Inspired by the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, we travelled by train to England in March. Combining ESC host city Liverpool with the industrial heritage of Manchester. Manchester to Liverpool was also the first steam railway line ever. A perfect pretext to travel to The North.

After a disappointing IWM North we had lunch at an Italian restaurant nearby, Prezzo. Afterwards, we took a tram to Manchester’s city centre, looking for the emblematic Canal Street, adjacent to Rochdale Canal. World famous for featuring in the original ‘Queer As Folk‘ series in 1999.

Gaybourhood

The gay neighbourhood or gaybourhood in Manchester is centered around Canal Street, which is located in the city center, just south of the Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station. Canal Street is often referred to as the Gay Village, and it is known for being the heart of Manchester’s LGBTQIA+ community.

The Gay Village is home to a wide range of LGBTQIA+ bars, clubs, restaurants, and shops, as well as several LGBTQIA+ events and festivals throughout the year, including the annual Manchester Pride festival.

In addition to Canal Street, Manchester’s LGBTQIA+ scene extends beyond the Gay Village, with a number of other LGBTQIA+ bars and venues located throughout the city. 

However, Canal Street remains the focal point of Manchester’s LGBTQIA+ community, and it is widely recognized as one of the most vibrant and inclusive gay neighborhoods in the UK.

Canal Street has a long history as a hub for queer culture and activism in Manchester. In the 1980s and 1990s, the street was the site of numerous protests and demonstrations in support of LGBTQIA+ rights, including the fight against Section 28, a controversial law that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools.

On Canal Street

Visit Manchester dedicates a page to Canal Street. “Wednesday nights, affectionately know as ‘Butterflies’, are particularly popular with the trans community, with Napoleon’s and New York New York all having a faithful repertoire of regulars.”

“The Molly House on Richmond Street, is an intimate, rustically styled pub and its vintage décor is a delight in which to enjoy some of their home cooked tapas and cakes and carefully selected ales and wines. The music has as much of a range as the drinks, and is kept low, so you chat without shouting.”

Next door is Number 1 Canal Street. Its informal drinking and dining atmosphere and appreciation of the arts means that you might get to see a new play or exclusive book reading or art exhibition if you pop by.”

“Bar Pop keeps the soundtrack of camp classics and nostalgic favourites coming, run by Mr. Poptastic John Hamilton and co. Poptastic also hosts one of the area’s most popular club nights – on Tuesdays and Saturdays – at  Club Alter Ego. KiKi is both a lounge bar and a nightclub occupying the space which was formally Queer bar.

Famous brand G-A-Y is “a pop music haven with music video walls and a roof terrace, offering regular drinks promotions to a lively crowd”.

“Whilst the gothic interior of Via is the perfect setting for a few pints of lager while enjoying the bar’s nightly entertainment of drag queens and DJs.

“For a relaxing glass of wine, Tribeca‘s Manhattan styled interior is a firm favourite, as is the legendary New York New York on Bloom Street – popular for its camp comedy cabaret nights. Cocktails reign supreme at the decadently decorated Oscars piano and showtunes bar, a must for all musical theatre fans.”

“Vanilla, the city’s legendary lesbian bar, makes sure that the girls get good representation with a selection of fun bar nights and one-off bank holiday events. Coyotes Bar is another favourite haunt for the ladies.”

“The Eagle on Bloom Street entertains Manchester’s gay male clientele with daily happy hours, themed fetish nights and late-night DJs. Nearby Company Bar also operates a male only door policy and is open late on weekends.”

More traditional visitors might want to experience the Village’s more traditional pubs. The Rembrandt, Paddy’s Goose, New Union and Churchills hold many secrets of the life LGBTQIA+ people lived before the burgeoning gay scene we know today.

“Night owls will want to experience the city’s clubbing scene should check out  AXM on Bloom St and Cruz 101, the non-stop gay club open seven nights a week, that helped kick start the city’s modern gay nightlife. “

“On top of all of this, gay-run shops, a sauna, off licence and the best late-night chippy in Manchester city centre ensure that there’s more to the Village than bars and clubbing.”

Outside

Outside of Manchester’s gay village you can find some fantastic alternative nights for the rainbow community. 

“Kraak in the Northern Quarter regularly hosts the likes of Off The Hook, Drunk at Vogue and Pop Curious?, whilst Club Alter Ego (home to Poptastic) also hosts the infamous Bollox on selected Fridays. HomoElectric also happens once a month in various venues across the city, so check their website or Facebook page for details.”

The Village also plays host to a number of regular annual events and special community activities. 

“Manchester Pride is one of the biggest Pride events in the UK, attracting a huge number of visitors to the city each year. Manchester also proudly hosts Sparkle, the national transgender celebration weekend in July, whilst the Great British Bear Bash sees the gay village taken over by the larger, bearded, hairier chap over the May Bank Holiday weekend.”

Alan Turing

In Sackville Gardens, a spot of green nearby, there’s a rainbow coloured bee. The bee is a symbol of Manchester. The work bee symbolises industry. Napoleon Bonaparte also chose the bee as a symbol of his ascent to power. 

And in the gardens there’s a statue of Alan Turing. Turing is believed to have taken his own life in 1954, two years after being convicted of gross indecency (i.e. homosexual acts). As such, he is as much a gay icon as an icon of computing.

Challenges of the future

Canal Street and the gaybourhood are inevitably under pressure. Gentrification, upscale homes and the mainstreaming of gay going out threatens the queer character of the area. 

While the need and demand for queer neighbourhoods is diminishing, LGBTQIA+ activists are wary of letting disappear the rainbowness of Canal Street. 

As everywhere in the world, it’s a difficult balancing act between evolution (progress?) and conservatism, between cherishing heritage and accepting change, even for the worse. 

Liverpool & Manchester 2023

1. BEHIND THE SCENES | Gustaph and ‘Because Of You’ to represent Belgium at 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.
2. REVIEW | Avanti West Coast Lounge London Euston station.
3. REVIEW | London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street on Avanti West Coast’s pride train.
4. LIVERPOOL | 2023 Eurovision Song Contest venues & locations: arena, fan village, EuroClub, EUROfansCLUB.
5. A visit to the Museum of Liverpool.
6. LIVERPOOL | Merseyside Maritime Museum ft. Piermaster’s House, Border Force National Museum and International Slavery Museum.
7. LIVERPOOL | Western Approaches / Liverpool War Museum.
8. REVIEW | Radisson Red Liverpool.
9. Discovering Liverpool.
10. Liverpool to Manchester on the very first – 1830 – railway line.
11. MANCHESTER | Imperial War Museum North (IWM North).