Manchester

Independent shops, cafés, street art and music give the Northern Quarter plenty to look at without a fixed sightseeing route. Manchester Craft and Design Centre is a useful starting point when you would rather browse and talk than commit to a full evening. Keep the next stop optional so there is room to stay with an interesting shop or conversation.

Aviva Studios / Factory International offers another starting point for performance and creative events. Build the meeting around the programme there rather than treating it as an automatic extra stop after the Northern Quarter. If you are comparing several venues, use their full addresses and leave time for the journey.

A workshop can suit people who enjoy making something together; a concert suits those who already share a musical interest. Explore the dated cards for the first option that catches your attention, then join Gitch to find company and make the arrangements in the app.

Band on the Wall has a main concert room and the adjacent Copper Bar, while Matt & Phreds offers a more intimate live music setting on Tib Street. Choose by the artist and format rather than treating all Northern Quarter gigs as interchangeable. Seating and entry arrangements depend on the programme.

Manchester Craft and Design Centre brings working studios into a former fish market on Oak Street. Looking at ceramics, jewellery or textiles can be the whole outing; a practical workshop asks for a more definite time commitment. Decide which kind of visit you want before choosing a date or arranging to meet.