If you are reading this, you have found the guide that I created for guests coming to our wedding! We got married already – but the guide has stayed online for prosperity.
For those that will be in Manchester for a few days, here are some other events that are happening in and around the area that might be of interest whilst you are in town:
Sounds from the City
Manchester is known for having a good music scene. The week of the wedding is relatively quiet, but you could still go to a concert every single night as part of Sounds from the City and see performances from; The National, Kylie Minogue, The Wombats, The Kooks, etc.
If you are a record buff / collector, then be sure to visit Piccadilly Records whilst you’re in town, which was ranked #1 in The Independent newspaper’s Top 50 UK Record Shops.
Manchester International Festival 2019
Running through most of July, there will be lots of small creative events happening across the city centre. You could see exhibitions and performances from David Lynch, Idris Elba, Skepta, or – if you were there early enough – Janelle Monáe and Yoko Ono.
Visit mif.co.uk for the full schedule.
Lyme Park & Tatton Park
The National Trust are a charity that owns and maintains a whole range of nice parks, castles and country manors around the UK. Two that are just a 30-60 minute drive away from Manchester are Lyme Park and Tatton Park.
Check out The National Trust website.
Manchester is home to some of the world’s best football clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and… Oldham Athletic. If visiting football stadiums is your thing, you can and should do that. Most offer guided tours where you can delve into the history of the club.
A permanent fixture in Manchester is The Gay Village, centred around Canal Street. On the website canal-st.co.uk you’ll find a guide to all the bars, restaurants, and events happening in the area.
The weekend of the wedding is also Sparkle Weekend – featuring entertainment from trans and non-binary artists and musicians, food market and bar, help and advice from support groups and LGBT+ organisations, and festival DJs playing until 20:30 every evening, when the bars and clubs take over.
Comedy, Theatre & Performance Arts
The weekend of the wedding could also be your chance to see the musical comedy from the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon.
Again, it seems a quiet week for comedy. No laughs to be had when all the students are out of town. But, there are a few laughter nights happening at The Comedy Store.
Museums & galleries
With Manchester being home to the industrial revolution, The Science and Industry Museum gives you a look into the industrial past of Manchester, but also has a range of steam engines, heavy machinery, planes, trains and auto-mobiles on display.
For budding feminists, there are Tours of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and The Pankhurst Centre – giving you the chance to visit the homes of two of Manchester’s most famous women, followed by a look around the People’s History Museum.
If your thing is war, then the Imperial War Museum North will be worth a trip. Located in the heart of Salford Quays, also home to the BBC and ITV studios – so you might bump into your favourite TV or radio personalities.
Food & Drink
For Asian food, head to Chinatown. It’s in central Manchester and contains many Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Nepali, Vietnamese, Singaporean and Malaysian restaurants, shops, bakeries and supermarkets.
Just a five-minute taxi ride or ten-minute bus from the city centre is Rusholme – an area of Manchester also called The Curry Mile. The clue is in the name, It’s the place to go if you want a curry, with the largest concentration of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi restaurants in the UK.
The Northern Quarter in Manchester is a hub of trendy cafes and bars. If you are coming from Oslo, it’s comparable to Grünerløkka. We’ll be there on Sunday evening as we drink the night away in The Abel Heywood.
For specific restaurant recommendations, check out the Foursquare website and app for a good city guide.
Hopefully this is enough to keep you entertained in the days before or after the wedding. Feel free to leave a comment below if there’s anything you think I’ve missed off the list.
- For flights check out SkyScanner.
- For hotels and places to stay check out Booking.com or AirBnB
- For public transport in the city, check out CityMapper
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at Chetham’s Library on 14th July.
Matt & Ine 💕