Sports

Travel almost anywhere in the world and mention Manchester and you’ll probably be asked about Manchester United or Manchester City, 'Red or Blue'. They are undoubtedly the biggest sporting institutions in the region, sitting at either end of our city. But there’s so much more to our sporting heritage than just football!

We hold the Great Manchester Run every year, Europe’s biggest 10K run, and we’re also passionate about cycling, home to the country’s National Cycling Centre. You’ll also find climbing walls and canoeing clubs too, an Aquatics Centre built to train Olympic swimmers and divers, and an incredible selection of spectator sports that are perfect for an afternoon’s entertainment.

On the west side of the city, Old Trafford stadium stands tall above Salford Quays. Nicknamed ‘The Theatre Of Dreams’ it’s been the home of Manchester United Football Club since 1910 and has a capacity of over 75,000, making it one of the largest stadiums in Europe. Take a behind-the-scenes tour to get a full perspective of it.

Just up the road, you’ll also find Emirates Old Trafford, the international cricket club and home ground of Lancashire County Cricket Club. It’s seen many historic test matches over the year, and tickets are often available for you to experience one yourself.

Heading over to east Manchester, you won’t miss the Etihad City of Manchester Stadium, built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and now home to Manchester City Football Club. Tours are available here, and you might even get a behind-the-scenes look at the purpose-built training academy over the road.

In the SportCity complex, you might also be able to catch some athletics at the Manchester Regional Arena and see where the Gold Medal-winning British Olympic Cycling Team train on the velodrome track at the National Cycling Centre. You could even have a ride on the indoor BMX track or test your racket skills in the National Squash Centre.

If contact sports are more your thing, you could make a trip to Salford and catch the Sale Sharks in action in their latest rugby match, or visit Altrincham Ice Rink to see Manchester Storm compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League!

For anyone who can’t tear their eyes away from American sports, the Manchester Giants are the city’s official basketball team. You might even find the time to watch some American football, with the Manchester Titans playing their home games at National Speedway Stadium.