Thriving Manchester is busy and booming again, as leaders, business bosses and tourism chiefs herald the gradual return of pre-pandemic numbers into the city centre.
A trip into town on a Friday or Saturday night, or day, over recent weeks proves the point exactly - it's rammed with crowds and atmosphere. The Christmas markets are back with a bang, the football World Cup is on and Santa has taken his rightful place as a festive fever returns once again to the heart of the city.
Free from the shackles of Covid restrictions, the city centre appears back to its bustling best, with reports of record visitor numbers at the markets over recent weekends. Even council chiefs admit they have been taken by surprise by the sheer scale of the crowds glugging Gluhwein as the sound of singing and sizzling sausages fills the air.
Jane Sharrocks, general manager at Selfridges on Exchange Square, said Christmas has definitely come early in Manchester this year as she spoke of a 'tangible, bustling energy around the city centre' at the minute.
Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester council, meanwhile said she believes the city centre hasn't just bounced back from Covid, but is now 'excelling' once again.
Six consecutive Sundays of festive street performances are said to have attracted thousands into the city centre - with Manchester hosting its first ever Christmas Parade through the city streets on December 11, featuring street performers, magical stilt walkers, artists and bands.
And to top it all, comedian Peter Kay is set to draw huge crowds at the AO Arena on Friday and Saturday night in what are the first dates of a nationwide tour his fans have waited years for.
Councillor Pat Karney, the council's city centre spokesman, spoke of the affect Covid has had on Manchester, saying the public now want to get out and celebrate after Christmases under the pandemic's cloud.
He told the Manchester Evening News : "The scale of the crowds have taken us by surprise on the Christmas markets since we opened them a few weeks ago. We have had record attendances. Covid changed all of us and I think people are making up for the last couple of Christmases. People want to go out and celebrate and we are seeing that right across the city centre and in the shops and stores.
"Obviously we are really pleased and it is going to provide a huge boost to Manchester's economy as there has been record crowd numbers recently. People want to connect and socialise and celebrate. The city centre is the busiest I have seen it for years."
Councillor Craig agreed as she celebrated the lure Manchester has again. The council leader added: "What we are seeing, in the city centre now, is the real pull that Manchester has, not just for Mancunians but to people across the north west and beyond.
"It feels to me that Manchester has not just bounced back to what we were pre Covid, but we are really excelling. The atmosphere is brilliant and the bars and restaurants are full."
Huge crowds do, however, bring with them issues, with the Manchester Evening News reporting on motorists facing long waits of hours to get out of the Arndale car park in the city centre.
In response to the concerns, transport bosses have said they will be 'monitoring traffic movement' over weekends and making 'tweaks to assist with traffic flows' where they can, with the Shudehill Interchange area a particular hot-spot, with buses, trams and cars both leaving and entering the city centre at the same point.
Jane Sharrocks, general manager at Selfridges Exchange Square and Chair of Manchester Business Improvement District, which represents over 400 city centre retail and hospitality businesses, said she was confident of rising levels of footfall in the city centre throughout December.
"There’s a tangible, bustling energy around the city centre at the moment and it definitely feels like we've got into the spirit of Christmas earlier than ever," she said.
"Our festive Sundays - six consecutive Sundays of magical festive street performances in partnership with the city’s Christmas markets - have proved a real hit so far, bringing in thousands of extra visitors to the city centre and with three more events to go including one featuring Manchester’s first official Christmas parade, were confident we’ll see footfall levels continue to rise as we approach Christmas."
Sheona Southern, managing director at Marketing Manchester, meanwhile pointed to the importance of shows, music and clubs in pulling in crowds.
She said: "It's wonderful to see how busy the city centre has been in recent weeks, with both locals and visitors getting out to support businesses within the visitor economy, including retail, food and drink, and attractions.
"The Manchester Christmas markets play a significant role at this time of year, but we also have some amazing events taking place right now, including a busy run of The Lion King, lots of brilliant music events and club nights, and major sport events such as last weekend's Rugby League World Cup finals to pull people in.
"Not to mention Peter Kay's return to the AO Arena this weekend, which will be fantastic for the city.
“Going into 2023, we want to see this trend continue and will be working with partners across the city to support efforts to welcome more visitors during traditionally quieter months of the year. This is going to be especially important in light of several large venue openings - including Factory International and Co-op Live - and the continued increase in hotel bedrooms over the coming years."
On the trams, passenger numbers are also showing encouraging signs of recovery.
According to Transport for Greater Manchester, the four weeks of October ranked fourth, second, first and fifth in relation to post-pandemic Metrolink recovery since March, 2020.
"Journeys on the network are now consistently above 70 per cent of pre-Covid average patronage on a regular basis and are expected to increase further in the lead up to Christmas," said a recent TfGM report.
"Commuter trip numbers have started to recover at a higher rate throughout September. Estimates suggest that on average, approximately 80 per cent of pre-Covid average commuter patronage has returned to the network with morning peak recovery reaching 90 per cent plus on at least two days per week during September."
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