The Venue
This year’s conference is being held at Contact Theatre in Manchester. It’s on the south side of the city, close to Manchester University, with good transport links close by.
Planning your trip
We’ve put together a shortlist of hotels and hostels in Manchester.
There are also some tips for people travelling by train, plane, car, or coach.
Don’t forget that if you’re travelling from outside the UK and don’t possess a UK passport you are likely to need an Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa.
Accessibility
The site has accessible toilets, baby changing facilities, a lift to all floors, and great coffee.
Parking isn’t generally available, but parking for disabled visitors can be arranged in advance. If this is something you need, please contact us.
Guide to the building
On the ground floor, you’ll find:
- Main Entrance
- Help desk
- Cloakroom
- Toilets
- Lift
- Catering (Cafe/bar and Space 0)
On the first floor you’ll find:
- Access (including disabled access) to the Main Stage (Space 1)
- Sponsors
- Catering (Upper Foyer)
- Creche
And on the Second Floor:
- Access to the Talk Stage (Space 2)
- Space 3 - Workshops (Young Coders Saturday - prebooked only)
- Space 4 - Workshops (Django Girls Saturday - prebooked only)
- Quiet Room
Accommodation
Before choosing a place to stay, it’s worth bearing in mind how far it is from the venue and (if you think you might go) to the city centre.
Most hotels are within a 20-30 minute walk of the venue, but you can also use taxis, buses, or hop on one of Manchester’s hire bikes.
Hotels
There are a couple of hotels just over a 10 minute walk from the venue:
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Travelodge (Upper Brook Street) is a 12 minute walk to the east of the venue. While it’s nearby, note that if you’d like to venture into the city centre during your stay that it’s not quite so well located. For those arriving by train, it’s a 30 minute walk (or a 5 minute taxi ride) from Manchester Piccadilly station.
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Hyatt Regency (4 star, so more expensive) is a similar distance away from the venue, but is closer to the city. It’s a 20 minute walk (or 5 minute taxi ride) from Piccadilly station.
You’ve got more choice if you opt for a hotel close to the city centre. These are a 20-25 minute walk from the venue and about 10 minutes from Piccadilly station:
- ibis Manchester Centre on Portland Street (map)
- Holiday Inn Express on Oxford Road (map)
- Premier Inn Manchester Centre on Portland Street (map)
- Maldron Manchester City Centre on Charles Street (map)
- Pendulum Hotel on Sackville Street (map)
- Wilde Aparthotels on Dickinson St (map)
There are a lot of other choices if none of those take your fancy. This list of hotels will give you some more ideas (the most expensive ones are at the top, with a budget-friendly section further down the page).
Hostels
The Manchester YHA is in a nice location. It’s a 40 minute walk to the venue, 20 minutes to Oxford Road station, 30 minutes to Piccadilly station, and 35 minutes to Victoria station.
The Malacuna Hostel (previously known as Hilton Chambers) is also worth considering. It’s on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, which is where you’ll find an eclectic mix of shops, plenty of bars, and lots of restaurants (it can be quite lively in the evenings). It’s on the far side of the city centre from the venue, so a 40 minute walk away (or 10 minutes on one of the local hire bikes). But it’s only an 11 minute walk to Piccadilly station, or 12 minutes to Victoria station.
Getting here
At present, industrial action is planned for Friday 19th - Monday 22nd Sept. This means no buses will be running along the Oxford road corridor or to/from the train stations.
TFGM have published the full list of bus services affected.
By Train
Manchester has three major city-centre train stations. If travelling directly to the venue, travel times are as follows:
- Manchester Piccadilly is a 30 minute walk away, 10 minutes by taxi, or 20 minutes by bus (which includes 12 minutes of walking)
- Manchester Oxford Road is a 25 minute walk, 10 minutes by taxi, or 13 minutes by bus
- Manchester Victoria is approximately 30 minutes by public transport or 20 minutes by taxi
If travelling by bus, see our tips on using Manchester’s buses.
By Car
Contact Theatre does not have public parking. The adjacent car park is for permit holders only, but Contact Theatre recommend:
- University of Manchester’s Cecil Street car park, a [5 minute walk][cecil street walk] or 2 minute taxi ride (tariffs are listed here)
- Q-Park Manchester Hospitals, an 11 minute walk or 5-7 minutes by taxi
Other options include:
- Q-Park First Street, a 25 minute walk or 7–10 minutes by taxi
- NCP Oxford Street / NCP Palace, both just over 20 minutes walk or 8 minutes by taxi
NOTE: Private cars are prohibited on the section of Oxford Road adjacent to Contact Theatre every day between 9am and 6pm, with a £70 penalty charge for vehicles that enter. Sections of Oxford Road are also one-way – see the Council’s map of the bus gates for more details.
By Coach
National Express and Megabus coaches arrive at Manchester Coach Station (Chorlton Street).
It’s about a 30 minute walk from the venue, or 10 minutes by taxi.
You can also take a bus from nearby Portland Street to the University of Manchester stop.
By Plane
Flying into Manchester Airport?
- Taking a train to Oxford Road or Piccadilly, then a taxi or bus to the venue should take around 35 to 40 minutes (see our tips on using the buses)
- The Metrolink tram connects the airport with the city centre, but usually takes longer than the train (see our tips on using the trams)
- A taxi or rideshare from the airport takes around 25–30 minutes, depending on traffic
By Bike
You can rent a bike (which can be found around the city) after downloading the app (see our tips on hiring a bike).
There are Dutch-style cycle lanes along Oxford Road.
By Canal Boat
Arriving by canal? You can moor at Castlefield Basin, which is about a:
- 25-minute walk to Contact Theatre
- 8-minute taxi ride or 15–20 minutes by bus or on a hire bike
Let us know if you’re joining us by water — we’d love to hear about it!