Manchester is acknowledged as one of the UK's most progressive and respected cities for music and the arts. Over recent years Manchester has developed into a bustling, cosmopolitan city increasingly renowned for its shopping and international event venues which bring in thousands of national and international visitors every year. But it is Manchester's industrial and working class background that has had the most significant influence on the unique styles of music that have been generated over the years.
In the 1960s Manchester produced groups such as the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and the Bee Gees who grew up in Chorlton prior to emigrating to Australia, but it was in the late 1970s that Manchester began to truly compete with London as the UK's music capital. Garden Sheds Manchester The Buzzcocks, The Fall, Joy Division (later New Order) emerged onto the live music scene bringing with them a distinctive sound which reflected the nature of their home city. The 1980s bought bands including Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, James, and The Stone Roses. These groups came from what grew to become best-known as the "Madchester" scene that also centred around the famed Hacienda nightclub developed in part by the founder of Factory Records Tony Wilson. Other notable acts to emerge from the Manchester scene include Take That and Simply Red. Greater Manchester natives include A Guy Called Gerald, Richard Ashcroft of The Verve and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai.
Manchester has numerous music venues and boasts the world's busiest arena in the shape of the Manchester Evening News Arena. When it comes to concert goers the MEN is ahead of Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London. The MEN seats over 21,000 people and is the largest arena of its type in Europe. Other major venues include the Manchester Apollo along with the Manchester Academy. Popular smaller venues include the Band on the Wall Roadhouse, the Night and day Cafe, the Ruby Lounge, and The Deaf Institute.
Manchester has two symphony orchestras, the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic as well as a chamber orchestra, the Manchester Camerata. Throughout the 50s, the city was home to the so called 'Manchester School' of classical composers, which comprised Harrison Birtwistle, Peter Maxwell Davies, David Ellis and Alexander Goehr. Manchester also boasts the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham's School of Music making it a centre for music education. Manchester's main classical venue was the Free Trade Hall on Peter Street, this was prior to the opening of the 2,500 seat Bridgewater Hall in 1996.
Manchester has a thriving theatre, opera and dance scene, and hosts a number of significant performance event venues, which include the Manchester Opera House, which feature large-scale touring shows and West End productions; the Palace Theatre; the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester's former cotton exchange; and the Lowry Centre, a touring venue in Salford which often hosts performances by Opera North.
More compact performance spaces include the Library Theatre, a producing theatre in the basement of the Central Library; the Green Room; the Contact Theatre; and Studio Salford. The Dancehouse is dedicated to dance performances.
