Best of gay in Manchester

Guide to the Best of Gay Manchester

BEST FEST
Manchester Pride, www.manchesterpride.com

It’s big, brash, loud and lasts for 10 days – and the city loves it!

BEST DANCE
Essential, on the corner of Minshull Street and Bloom Street, www.essentialmanchester.com
It’s the biggest and the best gay club in Manchester. Essential dancing: 3 floors of dance, pop, funk and dance! And check out their After-Hours scene after 5.00 am every Sunday.

BEST FOR GIRLS
Vanilla, Richmond Street, www.vanillagirls.co.uk

This place has won numerous awards for being, in its own words, “the lesbian mecca of the north”.

BEST FOR BOYS
Cruz 101, Major Street, www.cruz101.com
The clue’s in the club’s title…

BEST GOTHIC
Via Fossa, 28 Canal Street

Situated in pride of place on Canal Street and with arguably the most stylish, and seriously gothic, interior in the Village, Via Fossa is a place to see and be seen.

BEST CAFE SCENE
Queer, 4 Canal Street
Perfect for a warm afternoon…lovely selection of snacks and drinks and a table by the canal in the heart of the Gay Village to watch the world go by.

BEST SWEAT
The Basement Complex, 18 Tariff Street, M1 2FN
Tel. +44 (0) 161 236 8131 / 237 9996
The Basement Complex is one of the largest gay and bisexual saunas in the northwest and the only venue to operate 24/7. This is a gay owned and gay run venue which offers a warm welcome. Never been to a gay sauna? The Basement Complex also offers a Meet and Greet service.
http://basement.kudoswebdesign.com

BEST OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE
The Northern Quarter
Manchester’s gay scene is not a ghetto. We have a mixed and open bar and club scene. The newly re-vamped Northern Quarter is the trendiest place to check out bars such as Socio Rehab, Bluu and the Mint Lounge.

BEST TOUR
info@manchestepride.com and tel. +44 (0) 161 238 4548

Discover the often hidden story of LGBT life in Manchester from 1800 onwards. Lasting approximately 2 hours, tour guide Jon Atkin tells of characters such as Noel Coward, Edward Carpenter, Quentin Crisp and Alan Turing and describes a rage of venues and incidents from Manchester’s “queer” past.

Trails take place on the last Sunday of each month starting from the New Union Pub on Canal Street. There are additional trails during Manchester Pride in August. Tickets approximately £5.00.

BEST BEARS
www.manbears.co.uk
Bears? In Manchester? Ever wondered what happens to the older, bigger and perhaps hairier guys, who don’t quite fit into the younger, often dance focused, gay scene?

Well they’ve created a friendly and inclusive social space for themselves and their friends. The Manchester Bear scene is one of the busiest and friendliest in the UK. You can always expect to find bears and their admirers socialising at The Outpost on Whitworth Street on Saturday nights, especially on the 2nd Saturday of the month when guys from all over the north-west turn up for Bear Night.