The Blue Cat is a little enclave of city bohemia picked up and transplanted to the 'burbs. It proudly showcases the best new bands, both local and touring,...

Bolton has never been content to sit in Manchester's shadow. Its Town Hall, completed in 1873 and dominating the town centre, easily has enough grandeur to...

The Deaf Institute - aka Trof 3 - is the third bar in the Trof empire, following Trof 2 in the Northern Quarter and the original in Fallowfield, called...

This unpretentious, welcoming set-up has seen a number of additions and improvements to its already eclectic schedule. Stop in for long-running weekly...

A long way from the grimly functional mill buildings so often captured by its eponymous subject and raison d'être, the Lowry marked a tipping point for the...

Three spaces on the university campus accommodate acts across all genres, from unsigned to well-established. The Academy now includes Club Academy, home to...

A staple of the Manchester gig circuit, and just a short walk from Piccadilly, this former theatre turned mid-sized concert venue is packed nightly by music...

The City Centre's largest concert venue (aka the Manchester Arena) is a stopping-off point for those commanding a big crowd: typically big pop acts (à la...

Established for years as cosy boozer for the student halls next door, the Rampant Lion reopened in 2009 with stylish new decor, a gastropub menu and a...

This ex-ballroom's sprung dancefloor has been graced by generations of Mancunians. Mondays and Saturdays are popular student sessions. Even better (and...

Walking down the flight of steps into the Roadhouse is akin to kicking open the doors of a blast furnace: downstairs, you're all but guaranteed the hottest...

Straddling the border between the City Centre and the more bohemian Northern Quarter, Ruby Lounge has an independent streak more in keeping with the latter....

Gothic decor, wilfully eclectic club nights - including bhangra, rock and pop - and regular gigs define this theatrical set-up. But despite its devilish...

St Philip's, a neoclassical Anglican church dating back to the 1820s, is one of a handful of 19th-century buildings to survive the neglect faced by many of...