5 days ago
How Manchester's ‘sassy little sister' finally came of age
'We're like Manchester's sassy little sister,' said Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, lead member for culture, heritage, equalities, sports and leisure at Salford City Council, as she talked me through what makes the city of Salford unique.
Sprawling for 37 square miles, from its border with Manchester city centre to the east (the River Irwell marks much of this), Trafford to the south, Wigan to the west, and Bury and Bolton to the north, Salford will celebrate its centenary of being granted city status in 2026, with a year-long programme showcasing what makes it great.
And there's a lot to celebrate. The latest figures from Marketing Manchester show that in 2023 there were eight million total visits to Salford and that the visitor economy was valued at £1 billion (up 10 per cent and 42 per cent respectively compared to the previous year).
The Salford Riviera
One neighbourhood key to this success is the waterside Quays and MediaCity, home to the BBC. The docks here, on the Manchester Ship Canal, were once a global trading route connecting Salford to the rest of the world. Closed in 1982, the dockland was reinvented in 2000 when The Lowry arts centre opened.
It now houses two theatres and the biggest public collection of its namesake's paintings in the world. Currently celebrating its 25 th year, Marketing Manchester data placed The Lowry as the most visited attraction in Greater Manchester in 2023 with 938,314 visitors – more than Manchester city centre big-hitters, including Manchester Art Gallery.
Talking about its location, Julia Fawcett, CEO of The Lowry, told me: 'Being based in Salford means being at the heart of a youthful city that is constantly innovating and embracing change.
'The transformation we've seen in Salford over the past 25 years, since The Lowry opened in 2000, is remarkable. Our audiences and visitors have become more diverse and engaged, reflecting the vibrant evolution of the city itself.'
Other attractions in The Quays and MediaCity include the Imperial War Museum North, the Coronation Street Experience and the Stories – Brought to Life immersive art experience.
Newcomers, such as food hall Kargo MKT – which opened in 2023 and is home to 19 independent traders, serving everything from Palestinian and Caribbean cuisine to bubble tea – keep the area thriving.
I asked Rebecca Allison, marketing director for Blend Family, the team behind Kargo MKT, why the group chose Salford as its location.
She said: 'The Salford Riviera isn't just a beautiful scenic backdrop; it's one of Europe's most successful water regeneration projects. It's a vibrant area, home to thousands of residents and a growing cultural hub.'
The invention of the weekend
An exciting event in the neighbourhood is the free, bi-annual We Invented the Weekend festival, which celebrates the joy of free time. It pays homage to the fact that the weekend was created in Salford in 1843 after a campaign by workers' rights activist Robert Lowes for workers to have the right to leisure time on Saturday afternoons.
Another Salford attraction that draws huge numbers of visitors is the RHS Garden Bridgewater, which opened in May 2021 in the leafy village of Worsley.
Here there's a Paradise Garden by landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, an 11-acre walled garden, a woodland play area and more. In keeping with Salford's focus on people, there's free entry for Salford residents every Tuesday with a booking.
Talking about its Salford base, Marcus Chilton-Jones, RHS Garden Bridgewater curator, told The Telegraph: 'It was the hands-down winner from all of the locations we saw for several reasons.
A combination of its built and storied heritage, fantastic landscape potential, and incredible scale at 154 acres made it the perfect choice for an RHS garden… most of all, the overwhelming local community support marked the place out as uniquely special and a must-have for the RHS'.
In the east of the city, the Chapel Street neighbourhood, which stretches from its border with Manchester's centre to Salford University Crescent Campus, epitomises Salford's rapid regeneration.
Here there are buzzy restaurants and cafes, the music and arts venue Islington Mill, and Salford Museum and Art Gallery, where there's a recreated Victorian street, plus varied art exhibitions.
I spoke to Nic Box, a graphic designer and DJ who moved to Chapel Street in 2021. They said: 'It's incredible to see the transformation of Chapel Street and Salford as a whole from when I moved here.
'In addition to the established historic pubs, new coffee shops, restaurants and bars seem to appear overnight, and there's always something happening.
'It all really creates a sense of opportunity and community right on my doorstep. For a creative, it feels like an increasingly vibrant and exciting place to live.'
Quiet confidence and no gimmicks
One new favourite on the university campus is The Old Fire Station, which opened in 2023, serving homemade pastries and brunch, plus craft beers brewed in its on-site Lark Hill Brewery.
I asked Michael Brown, director of strategic partnerships at the University of Salford what makes the café and its setting stand out?
'The city has a strong sense of place. It's got quiet confidence, real community pride, and no interest in gimmicks. It's a city that welcomes quality and effort, and that's exactly what we aim to reflect at The Old Fire Station,' he said.
This quiet confidence means that Salford embraces its nickname 'the other city' when compared to older sibling Manchester – it runs an annual festival of new music and art called Sounds From The Other City. 'We're unique and up-and-coming,' Robinson-Smith said, while discussing Salford's ambitions to become a Unesco Creative City. 'I just love the city. I'm proud to represent it.'
Where to stay in Salford
The Lowry Hotel
Like a true Mancunian, this five-star hotel has a swagger without being pretentious and is fiercely proud of its roots. Rooms from £146 per night. Read our review.
Delta Hotels Worsley Park Country Club
Unwinding is easy in this sprawling golf and spa hotel in the Salford village of Worsley. Rooms from £119 per night. Read out review. Read our review.
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