Manchester is the only UK city to feature in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 list, and the only UK city in National Geographic’s influential ‘Best of the World’ list, which annually sets out 25 of the must-see places to visit around the globe. It’s also been placed in International Traveller’s 24 Vibrant Places to Go in 2024. And, according to Vogue, reflecting on Chanel’s decision to hold its 2023-24 Metiers D’Art show in Manchester, the city is ‘having a moment’.
The archetypal ‘shock city’ of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester’s radical, pioneering character endures today – only now its achievements also include shaking up the music scene, nurturing artistic and scientific creativity and hosting international sporting and high fashion events (the latter befitting not just the city’s historic role in the textile industry and nickname of ‘Cottonopolis‘ but also its contemporary role as a pop fashion city and a design and HQ location for leading sports fashion and other brands such as Castore, Umbro and even Adidas). It’s also just been announced as the second headquarters location for the UK Government’s new ministry of science, innovation and technology, DSIT.
With a population of around 3 million inhabitants, the Manchester city-region is the largest city-regional economy outside of London. The travel to work area of Manchester comprises the eight metropolitan boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan, and the cities of Manchester and Salford, along with neighbouring boroughs of High Peak, Congleton, Macclesfield, Vale Royal and Warrington. The regional centre (city centre) is mainly in the City of Manchester but overlaps somewhat into Salford and Trafford.
Manchester is a lively and diverse city with many things to see and do. Home to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs, more than 20 art galleries and over 30 museums (including the University of Manchester’s famous Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and extraordinary neo-gothic John Rylands Library (home to a special collection ranging from the earliest portion of any New Testament writing ever found to the British Pop Archive), plus a new visitor centre at our world famous Jodrell Bank Observatory), and a great performing arts scene (including the famous modular Royal Exchange Theatre, built within the trading floor of what was once the world’s major cotton exchange) and a globally recognised Arts festival with a new £120m home venue, Factory International at Aviva Studios.
Manchester also has a reputation for prolific musical acumen extending from the Hollies and the Bee Gees through to Joy Division, The Smiths and New Order, Oasis, Everything Everything, Blossoms, the 1975, IAMDDB, Aitch and beyond – with a live music scene characterised by numerous small and medium sized venues, both new and historic, alongside some of the largest venues in the world, with the UK’s largest arena (the AO Arena) and a soon-to-open even larger venue, the Co-Op Live, coming in Spring 2024. Manchester is also home to three major orchestras, the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata) and is soon to become the main base for the English National Opera. And Manchester hosts a restaurant and bar scene that is unusually dynamic and diverse.
Manchester is also very well placed as a starting point for visits to the wider North of England, and a great location from which to visit four national parks (the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Snowdonia) and the Lancashire, Cumbria and North Wales coasts.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Manchester in January 2024. On this page we have provided a few links to resources and guides that you might find useful. Please note that these links will take you out of the GeoInno2024 website and we are not responsible for the content of external pages.
National Geographic: “Why Manchester is the UK’s most exciting cultural hub right now” (and on arrival in the UK why not check out National Geographic Traveller magazine’s Jan/Feb issue, with a 9-page feature on the city’s arts and crafts scene plus a guide to spending time in Manchester)
Lonely Planet: “The Top 12 things to do in Manchester”
Visit Manchester: “Unmissable music in Manchester”
Creative Tourist guide to Manchester and the North
Spotify playlists and podcasts (Visit Manchester) – learn more about the city and its people, or find your inspiration in Manchester music, past or present
You can read much more about what to see and do in the City of Manchester, find some information about food and drink, and conference delegate offers and discounts, at the Visit Manchester site for conference delegates.
Accommodation and travel
Manchester has a wide range of hotels to suit all tastes and budgets. Our partners at Visit Manchester have provided a dedicated booking portal offering special rates to delegates for the conference. This will remain open until 13 December 2023. Great deals are also available on commercial platforms.
Manchester is a major transport hub – you can find more information about getting here at Visit Manchester. In terms of getting about the city when you are here, the central districts are very walkable but if you wish to use public transport you can find information about bus and tram (light rail) services at the Transport for Greater Manchester website or on their Bee Network app. For journey planning you can also use apps such as Citymapper or Google Maps. Finally, ride-hailing companies Uber and Bolt operate as fully regulated taxi services in Manchester and can also be a great way of getting from A to B.
