Manchester Street Art: Northern Quarter Self Guided Tour
Thanks to Thomas Cook Airlines (Now Defunct), my spring trip got off to a slow start with a 34-hour delay. As a result of that, I was only going to have one day to spend in Manchester. I have been to England several times, but this was a new city for me to check out. So I had to make the most out of my time. One way that helped me understand the city’s vibe was to walk around and discover the abundant Manchester street art scene.
Manchester has a very vibrant and proud industrial history. It is also a pretty popular place for street art. Manchester’s Northern Quarter area has no shortage of creative scenes for you to take in. There are many walls and buildings graced with an ever-changing splash of color.
Different artists here share and express their creativity for everyone to see. Discovering new pieces of art would be hard to ignore when visiting the city. I came across many depictions while walking around on a sunny spring day. The nice weather allowed me to wander unhindered for several hours at an unhurried pace. Above and below are pictures that I took to share with you.
The Manchester Bee or worker bee is a very recognizable and often seen symbol. The bee is also seen on the city’s coat of arms, many buildings, even trash bins. Adopted during the industrial revolution, the bee is a part of Manchester’s roots.
I found the city to be vibrant and buzzing with activity. There are so many different things to do in Manchester to occupy your time. However, I do recommend that you take some time to explore street art while in Manchester. It doesn’t cost a thing, you don’t have to wander far, and it’s plentiful.
The cycle is the same; things are constantly changing, evolving, growing; the new replaces the old. I was looking for two works in particular, but they were gone by the time I arrived. Images of musical legends, we lost David Bowie and Prince. What pieces will you discover while exploring the area?
Don’t forget to look all around if you happen to find yourself in the city. The art in Manchester is everywhere. A Manchester street art tour should definitely be done.
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The mural above is completed now after two days. It was commissioned by Netflix to promote a new show called “Our Planet.”
I have seen recent mentions of an Arya Stark mural waiting to be found. Do you enjoy discovering street art? What are some of the best places you have seen?
Looking for more to do in Manchester?
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I didn’t realise Manchester has so much wonderful street art. I recognise some of the artists from graffiti we’ve seen in other cities. Great post, David.
I was lucky to find an abundance of it in the Northern Quarter. I thank you for telling me about some Bowie ones in London Town that I may track down on my next visit. That is interesting that some of the artists do their work in different cities.