Gay Village, Manchester

Manchester's Gay Village has a well deserved local, regional, national and international reputation as a great leisure and entertainment venue for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. It is no surprise that Manchester's Gay Village attracts visitors from all over England, the UK and world wide. It is a success story of which Manchester is quite rightly proud.

Getting there

The Village is located in Manchester town centre, in the area bounded by Portland Street , Aytoun Street , Whitworth Street and Princess Street . The Gay village is located in the heart of central Manchester. This, at least in part, explains its success. By being located centraly, it is easy to get to, being close to bus and rail links and Manchester's Metrolink tram service runs nearby.

Manchester' Gay Village

Manchester's Gay Village is a sign of Manchester's diversity and cultural complexity. The village is probably no more than one mile square but it is home to a wide range of gay friendly businesses including cafes and restaurants, pubs and clubs as well as shops and businesses catering to various aspects of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans lifestyle. This means that it is an important destination not just for LGBT people living in Manchester, but for people living across the Greater Manchester area, and beyond.

Canal Street

At the centre of Manchester's gay village is Canal Street. Canal Street is certainly one of the most famous places in Manchester, especially amongst the UK's gay, lesbian and transgender communities. It has a safe and welcoming atmosphere and is a place where gay, lesbian and trans people can be themselves and feel at home. It is home to numerous bars and clubs and is the centre of gay, lesbian and transgender life in the city.

Canal Street has been redeveloped extensively over the last 20 years improving the look and atmosphere of the area considerably. Canal Street is now a picturesque thoroughfare with shops and bars on one side of Canal Street , facing on to the canal on the other side of the street. The area also benefits from having residential apartments on Canal Street and in the surrounding area, adding to the village feel of the area.

Events and Celebrations

The highlight of the year for Manchester's gay community is Manchester Pride. Manchester Pride takes place annually over a ten day period leading up to the August Bank Holiday weekend, and raises money for a variety of LGBT organisations and groups.

The highlight of these celebrations is the Pride Parade. The Pride Parade is made up of colourfully decorated floats which winds its way through the streets of Manchester and ends in the Gay Village. All sorts of groups and organisations participate in the parade and crowds cheer on the from the side of the road adding to the festival atmosphere.

Another popular festival in Manchester is the Queer Up North International Festival. This is a festival of new theatre, cabaret, music, film and debate taking place at a variety of city centre theatre venues.

Whitworth Gardens

Whitworth Gardens (also known as Sackville Park , or Sackville Gardens ) is located next to the village and is a piece of green space in the heart of the city. Whitworth Gardens contains the Alan Turing memorial statue, a statue of "the father of modern computing" Alan Turing. This is simply a statue of Turing sitting on a park bench. The location is important, being close to the university where Turing worked and the Gay village which Turing visited.

Manchester is a diverse and tolerant City and the area attracts people from across the Greater Manchester area. This has led to the Gay Village in Manchester becoming one of the country's most popular leisure venues for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UK.