Things to Do in Manchester When It Rains

Something happens when rain is forecast for a weekend in Manchester: half the plans get cancelled and the other half get moved indoors, badly. It doesn't have to go that way. The city has enough proper covered spaces, museums, galleries and one enormous shopping centre with its own postcode, that a wet forecast is a reason to go somewhere you'd otherwise put off, not a reason to stay in.

Indoor Manchester, whatever the forecast says

Start with the free options. The Science and Industry Museum in Castlefield is exactly what it sounds like, and it costs nothing to get in, with steam engines, planes hung from the ceiling and enough hands-on galleries to fill an entire wet afternoon. Manchester Art Gallery on Mosley Street is a short walk from St Peter's Square, also free, with plenty of benches to sit and dry off between rooms. For something quieter, the John Rylands Library on Deansgate is a working library built like a cathedral, all Victorian Gothic stone and stained glass, and it costs nothing to walk in and look up.

For a whole day under one roof, the Trafford Centre does the job properly: shops, a cinema, an aquarium and enough food options that you never need to step outside once you're in. Closer to town, the Arndale covers the same ground on a smaller scale if you'd rather skip the tram ride out.

The local venues that treat you for it

Here's the twist. A handful of Manchester venues have signed up to Rainy Rewards, which means on a day rain is forecast, they switch on a free or discounted treat for anyone who's joined. No ticket, no queue, just show the app.

Six venues are live around the city as this is written. Home Community Café in Didsbury offers two for one on a regular hot drink, or a free hot drink with any cake. Bricks Coffee and Bruncho, both near Deansgate, run their own two for one deals on drinks and cakes. Oxford Social, also just off Deansgate, does two for one cocktails on the day its reward fires. Jimmy's in Ancoats and Hello Oriental at the Trafford Centre round out the list, each with a reward that switches on the same way. More venues are joining as the list grows, so what's live changes; the app always shows what's on near you today.

How the reward decides itself

It works the same way as everything else Rainy Refunds builds: nothing is judged after the fact. Each morning, Rainy Refunds checks the Met Office forecast for the city. Each partner venue sets its own rainfall trigger, and if the forecast for the day crosses it, that venue's reward is live from the moment the forecast is checked until the day ends. You don't need rain to have started falling when you turn up, and there's nothing to prove: you just need the reward showing as live in your account, and the venue's staff can check it in seconds.

Join for free and see what's near you

Rainy Rewards costs nothing to join. Create a free account in the Rainy Refunds app, and the next time rain is forecast for Manchester you'll see which of these venues, and any others that have joined since, have switched their reward on. Bring an umbrella either way.