Gay Bars
The
Gay Village is numero uno for bars and
clubs, but where to start?
Well, probably your first stop will be one of the
massive gay café-bars lining Canal
Street such as Spirit,
Queer or View.
Stylish, buzzy and full of very dishy men and women, they're the spiritual home
of gay Manchester.
Grab a drink, whilst you meander through the gothic labyrinth of Via or for the
classy Shirley Basseys among you, you may want to try Taurus, Velvet (don't miss the fabulous
fish tank in the staircase) or AXM, perfect for whiling away the hours sipping
chic cocktails. Or perhaps you fancy reclining the night away on a bed (yes, a
bed) at the uber-trendy Tribeca.
The Gay
Village is a big place and
has room for all. Company Bar attracts an older, male crowd - many dressed up
in leather and rubber, whilst Coyotes on the other hand attracts mainly women
and hosts a range of themed nights. The Rembrandt and Churchills are proper Manchester pubs for the
more mature crowd, meanwhile Napoleons, just round the corner, is very proudly
the oldest pub in the village and is usually filled with the highest heels,
biggest wigs and thickest lipstick!
Gay Nightclubs
We’ve lost count of the number of awards Vanilla has won, and
rightly so, for being in its own words “the lesbian Mecca of the north”. A fantastic place with
great music all week. And for the boys, well why not try Cruz 101 (the clue is in the
title) for some old-fashioned drinking, dancing and who knows what else? Head
on down to Kink @ Sub101,
this men only night takes place on the first Saturday of every month, with a
dress code of rubber, leather uniform, lycra or even just your underwear!
It's the biggest gay club in Manchester with so
much energy it probably powers its own glitter balls: it really is Essential –
three floors of dance, pop, funk and house. And thank the Manchester god for Poptastic, at Mutz Nutz
– a haven of indie, cheesy chart and disco classics. Make sure you try out the
shagtags there: the original and still, for many, the best.
Federation is the big monthly club
night worth attending for funky house music, also check out its sister club
night
Freakshow.
Gay clubbing wouldn't be complete without mentioning the naughty, but still
very nice with it, Legends. This huge pleasure-spot has something for everyone,
from the (relatively) well-behaved Dorothy’s Bar to wild and wonderful foam
parties in the (men-only) Mineshaft.
Beyond the Gay
Village
There's more to Manchester
than the Village. Take the Northern Quarter. It's stuffed full of cool bars
such as Socio Rehab, Bluu or the funky, very now Mint Lounge. Visit the
sumptuous Malmaison, or chic Obsidian...there's nothing else quite like them
for making you feel like Audrey Hepburn for an hour or two. Then there's Cloud
23 at the Hilton on Deansgate: situated in the dizzying heights of the 23rd
floor at Beetham Tower, it's even got its own express
lift to whoosh you up to vodka martini heaven. Last but by no means least head
across to the bar at
Harvey Nichols, to enjoy a glass of very satisfying
bubbly.
Culture
How much culture does one person need? However much, you're sure to find it in Manchester.
The Palace
Theatre is home to world-class shows and plays, as is the well-respected and
much loved Royal Exchange Theatre (even if you don't fancy the play, check out
the fabulous pod theatre). Then there's the
Opera House, where you can catch
smash hit musicals such as Chicago
and Joseph, as well as smaller, more experimental venues such as the Contact
Theatre, the Library Theatre, the greenroom, and the seriously stunning The
Lowry. The Bridgewater Hall is a world-class venue for a wide range of music,
regularly hosting concerts from the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras. Even
Dolly Parton has played here before! Don't forget to check out who's playing at
the MEN Arena, which is used to being graced by stars such as Madonna, Elton, Kylie
and Dame Shirley Bassey.
Some
good web links for Manchester
are:
