public following an extensive renovation project to protect it for future generations. One of the most significant heritage projects in the UK, the Our Town Hall project will open with a new exhibition telling the story of the heritage building, whilst giving visitors access to previously unseen areas, including the Victorian police cells, courtyard, and clocktower on new guided tours.

Fenix: High-end Greek restaurant brings top chefs to £7m opening

Opened in November 2023
The first new restaurant to open in the new St. John’s neighbourhood (home of new Aviva Studios), Fenix is set to bring modern Greek food from chef’s who have graced some of Greece’s finest restaurants. Designs for the £7m space include light technology to mimic the setting sun and promises to ‘bring Mykonos to Manchester’.

Dear Sailor: enigmatic cocktail bar brings 1930's Tokyo to life

Opened in November 2023
Spinningfields has welcomed a new stunning bar to its neighbourhood. Dear Sailor is veiled in mystery, with a private Instagram page and no listing on Google Maps, with its own set of rules and inspired by the speakeasies of prohibition-era Japan. Its drinks menu includes a Yuzu Meringue Martini and its food menu is broken into three sections - Import, Naval & Tidal and Export.

Dainā: Asian-inspired dining comes to St. John's

Opened in December 2023
The first kitchen residency in Side Street Studios' collaboration initiative has arrived in the new St. John's development. Dainā, from chefs Jake Huxley and Samuel Jethro, brings a creative new menu of bao buns and small plates to the venue, which also offers a stacked line-up of entertainment.

Skof: L’Enclume and Simon Rogan chef to open first restaurant

Opening in Spring 2024
Northern-born Tom Barnes will open his first restaurant, Skof, in the city’s NOMA neighbourhood offering a 36-cover restaurant with a vision to create unpretentious yet ambitious dining. The opening is Barnes’ first solo restaurant venture and comes with a glittering career including The Roux Scholarship, 12 years with Simon Rogan as Head Chef at Rogan & Co, gaining a Michelin star, and work as Executive Chef at L’Enclume.

Treehouse Manchester: second UK location for playful hotel brand

Opening in April 2024
Taking over 14-storeys, with 224-bedrooms, Treehouse Hotel Manchester is set to open in April with a £200m redevelopment of a former hotel on Deansgate, in Manchester City Centre. The second location for the London-brand, the property will feature nature-inspired interiors, and a line-up of food and drink offerings will include a rooftop restaurant, and a ground floor zero waste eatery.

Malmaison Deansgate: second property opens with rooftop bar views

Opening in early 2024
Their second property in Manchester, Malmaison Deansgate will open opposite the iconic Albert Square and Manchester Town Hall. 70 guest rooms will pay homage to retro 60s and 70s design, and the brand's famous Malmaison Bar & Grill will serve food, alongside SORA, a rooftop bar with panoramic view.

Station Agent’s House: historic property on museum site to become holiday property

Opening in early 2024
For the first time in 100 years, the Grade I listed Station Agent’s House at the Science and Industry Museum, once the world’s first passenger railway station, will open as a holiday let to the public. The partnership between the museum and The Landmark Trust will see the Georgian building, dating to 1808, provide accessible accommodation for up to eight people.

Mollie's: third UK site to open at former TV studios

Opening in early Summer 2024
Its most ambitious project to date will see Mollie's, the UK hotel and diner concept, come to Manchester, opening its third and largest site in the Old Granada TV studios. Taking over 100,00 sq ft of the historic 1950's building, it will offer 128 bedrooms, a 140-cover diner-style restaurant, with the top three floors of the building to be shared with Soho House with 23 bedrooms for members, and will also offer a club, swimming pool and private spaces.

Victoria Warehouse: warehouse music venue to add 200-room hotel

Opening in 2024
Plans to redesign the iconic Victoria Warehouse have been submitted, which, when complete, will see its bedroom offer increase from 64 to 200 rooms. The venue, which hosts major live music concerts, opened in 1925 as a cotton warehouse, becoming a music venue just outside the city centre in 2006.

Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024: renowned ceremony held at iconic city centre hotel

5 February 2024
One of the most prestigious events of the year, the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024 will take place at stunning hotel The Midland, home to Adam Reid's The French. The ceremony will unveil the much-awaited 2024 guide, while also recognising gastronomy pioneers with Michelin Stars and Michelin Green Stars.

World Snooker Tour Championships, at Manchester Central

1 to 7 April 2024
One of the biggest events on snooker’s global circuit, the World Snooker Championship Tour will bring the world’s best players together in Manchester for the first time, with events taking place at Manchester Central over seven days.

RHS Urban Show, at Depot Mayfield

18 to 21 April 2024
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), will brings its first ever large indoor show to Manchester with the RHS Urban Show set to be held at Depot Mayfield. The event will celebrate the “gardening boom” taking place in cities, and will feature talks on design for small spaces, advice, practical workshops and more.

WOMEX: international music convention comes to city

24-27 October 2024
Worldwide Music Expo – WOMEX – will come to Manchester for the first time, bringing the world’s biggest music conference with a trade fair, talks, films and showcase concerts at venues across the city. The four-day event will feature a range of music genres and will attract over 2,600 music professionals and artists.

University of Manchester: institution celebrates 200^th anniversary

From January 2024, the University of Manchester will celebrate its founding roots as the Mechanics’ Institute in 1824. Highlighting icons from its history including Alan Turing and Christabel Pankhurst, the University will host a Bicentenary Festival with events from 6-9 June.

Greater Manchester: 50 years since the region was created

On 1 April 1974, the new region of Greater Manchester was formed, comprising 10 boroughs, including the cities of Manchester, and Salford. Historical counties of Lancashire, Cheshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire were broken down to improve services for local people. 50 years on from its inception, 2024 offers an opportune moment to visit the region to explore the varying history, green space, and contrasts of the towns and villages that are home to 2.8m people.