Manchester’s Gay Village is getting a massive revamp

Manchester has a long heritage of pride and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The city’s gay village, on Canal Street, has been a hub for queer people near and far since the 1980s, and new plans from the council seek to honour this history with a bit of a makeover. 

The plans would seek to ‘preserve [the street’s] character,’ whilst also making it a safer, more up-to-date place to be. Current proposals include more CCTV in the area, murals in tribute to local LGBTQ+ icons, and replacing some trees and foliage. 

Manchester Council has made it clear that it wants to ‘ensure the needs of the LGBTQ+ community are at the heart of anything which takes place in the Village,’ and are holding a series of ‘listening exercises’, where they will consult locals who ‘live, work, and spend time’ on Canal Street to ensure that any changes come with their best interests in mind. 

Bev Craig, leader of the local council, described the village as ‘not only an incredibly vibrant, welcoming and safe space for our LGBTQ+ community but a living monument to the progress made by those who fought against bigotry and hatred, and those who dedicated their entire lives to building a more tolerant and inclusive society.’

‘I am immensely proud of the Village and as leader want to make sure that its character and history is preserved for generations to come.’

Public consultations will begin soon, but the renovations currently have no official start date.

Manchester and Time Out

We’re huge fans of the north’s unofficial capital here at Time Out. We’ve got guides to Manchester’s best restaurants, bars, and things to do. We also keep up to date on some local news, like this Mancunian bar which was just named one of the best in the world, or these derelict historic railway arches which are getting a serious glow-up.

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