Manchester gay village
Planning and regeneration City centre regeneration areas
The Gay Village
The Gay Village is a truly unique and vibrant area of the metropolis centre. Located next to the Rochdale Canal, it has a mix of residential, commercial and leisure destinations. It's home to the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The flourishing gay culture created a safe and welcoming village-like community. And it's world-famous for its night-time and leisure scene.
We've collaborated with the local community to create an action plan for the Gay Village. It looks at how we can preserve the character and spirit of the area. And how we ensure the needs of the LGBTQ+ community are at the heart of anything taking place in the Village.
As part of our commitment to the Gay Village, a series of listening exercises have taken place. So we enhanced understand the priorities, wants and needs of the community who live in, work and visit it.
There are a range of proposals to enhance the area in the compact and long-term. They include:
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The Village
AXM Bar & Club
AXM opened its doors in and offers a late night clubbing experience with DJs, cabaret shows and…
MAYA
Situated at the bustling intersection of Chorlton Street and Canal Street, the 20th-century…
Napoleon's
Friendly bar over two floors with a varied crowd.
New Union Hotel & Show Bar
Built in , the New Union was one of the first ever gay establishments in Manchester and has been…
Oscars
Oscars is an intimate, theatre style bar showing classic and modern musical film clips in glamorous…
Salon Madre
Manchester’s much loved Mexican restaurant, Madre, has expanded and opened a tequila…
The Eagle Bar
Men only basement bar with industrial and stylish décor open seven nights a week with a faithful…
The Molly House
The Molly Noun is a charming, rustic, vintage bar over two floors with outdoor smoking terrace…
Via
A Gay, gothic labyrinth bar serving quality dishes with specials, in a unique relaxed environment…
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History of the Gay Village and LGBTQ+ nightlife in Manchester
Manchester’s Gay Village has been a haven for many in the LGBTQ+ Community for decades and welcomes thousands of people from across Manchester and beyond to celebrate Pride every year. But before becoming Europe’s largest Gay Village, this area was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester.
Canal Street gets its name from the Rochdale Canal that flows alongside it, which was used to transport materials and goods to and from Manchester’s many mills and factories, fuelling the Industrial Revolution. The buildings that are now home to iconic clubs and bars were once warehouses and workshops used by merchants to house cotton, cloth and building materials.
Following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in the use of canals began to decline in favour of the much faster and more convenient method of transporting goods that steam engines provided. By the end of the 19th century rail had firmly replaced the canals as the primary mode of transportation between Manchester and Liverpool.
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