How to spend a weekend in MediaCityUK

Salford’s MediaCityUK has emerged from a dockland wasteland to fulfil the vision of its creators – and a tourist destination.

They promised ” a new network of tightly knit streets, squares and boulevards will cascade down into a huge waterfront piazza; a place to watch the sunset, enjoy a drink or a concert, and have some great conversations.”

Among the attractions are the gold badge walk into the BBC’s Blue Peter Gardens and a footbridge leading across the canal to the cobbled streets of the Coronation Street television and the Imperial War Museum.

These are the top things to do on a visit:

1. Explore the Blue Peter Gardens

For many years children’s programme Blue Peter has, among many other things, raised children’s awareness of climate change through activity in its own garden. Now, the area close to the tram stop welcomes families for picnics and games of hide and seek. Amongst the glass buildings, there are many cafes and restaurants you can seek to during breakfast, lunch and dinner plus ‘The Dockyard’ pub serving the most delicious fried pickles, and the new Seven Brothers beer house.

2. Box on the Docks

While touring the gardens you may spot various colourful greenhouses occupying the grass area – those are the 30 private dining pods designed by local artists. BOTD was launched in hopes to support local artists and the hospitality industry through the pandemic, and has since attracted thousands of diners over the past year. Each pod has its own story, and design you can check out!

3. The MediaCityUK Footbridge

This bridge forms a spectacular landmark overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal below and the glimmering lights of the grounds at night. Across the bridge, you will find a generational cross-over with an iconic British TV Show’s quarters – Coronation Street – with a modern ITV building beside it, and an award-winning experience of the Imperial War Museum. The footbridge captures a picture of the old grounds meeting with the new, while leading to a level-grounded path, in which both directions entice you to explore further.

MediaCityUK is a place that is anything but dull, with constant shows and exhibitions being put on at the Lowry along with surprise pop-up food trucks and sightings of news presenters being the norm.