Castlefield Events Arena

Castlefield Arena, next door to the brilliant Museum of Science and Industry, is a stone ampitheatre, nestled amongst viaducts and the nearby Roman gardens and fort.
This big space has hosted the sadly departed dPercussion festival, as well as allowing visitors to watch live music and film. More recently, there’s been a big screen here showing World Cup matches and with the typical chip vans and beer tents, it really is a great outdoor venue.
One minus point is that this space is not used as frequently as it might.
The seating itself is covered, like a mini-​version of Bayern Munich’s old studium, which is difficult to explain unless you already know what I’m talking about.
Castlefield Arena is a stones throw from a couple of decent pubs, should you want a quick ale before going to an event. The nearby White Lion and Cask are boozers of note.
This space recently held the tribute show for Frank Sidebottom (Frank’s Fantastic Farewell) which saw 5000+ making their way to watch films, animations and live music.
A perfect and quirky venue.

Wandering around Castlefield to stumble upon this is quite a surprise but a lovely one at that. I wouldn’t have quite placed a ampitheatre here but thinking about the Roman theme with the Ruins set back further, it’s perfect.
There’s something quite peaceful about sitting on the steps and stating out onto the canal and watching peopel on the boats and wondering what life would be like touring the canal systems of England. A little dream which leads me to nostalgia and memories of Rosie and Jim.
Anyway there was a strange vibe of the thought that inspiration takes place on these steps. As I was taking in my surroundings, a group of goths were showcasing their juggling skills on stage. Pretty impressive. It’s nice to come here and sit and ponder. A great piece of Manchester.