Manchester Nightlife

This stripped back American–style bar has garnered a big reputation in recent years. Its frontage looks like an old–style pawn shop, but push open the door to find a cool spot that serves some of the city's best cocktails.

A swanky cocktail and champagne spot, the exposed brick walls and well stocked bar make Epernay a destination for the well–heeled - but don't let that put you off. There's a cracking balcony here too, with views across the impressive Great Northern Square.

This Salford speakeasy isn't easy to find, but once you locate it (nestled down a Salford alley), you'll find a spectacular watering hole with a range of excellent cocktails. Open late, the weekend sees DJs spinning tunes into the small hours.

Describing itself, rather pretentiously, as the place for couture clubbing, Bijou attracts a well-dressed and well-heeled crowd of celebrities and wannabes keen to hang out in decadent surroundings, the VIP room or cigar terrace, with a glass of champagne in hand. Make sure you look the part if you want to join the elite party crowd.

With an over-25's door policy at weekends, this friendly, popular club tends to attract people who want to escape young drunken revellers. Fridays and Saturdays offer a mix of Motown, soul, funk, rock and roll, pop, disco and even jazz and country - they play just about anything to get people on the dancefloor.

This tiny basement club has become Manchester's best spot for serious house and techno fanatics. Local heroes, such as Clint Boon, can be found on the decks, but make sure you get down there early as space is limited and queues can form on the city's chilly streets in order to get a slice of the action.

Part of the University of Manchester complex, the Academy plays host to the larger bands passing through the city, as well as holding regular, riotous club nights. This cavernous sweatbox has seen everyone from the Arctic Monkeys to Prince pass through its doors, with Academy 2 and Academy 3 providing a platform for fresh meat.

Claiming to be the largest indoor arena in Europe, the Manchester Arena (formerly known as the MEN Arena) has staged a number of big bands, from U2 and The Rolling Stones to Madonna and Take That.

This well-established Manchester venue hosts bigger bands passing through the city as well as local acts, such as Elbow, that are looking to play smaller venues after touring the arena circuit. Buy tickets before attending though, as gigs often sell out.