Via Manchester

Via is one of the best-known venues on Canal Street and a fixture of Manchester’s Gay Village. Open since the mid-1990s, it has the scale and slightly theatrical feel of a proper old-school gay bar, with dark wood interiors, multiple areas and a crowd that builds from early drinks into a much bigger night out.

Entertainment is a big part of the appeal, with drag, cabaret, DJs and themed nights regularly on the schedule. It also works well as an early-evening stop thanks to its food and drinks offering, before things get louder later on.

If you want somewhere that feels unmistakably part of Manchester’s gay nightlife history, rather than just another bar on Canal Street, Via is an easy one to include.