City of sound: Why Manchester’s musical past and present are pitch perfect

More than Oasis' mammoth comeback shows, the increasingly cosmopolitan destination is shaking off its gritty image and leaning into its rich musical history

A mural by street artist Qubek in the city's arts district Northern Quarter. Getty Images

It is raining in Manchester – the kind of stately, rhythmic drizzle that has inspired the city’s greatest bands for generations.

In the doom-laden 1985 track Well I Wonder by The Smiths, singer Morrissey gasps the climactic line: “This is the final stand of all I am, keep that in mind,” before fading into the haunting sound of rainfall. The abstract cover art of The Stone Roses’ eponymous 1989 debut, painted by guitarist John Squire, is said to mirror the city's chaotic showers. Meanwhile, four more local lads started a band called The Rain in 1991, before adopting the name that would make them world-famous: Oasis.

But Manchester is not overshadowed by its cultural heroes. Just a two-hour train ride from London and a seven-hour direct flight from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the city – once a powerhouse of the 18th century Industrial Revolution fuelled by a roaring textile, manufacturing and cotton trade – continues to reinvent itself, much like the countless musicians spawned.

Now one of the UK’s largest cities, these once-grand Victorian warehouses share neighbourhoods with sleek modern developments easily navigated with accessible pathways and a pedestrian-friendly city centre, many dotted with buskers playing everything from rustic folk music to dissonant electro-hip-hop.

The state of the art Aviva Studios Factory is one of Manchester many important music venues. Getty Images

Part of that rich soundtrack is set to reverberate worldwide once more, as Oasis bring their record-breaking comeback tour in July to Heaton Park in the city’s north-west. While hundreds of thousands of fans from the UK and beyond are set to stream into the sprawling site for a heady dose of Brit-pop nostalgia, a weekend in Manchester also reveals its rich music scene remains as vital as ever.

You can hear it almost immediately after stepping into the Northern Quarter. A short walk from Manchester’s central Piccadilly Station, the former hub of textile warehouses has, over the past few decades, evolved into a creative and cultural district filled with independent record stores, cafes and music venues.

This isn’t just a case of gentrification. Like much of Manchester, the area is reclaiming its roots – perhaps best exemplified by Band on the Wall, a venue reportedly hosting musicians since the early 20th century. That flair and grit are also reflected in some of the vibrant murals lining the streets, from portraits of Academy Award-winning Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh and The Smiths’ Andy Rourke by local artist Akse P19, alongside larger works found in Stevenson Square.

Nearby is Night and Day Cafe, another Northern Quarter music institution that, since its founding in 1999, has weathered repeated closure threats due to noise complaints. The intimate performance space continues to host nightly acts from emerging bands aspiring to follow in the footsteps of past performers, from Kasabian and Arctic Monkeys to Paolo Nutini. Come for the sounds, stay for the pizzas – the meatless treat of tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, and Parmesan, aptly named Fun Guy, is a standout from the venue's menu for £10 (Dh46).

Johnny Marr, ex-member of The Smiths, performs with his son Nile Marr and his band Man Made at The Night And Day Cafe in 2016. Getty Images

A further 15-minute walk in the city centre and towards St Peter’s Square leads to a modest yet important rock landmark. The grey brick wall of the Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel holds a plaque commemorating its past as the site of the Lesser Free Trade Hall. Established in 1856 and once a stage for public debates, it gained legendary status in 1966 when Bob Dylan debuted his “electric” set, enraging folk music purists. Amid the uproar, a heckler’s cry of “Judas!” became immortalised in The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966 recording.

The site is also a pilgrimage point for punk fans, having hosted one of the earliest Sex Pistols concerts in 1976. The raw gig, attended by around 40 people and featuring future seminal tracks Pretty Vacant and Problems, is widely regarded for its catalytic impact. Among the audience were future members of The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Fall – artists who left inspired to form their own bands, igniting a movement that would reshape British music for decades.

A 10-minute drive or 40-minute stroll down Regent Road – one of Manchester’s key arterial routes – takes you away from the glimmering skyline of Spinningfields, the financial district, to the quieter streets of Salford where a more direct musical tribute awaits. The green wooden gates of the red terracotta-brick exterior at Salford Lads Club – famously seen on the cover of The Smiths’ 1986 album The Queen is Dead – have become a popular selfie spot for the now-retired band’s devoted legion of fans.

The venue, established in 1903 and still operating today as a youth club with sports activities, was chosen as the backdrop for the recording due to the working-class ethos the band referenced in their songs – rather than any direct affiliation with its members.

While its unexpected fame carries the kind of irony Morrissey often infused into his work, the organisation embraced its informal association with the band for fundraising efforts – particularly in its famed “The Smiths Room”, a former gym space turned shrine to the group, adorned with hundreds of photos of fans standing outside the building.

While entry is free, visitors are encouraged to contribute to the organisation's upkeep through donations or by purchasing unofficial Smiths-adjacent merchandise, including T-shirts and mugs, from the gift shop.

Henry Watson Music Library is located within the Manchester Central Library. Getty Images

More of the city’s musical heritage is preserved within the grand halls of Manchester Central Library on St Peter’s Square, considered the heart of the city. On the second floor of this neoclassical building, you’ll find the Henry Watson Music Library, a space that reveals how music is not just a soundtrack to Manchester’s evolution but an integral part of its formative fabric.

Among its treasures are autographed copies of Antonio Vivaldi’s Twelve Violin Sonatas, composed around 1716 and now known as the Manchester Sonatas and nearly 10,000 music books covering everything from western classical compositions to the rhythms and arrangements of Northern Soul. Venture deeper, and you’ll discover performance spaces – weekly jam sessions take place here, with musicians making use of instruments ranging from electronic drum kits to keyboards freely available for members to play.

With a string of prominent music venues – from the Albert Hall, a former chapel turned performance space, to Lions Den, a hub for open-mic nights along the bustling nearby thoroughfare of Deansgate – alongside modern, state-of-the-art venues like Aviva Studios and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester’s music pedigree remains undeniable. The sounds created here in venues big and small, modern and replete with history, are not just woven into the city’s neighbourhoods and institutions but echo far beyond its borders into the world with an energy whose light will never go out.