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Afflecks

Afflecks

Speciality & Gift ShopsFlea & Street Markets
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Afflecks is an iconic shopping emporium filled with unique independent traders selling everything from Top Hats to Tattoo's. Artists, Makers, Creators and innovators sit alongside a range of businesses that include, Vintage, Vinyl, Fancy Dress, Clothing, Piercing Studios, Gifts, Crystals and much more - The 'Thorn in the side of the High Street@ Afflecks offers something for everybody and is a great place to explore with artwork on every turn!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

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The area

Address
How to get there
  • High St • 3 min walk
  • Market St • 3 min walk
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See what travelers are saying

  • Eloise W
    Salford, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Essential visiting for anyone remotely alternative
    What a place! Packed to the brim with excellent independent businesses ranging from clothing, food, decor, tattoos, records and cassettes, barbers, piercings and more. If you are ever in Manchester then it is a must that you go here if you are in any way alternative in the slightest! Everyone is very friendly and it can be visited alone or with a friend or two, in particular I really liked vinyl resting place and panic posters on my first visit. I have since gone a handful of times including to go get a haircut in the palace barbers in whom gave an excellent service, I will be visiting as often as I possibly can!
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written November 6, 2023
  • Hayley K
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great and Fun Place to Walk Around
    Such a fun place to shop, walk around, and kill some time! Great if you are into alternative music and fashion. wish we had something like this growing up. Accessible with lifts and toilets too. Only gripe is when it's crowded on weekends it makes it hard to get around! WIll be back
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written November 7, 2023
  • Anne B
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place, forget the Christmas markets go here
    I'd forgotten how great a place it is for shopping. Forget the Christmas markets, buy your pressies here. With Abakhan fabrics and Fred Aldous nearby it made a great day's shopping for me.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written November 25, 2023
  • georgie pp
    Telford, United Kingdom311 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Still great for vintage
    I hadn’t been here for 30 years but it was still as great as ever, lots of vintage shops on several floors. Also some very good value vintage shops on Oldham Street as you approach Afflecks. Loved all the 90s posters as you came up the main stairs.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 3, 2024
  • Metropolitan_Man
    London, United Kingdom799 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see!
    A must see visit when in Manchester. Lots of cool and quirky shops inside and a nice ice cream café on one of the middle floors. Lots to see and do if just wondering around or if your after something particular there is a chance it will be here!
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 23, 2024
  • Janine
    87 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinated, fun and unique!
    You can't go to Manchester and not see Afflecks. It's a fascinating place. As a teenager I enjoyed it because it was so controversial, but as an adult it's still fascinating. Take your friends, take the kids, take whoever - it's such a fun place!!
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 25, 2024
  • Eric G
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Place to Visit
    Very interesting place to visit if around Manchester. Lots of independent shops. Clash of visuals and there are multiple stories to walk up. Did not manage to purchase anything this time but would visit again if nearby.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 21, 2024
  • Wayfaring Libertarian
    Belfast, United Kingdom1,111 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    An interesting collection of shops
    It’s probably a stretch to say that there’s something in here for “everyone,” but it was a nice place to do some browsing. There were lots of colorful and eccentric items. If that’s your thing, you’ll love it here. But even if you don’t expect to find anything to buy, you may still enjoy spending a hour or so walking through the place.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written May 22, 2024
  • KingOfTheNorth99
    Windsor, United Kingdom672 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Huge alternative indie mall
    Great indie shopping area in the Manchester Northern Quarter full of a wide range of alternative stalls. Focus is probably more on clothes, accessories and crafts but has plenty more including art, bric-a-brac, cards, crystals, badges & pins, collectibles, even a huge Pokémon card stall. Items you would probably struggle to find elsewhere. Very friendly atmosphere and a great place to browse for a couple hours.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 31, 2024
  • Tess
    Doncaster, United Kingdom203 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great alternative shopping!
    There is something for everyone at Afflecks. Several cafes. Lots of jewellery shops. Alternative shops. LGBTQ+ shops. I went yesterday for the first time. Being a Sunday, parts were closed so I would definitely go back on another day as I was told by my friend there is so much more to see. Amazing place. Like a maze. We had lunch at the cafe on the 3rd floor. Had a really nice jacket potato with chilli con carni and cheese. The ice coffee was really good too.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written September 16, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles560 reviews
Excellent
348
Very good
136
Average
45
Poor
19
Terrible
12

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Frankieh
Wilmslow, UK20 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
I’ve been visiting afflecks since I was a teenager, I’m now in my 30s and I’ve never had an issue until today.

Visited the piercing “studio” on the 3rd floor (now named Kimura) to have my nose pierced.
Guy who booked me in was nice enough, informative and friendly. They only take cash so he directed me to the nearest cash machine.

When I came back to pay I was stood at the desk, ignored by the girl and the piercer whilst they had a whispering conversation that I couldn’t hear. Fine, whatever. I paid for my piercing and was told to come back in 20mins.

As I walked away my friend heard the piercer say “that’s the girl I was talking about”. I didn’t hear it and didn’t think it would be about me because why would it be? I don’t know these people, I’ve never been pierced there before and if it was about me, they’ve just been having a conversation about me whilst I was stood in front of them, very unprofessional.

Off I went to the cafe for a quick tea (lovely people at the cafe so highly recommend!) and I went back exactly 20 mins to have my piercing done. As I’m stood there my friend and I heard the piercer again say “that’s the girl I was talking about, just come in here” to the reception girl. So this wasn’t a coincidence.

I felt so uncomfortable and did not what this person to pierce me that I asked for a refund and just wanted to leave asap. This has never happened to me before.

Still no idea what they were saying or what the issue was, never been pierced there before but I 100% will not being going back.

I’ll stick to holier than thou (they couldn’t fit me in today, though they were so nice and friendly about it but should’ve taken that as a sign.) and I’d encourage people to do that same.
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Damian E
Oswaldtwistle, UK275 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
This place is just basically a load of cheap stalls selling either second hand or unusual items.

We visited for my daughters birthday and she liked it but it wasn't really my cup of tea. Everyone was friendly, the cafe was good and their was some cool retro items on some of the stalls but it was just too busy.

Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Friends
My friend and I used to love punk rock back in the 70s and the New Romantics of the 80s and looking round the stalls brought back so many memories for us. We felt like we had landed back in time.

There were alternative rock clothes shops, gothic themed shops, art work displays, retro sweets, badges, jewellery, cafes, pop art, music shops, crystals and so much more! There were even collectors shops and I took a picture of a display of WWE wrestling toys for my son, who loved them in his teen years.

There is so much nostalgia in here!

Not only that but the layout is quirky too. This is an old Manchester building with stairs and winding corridors all covered in pictures and pop posters.

If you were a lover of alternative fashion and music, or just someone who lived through the 70s and 80s you should visit here and remember your youth! ❤️
Written November 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katie
309 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
afflecks is so sick, i love it. this is the perfect place
for punks, goths, hippies, emos etc or anyone who's just looking for a place with edge. there are so many unique different shops here, all of which are small businesses with really great stuff. afflecks is furiously diverse and all throughout the building, messages of love and acceptance are spread. when you're a misfit that has never really felt accepted by society, there's instantly a sense of welcoming and belonging here. i adore it here and i would LOVE to come again.
Written April 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dbemol
Bern, Switzerland180 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
I love visiting Afflecks. These are dozens of small shops spread over three floors located in an old palace. Each shop offers different items ranging from group t-shirts to vinyl, musical instruments, second-hand clothes and gothic jewelry. You will find everything and it is often worth strolling for at least half a day in this beautiful and incredible building
Automatically translated
Written September 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KingOfTheNorth99
Windsor, UK672 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Great indie shopping area in the Manchester Northern Quarter full of a wide range of alternative stalls. Focus is probably more on clothes, accessories and crafts but has plenty more including art, bric-a-brac, cards, crystals, badges & pins, collectibles, even a huge Pokémon card stall. Items you would probably struggle to find elsewhere.
Very friendly atmosphere and a great place to browse for a couple hours.
Written August 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

h f
Blackpool, UK64 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
I've been visiting Afflecks Palace since I was 14 (I'm now 57) It's a fabulous array of the weird and wonderful. My last visit was PreCovid and the 1st thing I noticed was the amount of jewellery shops there are (I don't wear jewellery), no cafe either, I was hoping for dark style ornaments and tarot but there was nothing i could find. Maybe next time. Definitely worth a visit anyway.
Written November 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sunnyabergele
Abergele, UK3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
Best part of experience , feeling welcome and seeing such a variety of customers and living the atmospher
Best shop , ice cream parlour very helpful .
Worst shop / exp . Read review about piercing shop and as a dad of two i was dissapointed when the rwo teenagers i was with ran excitedly into shop and asked for something and were told we close in an hour so we wont help with putting a piercing in (already pierced just wanted a change) then quite dismissive . I did think they could of beeen politer and more engaging . But we love afflecks not surprised its no 1
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sunderlandcat
Sunderland, UK115 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Family
My daughter and I were in Manchester for a concert, and we wanted to spend some time shopping in the city centre before heading home, as we had already done both the Trafford and Arndale Centres.
My daughter loves alternative style and we found Afflecks courtesy of google and google maps.

I had intended on hitting the road before 3pm, however finding such an aladdins cave of absolute treasures, and a lovely cafe upstairs, there was no way we were heading back to the North East anytime soon, or empty handed!!!
Badges, posters, pictures, jewellery, you name it Afflecks had it, such a myriad of alt shops with such a huge range of merchandise which we haven't found elsewhere, my daughter was in her element.

The cafe had a lovely vibe to it, the staff were friendly and welcoming and the food delicious.

We would love a return trip to Manchester, we both felt very safe and my daughter especially felt at ease as an LGBTQ+ teen with severe anxiety.
Wish we had gone found Afflecks before our Melanie Martinez gig, we'd have been sorted for all our concert needs - next time

My purse and plastic need a much needed break !
Written September 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scott W
North Yorkshire, UK230 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I’ve been coming here for many years.
This place is unique with an individual vibe. Some wonderful item's that you won't find elsewhere. The vendors are great as is the merchandise they sell. The art work throughout the building is amazing. You can happily spend a couple of hours exploring all that this iconic Manchester establishment has to offer.

Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Afflecks - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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