Olympics in Manchester | United Kingdom
With the Olympic torch recently passing through Manchester, excitement about the Games is building throughout the city. With iconic athletes such as Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Chris Joy baring the torch, the relay attracted a huge turnout – despite a typical British summer dampening the event. Although much of the Olympics coverage has centred around London, there’s plenty going on in the capital of the north.
Manchester Old Trafford stadium by mari
Manchester’s iconic Old Trafford stadium is home to the mighty Manchester United, and will be hosting many of the Olympics football games. The football tournament kicks off on the 26th of July and tickets are completely sold out for the events.
Team GB’s first game at Old Trafford is on the 26th of July against Senegal. The country has high expectations for the team, captained by veteran Ryan Giggs. Odds are in favour of team GB winning, and hopes are high after England’s strong performance in the Euros – but regardless of the score a great atmosphere can be guaranteed.
If you couldn’t get a ticket for one of the matches at Old Trafford, there are many other places to catch the action. Large screens are being put up outdoors around Manchester so that local residents as well as tourists can watch the events from the streets. The first of the screens was fitted in the city centre, in Exchange Square – a major shopping and entertainment district. The square also features the world’s largest Next store, as well as a Selfridges, so it’s a great place to go shopping and catch some of the action.
As a special event, all of the Team GB Cycling events will be shown at the National Cycling Centre (Manchester’s international standard velodrome). The events will be on a big screen and all of them are free to attend. Other events being held at the centre include the Watt Bike Challenge on the 4th of August, where participants test how much power they can output on a training bike, and the Cycle Jumble on the 5th of August, which should be a great place to find bike-related bargains.
Many of Manchester’s pubs will be showing the games too; Yates’s, in Portland Street, The Lost Dene in Deansgate and Zoo Manchester on Grosvenor Street are some of the city’s favourite sports bars and are all showing the games. Going to the pub is a great way of feeling part of the games if you didn’t manage to get tickets and all the pubs should have a fantastic atmosphere.
Much like London, travel within Manchester is going to be affected while the Olympics are on. Manchester Piccadilly railway station is expected to be busy between the 26th of July and the 7th of August. Some of the events are taking part on weekdays and during the day time to it will be best to check your travel in advance.
If you’re thinking about visiting Manchester during the Olympics, consider staying in a serviced apartment in Manchester which would be an ideal place to stay for business travellers, families and couples alike.
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