
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel offers an unforgettable stay on Oxford Road Corridor in one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings.
A vibrant nightlife and home to many of the city’s most iconic music venues, theatre spots and high-end cultural offerings such as the Whitworth, HOME and RNCM.
With one of the most concentrated, diverse and distinctive collections of cultural attractions in the UK, there are always things to do on the Oxford Road Corridor. Home to many of Manchester’s iconic music venues, auditoriums and exhibition spaces, Oxford Road also has a vibrant night-life and an abundance of cafés, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the beautiful architecture and significant landmarks and memorials are a number of historic parks and contemporary green spaces to discover.
Oxford Road Corridor’s love affair with live music dates back as far as 1858 when Sir Charles Hallé formed Manchester’s symphony orchestra at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. Fast forward to 1966 and the Free Trade Hall would become part of musical history again when Bob Dylan was famously heckled for going electric. Ten years later the Sex Pistols played the “gig that changed the world”. Punk was born with Joy Division, The Fall, Magazine and The Smiths, not far behind.
With over six million items from across the world, spanning over four floors of displays and exhibitions in 15 galleries, Manchester Museum (reopening in Feb 2023) is an extraordinary space with a vast collection dating back as far as the early 1800’s. South of the museum and transformed by a £15 million development is the Whitworth, the first English gallery in a park, providing contemporary exhibition programmes that have gained global attention.
At the opposite end of the Oxford Road Corridor, presenting the most diverse, contemporary and challenging visual art, cinema and theatre in the region is HOME Manchester, who have specialisms in artist film, performance and participation.
The area is steeped in literary history, with the life and works of both Anthony Burgess and Elizabeth Gaskell immortalised here alongside iconic venues like Manchester Central Library and contemporary spaces like Manchester Poetry Library.
The transformation of the Pankhurst Centre exhibition space is incredible thanks to its new permanent exhibition, At Home with the Pankhurst Family.
(Un)Defining Queer delves into the Whitworth’s collection to examine how we can use a queer lens to define what the term ‘queer’ means.
HOME present Natural Interaction, a solo exhibition by Nick Jordan featuring new films, prints, photographs, painting and sculptural works.
Is there anybody there? at HOME uses archive film to create a monumental study of cultural traditions, procession and ceremony.
Painting, An Unending is a solo show of new work by artist Parham Ghalamdar, his largest institutional exhibition to date.
Golden Mummies of Egypt is Manchester Museum’s re-opening exhibition. This one-of-a-kind cultural experience opens in February 2023.
Dab Hands is an exhibition that celebrates the extraordinary relationship that we have with our hands and the value of the skills that can be acquired
Archives at Play 2 is the second in a two-part series of exhibitions inviting an exciting roster of artists to delve into Castlefield Gallery’s archive.
A new exhibition exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell presented Manchester and its people through her novels and short stories, and the impact she had through her writing.
CIPHER makes voyeurs of its viewers; cryptic domestic narratives frame subjects in private states of exchange, isolation, and contemplation.
Traces of Displacement uses the Whitworth’s collection to address one of the major humanitarian concerns – forced displacement.
A fascinating retrospective of photographer Jill Furmanovsky featuring some of the most famous works from 50 years of rock photography
The soundtrack to 50 years of love, hope and celebration, Pride Classical fuses anthemic melodies with irresistible rhythms,
A huge name within the Grime scene, Flowdan is coming to Manchester. Catch a British urban music legend live at Joshua Brooks this summer.
Expect heavy dub-driven monsters and irresistible synth-pop bangers when audiobooks play Yes this June.
Jen Cloher’s taut, terse brand of rock is charged with the static tension that comes with being an eternal misfit. Admirers have naturally gravitated towards Cloher’s incisive, generous songwriting.
Catch Screaming Females at YES this June, one of the most dynamic and devastating touring bands going today.
Join Manchester Sacred Harp for an afternoon of uplifting social singing. Their door is open – sit and sing if you want to join in – or pop in to listen.
Students from the Royal Northern College of Music perform in the South Gallery, overlooking Whitworth Park.
Royal Northern College of Music celebrates its 50th birthday and half a century of forging incredible careers across the music industry.
Manchester Classical sees the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Collective and a host of stellar artists come together.
Join RNCM vocal students and the Orchestra of Opera North for a fantastic evening of opera’s greatest hits.
SEEN Magazine and Manchester Museum shine a spotlight on the sounds of the South Asian diaspora for Manchester International Festival.
Lose yourself in the world premiere of Sonic Geography by John Luther Adams, played by pianist Ralph Van Raat.
Five children dream of reaching the moon from their bedroom…join the ‘Starchitects’ as they plan their daring mission.
The Hero Next Door at HOME is a celebration of difference, friendship and working together to do the right thing.
Join the award-winning comedian Alasdair Beckett-King on a ramshackle jaunt through a multiverse of wonders.
we were promised honey! is a hopeful, hopeless prophecy for humankind. A story of us, our future, of paradise and how we get there.
Hopefully hopeful, The Rest of Our Lives at HOME is a joyful dose of dance, theatre, circus and games.
Star of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Rhys Nicholson brings a new show to Manchester.
Royal Northern College of Music celebrates its 50th birthday and half a century of forging incredible careers across the music industry.
In a blend of dance, theatre, and an attempt at a sports spectacle, Endurance looks at how we endure, why we endure.
I, Daniel Blake is one of the most important stories of a generation. A glimpse behind the headlines and the stark reality of what happens…
Join RNCM vocal students and the Orchestra of Opera North for a fantastic evening of opera’s greatest hits.
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions at HOME brings together theatre, dance and song for the ultimate anarchic bedtime story.
SEEN Magazine and Manchester Museum shine a spotlight on the sounds of the South Asian diaspora for Manchester International Festival.
A new exhibition exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell presented Manchester and its people through her novels and short stories, and the impact she had through her writing.
Festival of Libraries celebrates the role that Greater Manchester’s 133 libraries play in wellbeing, culture, creativity and more.
Where to stay
All you need to know now is where you are going to stay. There are plenty of hotels on the Oxford Road Corridor which cater for all tastes and budgets.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel offers an unforgettable stay on Oxford Road Corridor in one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings.
The Midland Hotel is one of the most famous places to stay in Manchester, and one of Oxford Road Corridor’s most lavishly decorated hotels.
The Holiday Inn Express on Oxford Road is a centrally located hotel that offers visitors great value for money.
Hotel ibis on Princess Street offers 126 value for money rooms in a central Manchester location near Oxford Road.
Stay up to date with the latest news from Oxford Road Corridor.
The world’s most significant data source and biological samples for health research is set to move to Greenheys at Manchester Science Park.
Eight projects based within Oxford Road Corridor to receive funding and support after being selected to become part of the city-region’s Innovation Accelerator programme.
Plans for the new specialist lab space represent the third phase of Bruntwood SciTech’s masterplan to grow Manchester Science Park.