Things are looking up at Manchester Hall

HIGH above the city’s chimneys, Manchester Hall’s much-anticipated rooftop terrace is finally open – and it’s definitely worth the wait. Reportedly the largest space of its kind, the private events venue has superb city skyline views and boasts both an inside members club lounge where Manchester Sporting Club are housed and outdoors areas for balmy afternoons and evenings.

Reportedly the largest space of its kind, the private events venue has superb city skyline views

The roof garden is itself perhaps the worst-kept secret in a while, having been on the cards from our behind-the-scenes first looks of the revamped Manchester Hall nearly two years ago, but its name – the John Rylands Terrace – has been kept under wraps until only recently. With a nod to the same Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist whose wife Enriqueta had the nearby library built in his honour, John Rylands was Manchester’s first multi-millionaire.

The new space crests the recently refurbished neoclassical jewel that is the Grade II-listed Manchester Hall on Bridge Street. The beautifully restored Art Deco building – formerly the Freemason’s Hall – opened its doors to the public in 2018 following a multimillion-pound transformation with consultation from English Heritage and other organisations keen to save and showcase features such as the impressive sweeping staircase.

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The boutique venue now offers events spaces of various sizes, along with several restaurants, bars and clubs, including Masons, Dishoom and Vanitas, and the private Manchester Sporting Club, which incorporates the members club lounge on the top floor. Weddings, functions, conferences, dining, nights out, both inside and outside – from intimate to grand, with the opening of the terrace, Manchester Hall really can now cater for every occasion.

Find out more about Manchester Hall here.