Manchester Piccadilly train station is central to the city and about 15 minutes’ walk from the conference venue. The airport is about 40 minutes from the city centre by cab – it’s probably better to get one of the very frequent trains to the city centre that are much cheaper and take about 25 minutes.

Manchester is a very walkable city but there are also plentiful buses and a good tram network. Information on public transport is here: https://tfgm.com/

Accommodation options

Visit Manchester has a good list of hotels: https://www.visitmanchester.com/where-to-stay

There are a lot of hotels in central Manchester. There are lots of Airbnb listings, too, but you should ensure you’re in the centre (sometimes their sites turn out to be way out in Greater Manchester).

The following is just a selection of hotels close to the venue:

Midland, 16 Peter St – right fancy, with a spa, on the site of Peterloo
Jury’s Inn, 56 Great Bridgewater St – high-mid price
Hotel Novotel, 21 Dickinson St – good cheap hotel
Premier Inn, 7-11 Mosley St – good cheap hotel
Hotel Ibis Styles, 3-5 Portland St, and Hotel Ibis, 96 Portland St – both basic but decent enough
Whitworth Locke, 74 Prince’s St – nice, serviced apartments
Hatter’s Hostel, 50 Newton St – excellent hostel in the middle of the action

Eating and drinking in Manchester

These low-mid budget restaurants are all 5-10 minute walk from the conference centre:

Rudy’s Pizza is the best in the city: https://www.rudyspizza.co.uk/peter-st/ (no bookings)

Albert’s Schloss, German beer and food hall much beloved of Jay Rayner, Observer’s food critic: https://www.albertsschloss.co.uk/
Tampopo, great noodle joint: https://tampopo.co.uk/location/albert-square
Brewdog independent beer with excellent non-alcoholic, vegan options: https://www.brewdog.com/uk/bars/uk/brewdog-manchester
HOME, bar food and restaurant in Manchester’s Arts Centre: https://homemcr.org/
I am Pho, cheap Pho (veggie and meat) downstairs at 44 George St in Chinatown
The Allotment, mid-price vegan and good for dinner

Pubs and bars: there are several around the venue but their quality is varied. These are some suggestions within a short walk, click on names for map links:

The Briton’s Protection, 50 Great Bridgewater St, lovely mazy old pub
HOME – arty with good pizza (see above)
Peveril of the Peak – old school pub with real ales
The Molly House – good bar food in this LGBTQ+ bar
Mr Thomas’s Chop House – Victorian tiled loveliness
Refuge bar – fancy bar run by former DJs in this cool hotel
Salut Wines – Manchester café chic (yes it exists) with extensive list of wine including natural wines and good cheese
Temple of Convenience, tiny underground bar/ toilet on Oxford Road, sensational jukebox

The Northern Quarter/ Ancoats area is your main place for bars: look for Stevenson Square, Cutting Room Square, or Thomas St. There are at least 2 good Karaoke bars in Chinatown. Canal Street is the centre of the gay village.

Things to do in Manchester

Creative Tourist is a great resource: https://www.creativetourist.com/

Manchester Wire has music, food, art listings: https://manchesterwire.co.uk/

The Science+Industry Museum has brilliant standing exhibition: https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/

The Halle is the best orchestra in the UK: https://www.halle.co.uk/

Royal Exchange theatre, https://royalexchange.co.uk/

HOME, see above, has theatre, cinema and art.

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