Manchester is notorious for having one of the friendliest gay communities in Europe. The gay village in Manchester, set along the picturesque Canal Street in the city centre, offers up a plethora of gay bars, restaurants and nightclubs that will meet any visiting gay’s tastes.
The city is known for having a sexy reputation, thanks to its Queer as Folk connection. Manchester’s famous Canal Street is often messy on weekends, as drunk tourists and locals spew onto the streets and jump from queue to queue. There’s a certain charm to Canal Street’s role in Manchester’s gay life, but for those interested in more hardcore activities, you’ll have to go further afield. Those wishing to experience the more sexy, raunchy and debaucherous side of Manchester should consider visiting one or more of the many gay sex bars and saunas like The Eagle, H20 Sauna and the Basement Complex. But for others with more particular sexual tastes who desire to broaden their experience beyond the usual gamut of gay clubs and saunas, Manchester also has a flourishing fetish party scene.
The Eagle, situated in the basement of an industrial building, is styled with a Victorian flair. The masculine, low-lit bar is a male-only venue that draws an attractive, more mature, up-market crowd. Inside, different themed rooms offer up a variety of different atmospheres. You’ll find a backroom that screens porn, a dark room, and even a dungeon for anyone willing to play. Note that the fetish spaces are open late, but not on all nights of the week. In fact, The Eagle is one of the more tame fetish bars, but it’s a great place to meet other people who might share some of the same interests.
Like any fetish fan knows, the best action occurs at special parties — either held monthly or annually. Manchester has a few regular fetish events and parties, ones that happen in areas outside of Canal Street.
Club Alert! holds a monthly fetish event on the fourth Friday of every month that attracts guests from all over the UK and even other parts of Europe. The events cater to those who have a taste for kink and are into leather, rubber, military gear and master/slave or puppy/owner relationships. The events are strictly limited to members to help ensure that only like-minded people are in attendance so participants can comfortably air their perversions within a welcoming, friendly setting with loads of other horny gay men.
Decadance Club, a typical swingers club in Manchester, holds a weekly Trantastic Tuesday event. Its dungeon-themed playroom features a Saint Andrew’s cross; use it with one (or more) of the many whips provided by the club. There is also a wooden beam with several hooks that you can suspend your lover from while subjecting him to further sexual pleasure or punishment.
Club Lash is an alternative fetish club that hosts monthly events on the second Saturday of each month. While the club isn’t just for gay men, they are known to be gay-friendly and have one of the best-equipped dungeons in the city. There’s even a viewing window so others can watch you play. It’s a serious fetish club and a place where you can easily live out all your SM fantasies, and whatever else you fancy. Club Lash also has a strict dress code, so dress to impress and break out your best fetish outfit. The club nights are often held at Bangkok Bar, so in addition to getting your kink on, you can treat yourself to a three-course meal and sip one of their many delicious cocktails.
Read more about Manchester’s sauna and sex scene.
For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Manchester, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.
The Eagle
15 Bloom St
Monday–Thursday, 5pm–3am; Friday–Saturday, 5pm–6am; Sunday, 2pm–3am.
Membership only.
H20 Sauna
36 Sackville St
Sunday–Thursday, 11am–11pm; Friday, 11am–12am; Saturday, all day.
Entry: Sunday–Tuesday, £10; Wednesday–Thursday, £8.50; Friday–Saturday, £13.
Basement Complex
18 Tariff St
Open 24 hours
Entry: Daily from 9am–4pm, £9.50, from 4pm–9am, £15. Students are free on Wednesdays
Alert!
Usually the fourth Friday of every month, from 11pm-4am.
Membership only – £6 and temporary membership for a single event is £1.
Decadance Club
122 Durham St
Tue, 8pm-12pm
Entry: £5
Club Lash
Usually the second Saturday of every month.
Adam Groffman is a travel writer and gay travel expert based in Berlin, Germany. He blogs about his travel adventures around the world at Travels of Adam. Follow him on Instagram @travelsofadam for more gay travel tips and stories.
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