Manchester Street Art: Self-Guided Walking Tour

bird street art manchester

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As a dedicated street art fan, it’s no surprise I was excited to spend a month in Manchester at the end of last year. The Manchester street art wasn’t the only reason I was visiting but it was a major draw. This colourful, quirky city is one of my favourites in England.

MANCHESTER ESSENTIALS

Accommodation: Booking.com
// Hostelworld

Activities: GetYourGuide / Viator

Getting there: Air
(Skyscanner) train (Trainline), bus (Busbud)

Getting around: Foot / bus / tram

Read next: how to spend a weekend in Manchester

Manchester street art map

Click to open in Google Maps

Manchester street art tour

If you’re taking a quick trip, you might want to take a street art tour with a local expert (£10). This is a good option to reduce the hassle of following Google pins then discovering the mural you’re looking for has been painted over!

Who are the top Manchester street artists?

  • Akse – Manchester’s most famous street artist has been spraying murals around the city since 1992. Originally from France, he now calls Manchester home and the Northern Quarter is brighter for it!
  • C215 – Christian Guémy creates lifelike portraits of people covering topics including homelessness
  • Case – Andreas von Chrzanowski is a German artist who explores movement through art, often creating murals of hands
  • Hyuro – the late Tamara Djurovic was an Argentinian street artist known for her faceless depictions of women, highlighting the issue of gender based violence
  • Faunagraphic – Sarah Yates creates jaw-dropping urban murals inspired by nature, often birds
  • Nevercrew – Swiss artists, Christian Rebecchi and Pablo Togni create huge murals examining the relationship between humankind and nature
  • Tankpetrol – this Polish artist based in Manchester is known for his detailed stencil art
  • Mateus Bailon – inspired by the connection between humans and nature, this Brazilian artist is known for his colourful bird murals.

Where to find street art in Manchester

Two words: Northern Quarter! This colourful area isn’t known for famous Manchester landmarks but its independent spirit, quirky cafes and local businesses. Most of the Manchester street art can be found in this area, although there are a few notable murals in the Gay Village and city centre. Let’s go find them!

Read next: the best cafes in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Follow my tried and tested Manchester street art route below, starting in the NQ…

Port Street

Hands mural port street

The first mural to see on Port Street is this detailed pair of hands painted an old red brick building.

Head north on Port Street (towards Ancoats) and you’ll find yourself in an open space with a car park. Here you’ll find two impressive Manchester street art murals.

2023 update – the Ian Curtis mural is now removed. I’m leaving this photo here for the memories!

The Ian Curtis mural by Akse depicts the lead singer of Joy Division who took his life aged just 23. It was unveiled by his former bandmate, Peter Hook, in time for Mental Health Awareness Week in 2020. It aims to raise awareness of the crisis and encourage those in trouble to seek support.

Just a few metres away is a beautiful bird mural (above right) by Mateus Bailon whose work takes inspiration from nature.

Newton Street

Newton street art manchester

Not far from Port Street is this impressive bird mural by Faunagraphic AKA Sarah Yates. It’s been a famous feature of the Northern Quarter for 10 years now, making it one of Manchester’s oldest murals.

It was commissioned by Converse for their Wall to Wall project in 2011 and painted across three days by Yates who was just 24 at the time. Overcoming the lack of diversity in the male-dominated street art business, she’s become one of the world’s top urban nature graffiti artists and now creates animal-themed murals around the globe.

Tariff Street

Smoking man mural Tariff Street

Just a few metres from the murals mentioned above is Tariff Street, another hub for Northern Quarter street art. This smoking man was created by artist, C215, who turns facial portraits into urban art.

This particular Manchester mural linked to homelessness was created for the Cities of Hope festival in 2016. It was partly covered by scaffolding during my visit in October 2021 but hopefully that will change.

On the other side of Tariff Street is this enormous mural by Nevercrew. It shows the silhouettes of tiny people falling from a quartz crystal.

Cavell Street

Cavell mural

I watched this piece of Northern Quarter street art being painted in October 2020. The artist is Liam Bononi, a Brazilian artist based in Liverpool. You can see one of his most famous murals near the Anglican Cathedral. Use my Liverpool day trip guide to plan your trip.

Stevenson Square

Stevenson Square

This mural isn’t quite street art: it appears on a Stevenson Square shopfront rather than a wall. Still, the bright colours and quirky imagery prompted me to snap a photo.

Just a few metres away, you’ll see another important Northern Quarter mural…

Little Lever Street

Little Lever Street art manchester akse

This mural by Akse titled Enigma shows Manchester local Ste Wing who, like Akse, has Vietnamese heritage.

It was created for the 50 Windows of Creativity project showcasing the work of local venues and businesses. You can download the app of the same name to find the 50 locations around the city. Proceeds go to the WeLoveMCR charity helping to improve the lives of Manchester people.

Little Lever Street / Bradley’s Court

Women in red dress mural manchester

Not far from the Akse piece above, you’ll find this huge mural of a woman in a red dress on the corner of Little Lever Street and Bradley’s Court. I found it by accident while passing through this quiet backstreet. A real hidden gem!

Named Serenity, this mural by art duo SNIK is a tribute to women who stand up to injustice. It’s no coincidence that it’s so close to Stevenson Square where the suffragettes gathered 100 years ago.

Back Thomas Street

Back Thomas Street graffiti manchester

These striking animal images painted on black walls use just a couple of colours per mural. Spot tigers, rhino, chameleons and snakes on Back Thomas Street. They were created by Chilean artist, Otto Schade.

Frida kahlo mosaic

On Back Turner Street, this colourful mosaic depicts the late Frida Kahlo. Sadly, I couldn’t find evidence of who created her.

This gorgeous yet hidden Manchester mural is partially eclipsed by some red bins beside What the Pitta!.

Tib Street / Thomas Street

Captain tom mural akse
An Akse mural of Captain Tom Moore that was on display in 2021

Proving the street art in Manchester is dynamic, this location on Tibb Street is always changing. This lifelike mural of Captain Tom Moore was created by Akse in 2021 but has been changed several times since then. Go and see what you find!

Tib Street

Frog graffiti

Unlike some of the more serious Manchester street art telling tales of social injustice, these friendly frog murals add a pop of colour to Olivier Morosini hairdressers on Tib Street.

Church Street

Church Street

This groovy image of two cosmic women on Church Street is one of Manchester’s oldest murals. Created by Subism Collective in collaboration with Red Bull, it’s been in place since 2011.

Ten years is a long time for one image to withstand the elements, both natural and physical. Many murals in Manchester have been painted over or demolished with old buildings, yet this mural has stood the test of time.

Brightwell Walk

Brightwell street art manchester
Hyuro mural manchester

For more Northern Quarter Manchester street art, find this quiet square off Oak Street. The soldier mural titled ‘War impact in children lives’ by Hyuro was created for the Cities of Hope project, blending politics and surrealist sensibility.

Next to it is a portrait of Anthony Burgess (author of a Clockwork Orange) by Manchester graffiti artist, Tankpetrol, originally from Poland.

After your visit, visit nearby Manchester Craft and Design Centre to browse work by local artists.

High Street

Nurse image

Symbolising the plight of NHS workers, this poignant mural by Akse is an important one for 2020 and 2021. It depicts Manchester Royal Infirmary nurse Debra Williams with a halo, symbolising all that key workers have done during the last 18 months.

Find it on the side of Sweet Mandarin restaurant on the corner of High Street and Copperas Street.

Annoyingly, someone has scribbled on her mask. Perhaps Akse will be back to tidy it up.

Copperas Street

squid game Copperas Street

New in October 2021, this mural by Akse depicts the main character, Gi-hun, from Netflix sensation, Squid Game. Look closely and you’ll see he’s holding the Manchester bee.

Find this mural on Copperas Street, just a few metres from the nurse mural on High Street.

Cross Keys Street

Cross Keys Street bottle mural

Leave the Northern Quarter and cross the ring road to find other Manchester graffiti spots. Just behind Ramona’s pizzeria, one of the coolest restaurants in Manchester, you’ll find impressive urban art on Cross Keys Street.

Bird street art manchester

A mural by Phlegm shows a whole city enclosed in a bottle. Beside it is a colourful bird mural by Mateus Bailon similar to the one on Port Street.

ZEN offices, Swan Street

Swan Street mural by Case

German street artist, Case, created this powerful mural of a troubled-looking man to highlight mental health issues. This is another topical piece of Manchester street art created for the Cities of Hope festival, aiming to raise money for worthy causes.

Find it on the side of the ZEN offices on Swan Street.

Faulkner House, Chinatown

Faulkner House bird by Peachzz
Peachzz street art

Despite the fact I was running for a bus in the pouring rain, I stopped in my tracks when I passed this incredible bird mural on Faulkner Street.

After doing some research, I learnt that street artist, Peachzz, spent five days painting this mural, all with a cracked rib. What a trooper! The project was two years in the making, inspired by traditional Chinese art. With Chinatown just down the road, it couldn’t be better placed.

Keep an eye on Peachzz‘s Facebook page to find more of her murals. She’s also responsible for some of the street art in Vienna, Austria.

Molly House, Gay Village

Some of the best Manchester street art outside of the Northern Quarter can be found in the Gay Village.

The most impressive mural is this enormous lineup of LGBT icons on the side of the Molly House. Further down on Richmond Street, you’ll find a mural of Drag Race UK star, Divina De Campo. Sadly, the mural was vandalised but, guess what? Akse returned to clean it up. That Manchester spirit always prevails!

2023 update – I’m told there’s a fab new image in the Gay Village of ‘Lily Savage’, the alter ego of the late Paul O’Grady, painted to commemorate his life following his recent passing. Let me know if you find it! 

Everywhere – look for bees!

Bee stencil

Since the bee is Manchester’s emblem, of course you’ll see it represented in the street art. The worker bee symbolises not just Manchester’s industrial past, but how the city came together during the catastrophic bombing at the 2017 Ariana Grande concert.

Bonus – catch an artist in motion

Street artist manchester in motion

I was lucky to catch Liam Bononi painting the above mural on Cavell Street and I returned a few days later to see the finished piece. I’m told this mural has been changed since.

The same thing happened when I spotted Akse (at least I think it was him) working on the Squid Game mural on Copperas Street. I came back later to photograph that one, too – am I dedicated to Manchester street art or what?

Thanks for reading!

I hope this blog enhances your trip. Don’t forget to use my Manchester street art map above if you get lost!

More street art guides:

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STREET ARt manchester

TRUSTED RESOURCES FOR VISITING THE UK

Flights (international and domestic): I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going.

Car hire – use Rentalcars.com to compare car rentals and campers in the UK (and all around the world).

For UK trains, I use Trainline. The search feature allows you to compare prices, and they show live departure times on the website.

For buses, I use busbud. It’s the only site that compares UK coaches and buses. Find London to Manchester journeys for £1! 

For hotels and self-catering apartments, I use Booking.com. You can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.com.

Browse UK tours and activities on GetYourGuide.

To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters, a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets.

Pack the latest copy of Lonely Planet UK.

Need travel insurance? I use True Traveller (for Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote.

For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing.

4 thoughts on “Manchester Street Art: Self-Guided Walking Tour

  1. Jörn Petersen says:

    Hi Rose,

    thank you very much for your Street Art Guide to Manchester.
    We had a great time walking through the streets and searching for the paintings.
    The Google map was a big help for planning our tour, even though it took me a while to realize, that the pins on the map were not the exact location of the paintings.
    Unfortunately the house with the Ian Curtis mural doesn’t exist any more and the Captain Tom mural has been replaced.
    Maybe you could update your excellent guide with this so people don’t waste their time trying to find them 😉

    BR from MCR
    Jörn

    • Rose says:

      Hi Jörn, thanks for your message and glad you had a fun time following! That’s really useful to let me know about the changed murals (I have about 500 blogs on this site so it’s hard to keep on top of changes) – do you know what the captain Tom mural has been replaced with?

  2. Eunice Ratcliffe says:

    Hi Rose,
    I’ve been an avid ‘collector’ and photographer of street art around Manchester for over three years now and much of what I photograph goes on my blog. I came across your blog while trying to find some info on a very talented artist I came across just yesterday, working on a canvas taped to the ground in Market Street.

    While most of the artworks you feature here still exist it’s inevitable that some have been replaced, often more than once and by different artists, so I thought you might appreciate a bit of an update and some info.

    The Ian Curtis mural sadly no longer exists – it was painted over in August last year by Amazon Music to promote a new album by local rapper Aitch who claimed he knew nothing about it. Although he said he would arrange to have it repainted the building’s owner is keen to keep that wall for advertising so it’s never been redone and up to now the wall is just blank.

    The animal images in Back Thomas Street are still there and still look good, they were done by Chilean artist Otto Schade
    https://www.ottoschade.com/about/

    The Tom Moore mural has been painted over by different artists several times in the last 12 months – that particular location is one which seems to change quite regularly. Qubek’s cranes have also been replaced several times and Mateus Bailon’s birds on Cross Keys Street have gradually been obliterated by senseless graffiti.

    Like you I was once lucky enough to catch Liam Bononi painting one of his murals in 2021 on the side of Yard and Coop in Hare Street, though it’s been painted over since then.

    One of the most recent, done just a couple of weeks ago, is a great one of ‘Lily Savage’ on a corner in the Gay Village – I loved Paul O’Grady and his alter ego so I purposely went to find it yesterday.

    Apologies for this comment being so long – I’m off now to explore some more of your very interesting blog 🙂

    • Rose says:

      Hello Eunice, Thanks so much for reading and commenting, I really appreciate the effort you’ve spent! I’ll be sure to update this guide… It’s so hard to know when murals change in places I don’t often spend time so it’s really helpful to have your feedback. Happy photography and street art-hunting!

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