
Behind Closed Doors is an exhibition of photographs taken in a Greater Manchester intensive care unit at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With lockdown easing, there is optimism for the hospitality sector and with cultural spaces opening for longer, there are plenty of things to do and places to go this summer on the Oxford Road Corridor.
With students having returned home after a very unusual year in Manchester, things are a little quieter on the Oxford Road Corridor, but with lockdown restrictions easing, businesses across the innovation district have begun to open for longer. There are plenty of things to do this summer and it’s the perfect time for Manchester’s residents and visitors to explore the area.
With many of Manchester’s most iconic music venues found here on the Oxford Road Corridor, the return of live music and regular club nights is fantastic news for gig-goers, we’ve rounded up some highlights below.
Also great news is the Holden Gallery is open again with Lothar Götz having transformed the gallery with a new site-specific colourful wall painting that fills the gallery. You can visit Wednesday to Saturday between 12 & 4pm.
It’s also the summer holidays and we’ve put together a guide full of ideas to help keep the kids busy!
Sadly the pandemic has meant that Manchester’s newest neighbourhood, Circle Square, has had to open up slowly, but we can assure you that there will be an incredibly exciting line-up of retailers and restaurants gradually moving in over the coming weeks and months. We’re also delighted to welcome Symphony Park to the Corridor’s green spaces.
We’re excited to learn that the Pankhurst Centre will reopen this summer with a new exhibition, ‘At Home with the Pankhurst Family’. Open first to community groups, the museum will be open to the public again from the 29th of August.
While it’s understandable that people will return at their own pace, it’s brilliant to see spaces reopening and people back enjoying them. With so many things to do, we hope you can join us on the Oxford Road Corridor this summer!
Museums & Galleries
Behind Closed Doors is an exhibition of photographs taken in a Greater Manchester intensive care unit at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
LAST CHANCE. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has a new exhibition about one of Elizabeth’s best-known collection of stories – Cranford.
The Whitworth presents Imran Perretta: the destructors, a new 2-screen film exploring personal and collective experiences of marginalisation and oppression.
Victoria Baths finally welcomes visitors back with the return of their fantastic guided tours.
Local artist and illustrator, David Bailey, exhibits his new poster series at Homeground.
LAST CHANCE. From gallery walls to city streets, poets and visual artists connect words and images in this multifaceted group show.
Live Music
Homeground did a great job of keeping live music going on the Corridor over the summer, but it’s brilliant to see music venues reopening.
More Things to Do
Catch the critically acclaimed Summer of Soul at HOME on the big screen.
LAST CHANCE. Wild Chorus and Voicing Silence at Manchester Museum are two new artistic responses to the beauty, complexity and decline of wildlife.
The Collections Care Centre at the Whitworth is a space that allows the gallery to show, share and care for its important collections.
Join Henry Normal as he chats and shares poems with award-winning wordsmiths from Flapjack Press. With audience Q&A.
Enjoy a free evening at Homegound featuring Mr Wilson’s Second Liners and DJ sets from DJ Rob Jones and DJ Khanfu.
Echo and the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant chats to Dave Haslam about his career in one of the most influential British bands of the 1990s.
Fly on the Wall Press and Blackwell’s Manchester showcase new work from three exciting local authors this August.
Victoria Baths present Bath Bombs Comedy Club, a new comedy night featuring an impressive line-up of acts.
This book sale is held regularly on the second Sunday of every month at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Described as ‘Manchester’s best second-hand book sale’ by one visitor it is a popular and favourite destination for book lovers.
The transformation of the Pankhurst Centre exhibition space is incredible thanks to its new permanent exhibition, At Home with the Pankhurst Family.
HOME get their Autumn Season off to a flyer with a stage adaptation of the H.G. Wells’ novel and Orson Welles’ classic radio play, The War of The Worlds
Food & Drink
You can stop by on your lunch for a quick takeaway sandwich or burrito to take back to your desk or enjoy across the road in All Saints Park, or you stay longer and pick from a menu of mains in their downstairs cafe.
Hatch is Manchester’s pop-up retail, food and drink destination on Oxford Road with something for just about everyone. It is a place to shop, eat and drink, 7 days a week at over 30 independent traders.
Ditto Coffee is a coffee shop specialising in independent music and speciality coffee. This Manchester coffee shop is the second from the Liverpool-based Ditto Music company.
Zouk Tea Bar and Grill is a modern, exciting restaurant, serving up some of the very best Indian-Pakistani cuisine in Manchester.
Green Spaces
All Saints Park is a beautiful green space in the heart of the Oxford Road Corridor. Perfect for a quick moment of calm on a busy day.
This 18-acre park opposite the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is an eye-catching green space and home to the Whitworth Art Gallery.
Enjoy views of some of the best architecture in Manchester in this green space which was opened in 2018 by The University of Manchester.
Circle Square is home to Symphony Park, a beautifully landscaped new space green space designed for socialising, entertaining, relaxing and exploring.
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.
Hyatt Regency Manchester is an elegant, modern hotel set in the heart of Oxford Road Corridor.
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.
We are seeking expressions of interest, from Greater Manchester-based cultural producers, both organisations and individuals, for a new event in October
The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan both score highly in the UK government’s Research Excellence Framework.
Former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England Nazir Afzal OBE is to succeed Lemn Sissay as Chancellor of The University of Manchester