Gullivers

Gullivers is the kind of venue that every city needs and most cities have lost. A small room on Oldham Street that puts on live music almost every night – punk, indie, noise, experimental, folk, whatever fits the room and has something to say. The booking is and unapologetic, which is exactly how grassroots music venues should operate.

The room upstairs holds maybe 100 people on a busy night. The stage is low, the audience is close, and when a band is on form it’s one of the best live experiences in Manchester. No barriers, no VIP section, no separation between performer and crowd. Just music in a room with people who actually care about it.

Downstairs is a decent pub in its own right. Cheap drinks, a few cask ales, and the kind of regulars who’ve been coming here since before the NQ had a name. It’s unpretentious in a way that feels increasingly rare on Oldham Street as the area continues to change around it.

Gig entry is usually between free and a fiver. The programme is worth checking regularly because Gullivers punches well above its weight in terms of who plays there. Bands on the way up, bands who never left the underground, and the occasional surprise. If you care about live music in Manchester, this place matters.