Gay village in manchester
Gay Village
The neighbourhood mentor to the Male lover Village
The Gay Village, or just the Village, is your place to travel for LGBTQ+ bars in Manchester. Centred around the pedestrianised, waterside Canal Lane, it’s a group hub, a buzzy nightlife destination, and a chilled setting for daytime drinks. It’s also the home of the annual Manchester Identity festival Festival held on August bank holiday weekend.
The area has been a focal point for male lover life in Manchester since the 1950s when the Modern Union became a meeting place for lesbians and lgbtq+ men. The village really took off in the 1990s when continental exclude culture was becoming a big thing in the town centre, and Manto (a bar and club in the spot now occupied by On Bar), was at the centre of it all.
In 1999 the TV drama Queer as Folk brought the Village international attention and for a while it was seen as ‘the’ place to go out in Manchester; not always a good thing when you’re trying to maintain a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Nowadays, with the soar of the Northern Quarter as Manchester’s main nightlife neighbourhood, you’re less likely to find Canal Street overrun with hen parties, and more likely to find the lgbtq+ com
Many cities have a 'gay village' – an area with bars and clubs where LGBT+ people can feel safe to communicate their identity.
Manchester’s is called Canal Street. It's recognised as one of the UK’s liveliest LGBT+ hubs.
The beginnings of Canal Street
In the 19th Century, the area surrounding Canal Street was thriving – not with bars and clubs but with the cotton trade. Manchester had become Cottonopolis – at its peak producing 30% of the world's cotton. At the heart of Cottonopolis was the network of canals that kept the cotton trade moving through the city.
Booms are typically followed by bust, and when canals were replaced by other transport methods and the cotton industry stalled, the areas around the canals became deserted. This vacuum created a red light district, attracting sex workers and gay men to the area.
On the corner of Canal Street today stands a pub called the New Union. It was built in 1865, and in the 1950s became a place for lesbians and male lover men to meet up.
It looks like a normal pub, but when you take a closer look you can see the windows are filled with clouded glass – anyone on the outside can’t see in. This meant that those
The Village
AXM Bar & Club
AXM opened its doors in 2004 and offers a belated night clubbing encounter with DJs, cabaret shows and…
MAYA
Situated at the bustling intersection of Chorlton Highway and Canal Avenue, the 20th-century…
Napoleon's
Friendly prevent over two floors with a varied crowd.
New Union Hotel & Show Bar
Built in 1865, the New Union was one of the first ever queer establishments in Manchester and has been…
Oscars
Oscars is an intimate, theatre style prevent showing classic and modern musical production clips in glamorous…
Salon Madre
Manchester’s much loved Mexican restaurant, Madre, has expanded and opened a tequila…
The Eagle Bar
Men only basement prevent with industrial and stylish décor unseal seven nights a week with a faithful…
The Molly House
The Molly House 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 singular relaxed environment…
View
View is a large lock and club over two floors and open seven nights a week. Show includes a&hell
Planning and regeneration City centre regeneration areas
The Gay Village
The Gay Village is a truly unique and vibrant area of the urban area 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, same-sex attracted, bisexual and transgender communities. The flourishing gay customs 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 secure the needs of the LGBTQ+ community are at the heart of anything taking place in the Village.
As part of our commitment to the Homosexual Village, a series of listening exercises have taken place. So we beat 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 brief and long-term. They include:
- Developing a neighbourhood management intend for improvements to the physical environment
- Replac