Manchester Music Scene: Private Tours with Local Hosts Exploring City’s Vibrant Musical Heritage
3.8
12 Ratings
Greater Manchester
Immerse yourself in Manchester's vibrant music scene with private tours led by local hosts. Explore the city's musical heritage, visit iconic venues, and discover the pride of the locals.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Salford Lads Club - Enjoy stories of the music history of the city at Salford Lads Club and indulge in the eclectic Manchester music culture - get what you want from this experience

IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalised experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences

What's Included
  • 2 craft beers or ales included
  • Spend 3 hours with a Local Host
  • Enjoy a private and personalized experience
  • Optional hotel meet-up for central locations
  • Explore on foot with options for public transport or taxi
What's Not Included
  • Additional food and drinks
  • Transportation (primarily a walking experience however public transport may be used)
  • Tickets to any attractions
  • Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

Experience a unique and customised journey with a Local Guide. Known as the lively heart of music in the UK, Manchester surpasses any other city in the country in terms of live music events. It’s also recently earned the title of the ‘best city for live music’ in the UK. The city is the birthplace of iconic bands such as The Smiths, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, and many others. Tracing Manchester’s musical past will take you through the city’s noteworthy venues, historical pubs and places where local talents honed their skills. Witness the pride residents take in their rich musical heritage and visit key landmarks like Manchester’s Music Walk of Fame.

The guides we select are not just tour guides, but also food enthusiasts, history lovers, bakers, bankers, students, and retirees. Like our travellers, they come from diverse backgrounds and interests, but all have one thing in common; their love for their city is so profound they prefer to spend their leisure time showing their city to travellers who share a similar interest.

  • After booking, you will receive a short questionnaire, so you’ll be able to tell us more about your interests and preferences. Based on your responses you’ll be matched with a like-minded Local Host.
  • Meeting Point
  • Your meeting point is flexible, and to be agreed with your Local Host. Meet-up at your hotel or accommodation can be requested, or your Local Host will meet you at a convenient location close to the start of your experience.
Location
Starbucks Coffee
London Road
After booking, you can adjust the meeting point to fit your preferences with the help of our Experience Planners.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.8
(12 Ratings)
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Stacie
Apr 16, 2024
An Absolute Highlight of Our Trip! - My husband and I were so excited about the Manchester Music Scene tour - but I couldn’t possibly have imagined how beyond incredible this tour was last week! Our guide, Darren, was a Manchester native and knew the city and its history like the back of his hand! My husband and I love all the great Manchester bands from the 80s and 90s, and Darren was the perfect person for us to connect with! Even prior to our visit (I’d shared with him upon booking the tour that this was a surprise trip to England for my husband, and that we’re celebrating our first wedding anniversary), Darren reached out personally to understand our interests, our taste in music, and even what we like to drink so he could plan a couple of pub visits on our tour. Darren took us to all the places we wanted to see, and included several surprises too (special locations in the city - the warehouse where Joy Division filmed their video for “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, the first place The Stone Roses ever played, Noel Gallagher’s first flat in Manchester, and so much more!). We couldn’t have asked for a better tour or better guide! By the day’s end, we felt like old friends who spent a crazy and cool day together. 10/10 - especially if you like the same kind of music as we do, ask for Darren!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J4886rcmarciaa
Oct 5, 2023
A great experience - Darren M. was a terrific guide. He was very knowledgeable about the Manchester music scene. We love Joy Division/New Order and the Smiths. He had great insight on these groups as well as Manchester history. He was also very personable. We highly recommend him!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annetra
Jul 10, 2023
Great guide in Manchester! - Highly recommend! Darren was a delight as a tour guide and provided lots of inside information on the music scene. We saw a lot of sights and visited two wonderful pubs for some local beer. Definitely a great way to spend time in Manchester1
Review provided by Viator
Mrsgrebe1
Jun 11, 2023
Brilliant - soundtrack of our youth. - Absolutely brilliant tour yesterday . It was like re living the soundtrack of our youth. Having Rose Gill as the guide is pure heaven as she tells anecdotal tales as well as unknown facts of the Manchester music scene from the late 70s. We stopped at lots of amazing landmark places on the tour ie strange ways , Salford boys club, sifters , the cemetery etc . Cannot recommend highly enough and we’ve spent the last 24 hours singing & dancing again to all our old favourites. Thanks again Rose for reminding us of how important these bands were to our life’s story and our sound track to our youth . Playing Temptation all day today.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keely_h
Jan 3, 2023
Fun time seeing the origins of our favorite bands! - We had a fantastic time walking around Manchester with Francesca. She made a great effort to tailor the tour to our interests and she was really fun to talk to -- it felt like hanging out with a local friend. Exactly what we wanted, a great day trip from London.
Review provided by Viator
Michael_w
Dec 8, 2022
It is what you make of it!! - When Viator and this tour operator says "this is a private tour" they are not kidding. This is the truest to that sentiment of any tour we've taken before. they asked us a series of questions and listened perfectly. They matched us with a perfect guide (Roy) who was not only a life long local to the Manchester area he was local to the very neighborhoods that we wanted to visit. It was so much more than we could have expected! It is a must if you are into the Manchester music scene.
Review provided by Viator
Danupa_r
May 24, 2022
Not suitable tour guide - They didn’t find the tour guide that know much about music scene. More of the historical places tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
299inkem
Oct 19, 2022
Rambling on and on... - It is always nice to walk around a city and learn all kinds of new things about the neighbourhoods on a sunny afternoon. But honestly, this tour was only vaguely about Manchester's music scene and more about our guide's personal reminiscences and opinions on various subjects ranging from alternative medicine to the facets of Irish identity. As entertaining as such a fluctuation of topics might be, 4 hours and +200 euros is simply too much for "local expertise" that defines Keith Richards as a member of Aerosmith and Joy Division as "the band with that guy who killed himself".
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P5098yprichardl
Nov 26, 2023
Music walk tour - Even if you were an alien landing in Manchester joining this tour you would already know the music stories told. Nice tour guide but at times it felt we were going for a walk with a friend and not being taken on a walk by a tour guide. Waiting around for taxis; periods of awkward silence; very brief and sometimes inaccurate information; I have never heard of a band called New Division for example. Could do better! Not worth the money sadly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_f
Apr 21, 2023
huge rip-off - Just very disapponted for the price it was a total scam. The guide was very nice however the course content was showing the outside of a few music venues, a instrument store and a record shop. I was expecting to learn about the Manchester Music scene and can say I know very little more than when I started. Hopefully no one buys this as you are really throwing your money away. Oh we did get 2 pints each.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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