Manchester Giants
Pro basketball in Manchester, loud and fast and cheap to get into. The Giants are the city's entry into Britain's top flight of hoops.
Manchester Giants have been the city’s pro basketball club, on and off, since 1982. British basketball is a stop-start sport in this country, and the Giants have lived that history – folding, reforming, climbing back into the top division. They are now part of Super League Basketball, the rebuilt elite competition, and have moved into the orbit of Co-op Live and the big east Manchester arena cluster.
A British basketball night is one of the best-value tickets in the city. The game is fast, the breaks are loud, and the arena production – music, lights, half-time competitions – is built for a good night out rather than a reverent hush. Families fill the lower tiers; students come for the atmosphere. If your only reference point for basketball is the NBA on television, a Giants game shows you the British version up close, and it is more fun than the league’s low profile suggests.
Check fixtures before travelling – the schedule runs autumn through spring and venues can shift. East Manchester is well served by Metrolink, and the wider Etihad Campus area means you can pair a game with food and drink nearby.