Manchester arts venue named among “world’s greatest places”

Aviva Studios, home of Factory International and its flagship event Manchester International Festival, opened last year to much fanfare. The multi-million pound, state-of-the-art venue is located on the banks of the Irwell on the site formerly occupied by the legendary Granada Studios. 

The list is split into two sections: places to stay, which includes some of the most unique hotel experiences in the world, and places to visit, which includes a variety of natural, cultural and historical sites. Some of the other places mentioned include Antarctica’s White Desert,  Maui Cultural Lands in Hawaii and a cycling safari in Botswana. 

There are only two other UK places named in the prestigious list: London’s Raffles hotel and 100 Princess Street boutique hotel in Edinburgh. 

Time magazine described Manchester as “emerging as a cultural capital” and highlighted Aviva Studio’s striking architecture as one of the reasons to visit. It was designed by “powerhouse” architecture firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture, co-founded by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, and is the first cultural institution to be designed by the firm in the UK. 

MIF is another reason mentioned in the write up: “Since 2007, this biennial arts fest has premiered new works from acclaimed creators like David Lynch and Yoko Ono in the unlikeliest places all across the city, including staging a theatrical adaptation of the Italo Calvino novel Invisible Cities deep within a derelict train station.”

The list is compiled using nominations from Time’s correspondents and contributions around the world. The format has changed slightly from last year, which featured 50 cities.