Many of the most popular party spots have sadly been lost over the years. Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time.
More info. This weekend marks one of the biggest events in the city's cultural calendar - Manchester Pride. Taking place over the August Bank Holiday every year, Manchester Pride celebrates the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture and life.
As always, the festivities will be centred around Canal Street in Manchester's Gay Village , which has grown since the start of the s to become one of Europe's most lively gay areas. Known as the Village, the area is one of the most vibrant nightlife spots in Manchester City Centre, but it wasn't until the s that it welcomed its first openly gay bar, Manto. By the end of the decade, the Village was both the setting and inspiration for the culturally radical TV show Queer As Folk.
In the early s, the Village had transformed into a flamboyant and booming part of Manchester's nightlife - one synonymous with drag queens and gay ravers - it was dubbed 'Gaychester' in by the Independent newspaper. And for a while the name stuck, attracting revellers from all over the UK to party at its bustling nightspots. But many of those pioneering nightclubs and bars that made the Village in the s have sadly now gone. But to celebrate Manchester Pride, the Manchester Evening News has taken a nostalgic look back at the s venues that are now sadly lost, as well those of the era that have stood the test of time.
Of course, this isn't a comprehensive list, so if you think any we have missed should get a mention then let us know in the comments below. Happy Pride! Manto was one of the most iconic bars in the history of Manchester's Gay Village. Opened on Canal Street in , the front, with its large windows, was revolutionary for the time, with most gay venues still concealed from the street outside.
