Richard and Jessica are planning a weekend in Manchester at the end of November, and we're inviting others to come along and join us.
We love Canal Street with its LGBT clubs and bars; the place has a really nice vibe that makes for a fantastic night out. We were last in Manchester for Sparkle, the big transgender weekend celebration in June. As we were working at the event, doing photography to raise funds for Sparkle, we only had limited opportunities to experience what Canal Street has to offer, so we're coming back for a weekend.
Canal Street, Manchester
There's no specific plan as such. We plan to hit the bars and clubs on both Friday and Saturday nights into the small hours. We love dressing up and showing off! And we also love a good dance.
I suspect we won't be up too early in the mornings! Afternoon will be spent relaxing, maybe visiting some of the cultural attractions on offer in Manchester, or perhaps shopping (it's scary to think that we'll probably have started Christmas shopping by then!)
We'll kick off the evening with a drink, followed by a meal. Our initial thoughts on food are hitting Chinatown on one night and returning to the Refuge, where we had a fantastic meal on the Sunday evening of Sparkle in June. Then we hit the bars and clubs.
If you wish to join us, you'd be more than welcome. You can tag along for all or just some of the weekend. Let us know you are coming, and we'll keep you updated with what we'll be doing and when. Suggestions are welcome too.
Jessica at Sparkle in June 2026
We're going to travel up from Kent and Essex and stop partway on Thursday evening so as to arrive in Manchester around lunchtime on Friday. We're staying in the DoubleTree Picadilly Hotel at the end of Canal Street, so well-positioned!
