Aviva Studios, home of Factory International

You walk into Aviva Studios and immediately get why Factory's made such a fuss about this place. It's industrial-scaled warehouse theatre on Water Street, the kind of venue that actually justifies the hype around Manchester's cultural revival. The main hall's got that raw, adaptable feel—concrete brutalism meets state-of-the-art rigging—where they're hosting everything from electronic acts to theatre productions. It's not trying to be cosy; it's trying to be significant. You're standing in what locals reckon is the city's answer to venues like The Printworks or Ally Pally.