Oasis Things To Do In Manchester

Oasis. Manchester’s most chaotic export since the Industrial Revolution. Think parkas, park benches, and passive-aggressive interviews. For a solid chunk of the ‘90s (and well into the 2000s), they were the band - loud, cocky, and constantly fighting. But they weren’t just noise. They wrote songs that stuck. Proper anthems. Stuff that still gets belted out at weddings, football grounds, and backseat taxis after four pints.

And where did it all come from? Manchester. The city shaped them, and they left their mark right back. If you’re a fan - casual or obsessive - there are plenty of spots around town tied to their story. Some famous, some surprisingly normal. But all (mostly) worth checking out.

1. Sifters Records (Burnage)

Sifters Records, Raver Mikey, Flickr

“Mr Sifter sold me songs when I was just sixteen…” If you know, you know. And if you don’t - go listen to Shakermaker and get back to us.

Sifters is still there, quietly doing its thing in Burnage. It’s not some polished tourist trap either (surprise!) It looks exactly how you’d want it to: stacks of vinyl, handwritten signs, faded posters, and the same bloke (Peter, the owner) behind the counter. Noel used to go in all the time, and said it was where he learned about proper music - The Smiths, The Stone Roses - all the stuff he ended up stealing riffs from.

It’s small, it’s scruffy, and it’s magic if you’re into records or Oasis lore. Buy something, have a chat, take a photo outside. It’s a rite of passage.

2. Walk through Burnage

By Cnbrb - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Burnage Train Station, Wikipedia

Burnage isn’t flashy, and never was. That’s kind of the point.

This is where the Gallaghers grew up - specifically on Ashburn Avenue and later Cranwell Drive. Don’t expect plaques or guided tours. It’s just a quiet suburban street with rows of modest houses and the occasional baffled local wondering why someone’s taking selfies near their bins. But for fans, it hits different. This is where Noel locked himself in his room writing songs instead of dealing with, well, life. It’s where Liam perfected the art of slouching and shouting. The area shaped their outlook, their lyrics, and their never-ending chip on the shoulder.

You won’t find gift shops or tribute murals here. But you will get a real sense of the band’s roots - scrappy, normal, and very, very Mancunian. On that note - if you are making a trip to see one of the old family houses, do bear in mind that these are real people’s homes and they do not care if you’re just a big Oasis fan - don’t hang around, don’t go up to the house and look through the windows and don’t take loads of selfies in front of it. Don’t be a knob basically! 

But by all means walk around, take it in, then head somewhere you can get a pint (see #4).

3. The Boardwalk (or what’s left of it)

The Boardwalk, Wikipedia

Back in the day, The Boardwalk was the place. It was a sweaty little venue just off Deansgate where Oasis rehearsed, gigged, and blagged their way into being a band. It’s also where Noel joined them, after deciding Liam’s shambolic outfit might be worth sorting out.

Loads of other big names played here too - The Stone Roses, James, even early Happy Mondays. It was one of those gritty spots where half the crowd were in bands and the other half were robbing your lighter.

Now? The building is still there, but it’s an office block. Depressing, yeah, but if you know the history, it still feels important. Unlike the previous places, there is actually a blue plaque outside, making this a bona fide tourist location. 

Stand on the pavement, headphones in, Supersonic blaring, and imagine the chaos that used to go down inside. Then shake your head at gentrification and move on.

4. The Old Pint Pot (Salford)

The Old Pint Pot, Man Alive! Flickr

Tucked away near the uni buildings in Salford, The Old Pint Pot doesn’t scream “rock history” - but Oasis played one of their earliest gigs here. Back then it was a proper dive. Still is, in a good way.

It’s the kind of pub where the carpet’s seen some things, the pints are cheap, and someone’s always arguing about music in the smoking area. Exactly the sort of place where you’d hope a band like Oasis would’ve started out. Loud, scrappy, no nonsense.

There’s no shrine or Oasis-themed decor, which somehow makes it better. Just order a pint, find a corner, and picture a young Liam howling into a mic with four people half-watching. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s still standing - which is more than can be said for a lot of their old haunts.

5. Manchester Arena

By Rob Sinclair - Keane, Manchester, 2012, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
The Manchester Arena, Wikipedia

If you want scale, this is it. Manchester Arena (now AO Arena, but no one calls it that) was the site of some of Oasis’s biggest hometown shows. We’re talking full-on, 20,000-people-screaming-the-chorus-back-at-you type nights. Pure noise. Pure chaos.

They played here multiple times - but 2008 stands out, mostly for the sound of 20,000 lads all trying to out-sing Liam. It was peak Oasis. Arrogant. Loud. Absolutely on fire.

Of course, the arena’s been through a lot since then. The 2017 bombing left a permanent mark, and it’s now more than just a gig venue - it means something deeper to the city.

But it’s still a beast of a place. Whether you’re in for a gig or just walking past, it’s worth a nod. This is where Oasis became more than a band. This is where they became Manchester’s band.

6. Afflecks (and The Manchester Shop)

Afflecks used to be the unofficial HQ of Manchester’s indie kids. Still is, depending on the day. It’s loud, chaotic, and smells like incense and hair dye - in the best possible way.

Liam used to shop here. Back when he was just a mouthy kid in a bucket hat, you’d find him digging through rails or scowling at mirrors. It’s where the look came together - the parkas, the swagger, the Madchester attitude.

These days, you’ll find loads of cool vintage shops, plus, your esteemed writer’s own business - that’s right, us! You’ll find us right at the front of the Afflecks; Oldham Street. Inside you’ll find our Oasis Gift Box - a perfect gift for any fan. 

Elsewhere in Afflecks you will almost certainly find other Oasis gear like badges, stickers, records and maybe even a giant cut-out of the Gallaghers. Wander through, grab a photo on the stairs, maybe pick up a vintage Adidas jacket. You’ll come out feeling 15% more like a rock star and probably smelling like patchouli. Worth it.

7. Manchester City Football Club

By Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link
The Etihad, Wikipedia

Oasis and City go hand in hand - blue shirts, big tunes, and even bigger egos.

Both Gallagher brothers are massive fans. Noel’s still turning up at the Etihad in sunglasses and a smug grin, usually sat in a posh box. Liam, on the other hand, has allegedly called it quits, claiming the atmosphere’s gone flat (might have something to do with you sitting in a box though Liam!), there’s too many people filming corners on their phones, and not enough shouting. Fair point.

Still, you can’t separate the band from the club. City pump out Oasis tracks before kick-off, after goals, and basically any time they need the crowd to get louder. Wonderwall is practically part of the starting eleven.

If you’re around on match day, even just outside the stadium, you’ll feel it. That same defiance. That same swagger. It’s all part of the same Manchester energy - loud, loyal, slightly aggressive, and proud of it.

8. Night out in the Northern Quarter

© Copyright David Dixon

If you’re after an Oasis-heavy night out, this is where you start. The Northern Quarter is full of bars that look like they’ve been designed by someone who once owned a leather jacket in 1996. Neon signs, battered sofas, toilets covered in gig flyers - perfect.

Places like Night & Day Café, The Castle Hotel, and Gullivers regularly bang out Oasis tracks without irony. Live Forever, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Slide Away - all on rotation. The bartenders are usually too young to remember the 90s but will still tell you Definitely Maybe is better than Morning Glory. Correct.

Get a pint. Stick a quid in the jukebox if you find one. Try not to argue about who ruined the band. (It was both of them.) Then stumble out at 2am singing Don't Look Back in Anger like it’s the national anthem. Because in Manchester, it kind of is.

9. Free Trade Hall

By Yvesdebxl - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
The Free Trade Hall, Wikipedia

This one’s not about Oasis gigs – it’s about why Oasis even existed in the first place.

It all goes back to that legendary Sex Pistols show at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976. Even though Noel Gallagher probably wasn’t actually there, the aftershocks of that night shaped everything that came after. The few people who were in the room went on to start bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, and Buzzcocks – and they created the Manchester music scene Noel would later soak up like a sponge.

Decades on, he still credits it all back to punk. In a 2019 NME interview, he said Never Mind the Bollocks was the most influential album of all time. That rebellious, no-rules energy ran through Oasis too – just swapped safety pins for parkas and gave it a northern swagger.

Oasis never played here, but the ripple effect from that night pretty much built the city’s entire music scene. And Noel soaked all of it up before writing the songs that’d take them global.

The building’s a hotel now - bit swanky, but the shell’s still there. There’s a plaque outside for the Sex Pistols gig, and if you think hard enough, you can picture a teenage Noel walking past, already planning world domination.

10. Noel’s Old Job – British Gas Offices, Princess Road

British Gas Building, Raver Mikey, Flickr

Alright, we’re scraping the barrel with this one! But before the guitars, the tours, and the tantrums, Noel had a normal job. He worked as a gas fitter for British Gas, dragging toolboxes around and understandably hating every second of it (no shade on gas fitters, it’s just if you already think you should be a rockstar, it’s tough).

The old offices on Princess Road are still there - grey, miserable, and exactly the sort of place that would make you want to start a band just to get out. Noel’s said in interviews he’d bunk off work and write lyrics instead. Fair play.

There’s nothing to see here in the touristy sense. No plaque, no mural, just a boring building. But that’s kind of the point. It shows how far he came - from checking boilers to headlining Knebworth.

It’s one for the real die-hards, but if you must - stand outside, look up, and imagine being stuck in that place while hearing Live Forever in your head. You’d quit too.

Manchester didn’t just give us Oasis - it made them. The attitude, the style, the noise, the chip on the shoulder - all of it’s baked into the city. And if you walk the right streets, sit in the right pubs, and loiter outside the right buildings, you’ll feel it.

You won’t get a guided tour or a laminated map. Most of the best bits are just there - hiding in plain sight, same as they always were. That’s what makes it good. No nonsense. No polish. Just a city and a band forever linked by stubbornness, talent, and sheer volume.

So stick Definitely Maybe in your headphones, zip up your parka, and have a wander. The Gallaghers may have left long ago, but Manchester will always sound like Oasis.