Wednesday 25-08-2021 - 12:40

 

Manchester is a welcoming city with bold LGBTQ+ history around every corner. Here are some ideas to get started on discovering Manchester.

 

Canal Street & The Village

 

The first spot to check out for LGBTQ+ friendly bars and clubs is Canal Street and The Gay Village. With over 40 venues there’s something there for most, from Manchester’s women’s bar, Vanilla, chilled out tapas at Molly House to simple cheesy gay clubbing at G-A-Y, not to mention a decent amount of end of the night takeaways! If you’re looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly bar but the Village is a bit overwhelming, check out Tribeca round the corner.

 

 

Sackville Gardens and History Trail

 

Sackville Gardens is a beautiful pocket park just off Canal Street great for relaxing in the sun (or Manchester cloud!) It’s home to the Alan Turing statue and one of the locations of one of the rainbow mosaics which make up a heritage LGBT Trail across the city.

 

 

The LGBT+ Centre

 

Manchester youth LGBTQ+ charity the Proud Trust has for many years run out of Manchester’s own LGBT+ centre which is getting a renovation to reopen in Autumn. The Centre will house a vibrant and inclusive community café, alongside a large community room, library, and a city-centre roof garden.

 

 

Afflecks Palace

Afflecks is a haven of alternative in the Northern Quarter. Highlights include The Queer Book Shop, the Gay Pride Shop (with every bit of rainbow merch you could want) and queer-friendly, all-gender, good vibes hairdressers, Palace Barbers. There’s tonnes of stuff in Afflecks to check out and it’s a really inclusive space to enjoy.

 

HOME

 

Home is a fantastic venue showcasing Film, Theatre and Art of all disciplines. Currently they also host events at their outside space, Homeground. The venue often show LGBTQ+ artists and have loads of queer themed shows, check out What’s On and get a student discount on tickets!

 

 

Feel Good Club

 

Run by two wives and with a lovely mental wellness message, Feel Good Club is a relaxed coffee shop space in the Northern Quarter.

 

 

Friendly clubs and bars

 

There are also lots of venues in Manchester that whilst not solely an LGBTQ+ venue host many queer events; check out Deaf Institute, Common, Escape To Freight Island, The Refuge, Hidden and Partisan.

 

 

Out of the City

 

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city there’s lots of options in the suburbs! Check out The New Levenshulme, a rainbow-painted gay pub in, you guessed it, Levenshulme or the Nip & Tipple, a bar and restaurant popular with the queer women’s community in Chorlton.