These two northern heavyweights are steeped in history and there is plenty of excitement, opportunity and culture on offer across both cities. However, we firmly believe Liverpool is the crown jewel of the region.
The city has has been a melting pot of cultures for many years and has undergone a huge transformation since being named the European Capital of Culture in 2008 .
The city has a great vibe and the recent Eurovision success proved it to the rest of the world.
Liverpool also claims to be the ‘Hollywood of the North’ and has recently been the backdrop to some huge Hollywood films such as The Batman and Captain America: The First Avenger.
This gallery showcases 18 reasons Liverpool better than Manchester.
1. The River Mersey
Manchester has the River Irwell but that’s just a tributary to the great River Mersey. Much of Liverpool’s history has been born on the river, which brought many future Scousers to the city by boat. It was at the heart of the city’s maritime trade and multi-cultural mix and is a huge draw for residents and tourists. Photo: Gareth Preston - stock.adobe.com
2. Film
Dubbed the ‘Hollywood of the North’, Liverpool is one of the most filmed cities outside of London, and hundreds of movies and TV shows have been produced here over the years. The city’s historic architecture has set the scene for blockbuster films, including The Batman and Fantastic Beasts, and huge drama’s like The Crown and Peaky Blinders. In 2021, multi-million pound film studios The Depot was opened, with two purpose-built, 20,000 sq ft sound-proofed film and TV production units. The plan is to build on the host of films and TV shows already shot in the city. Paramount+ recently became the first major long-term tenants as they filmed Sexy Beast in the city. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
3. Science and tech
Liverpool helped lead the country out of Covid-19 with a series of pilot schemes and in September 2021 the world leading ‘end-to-end’ Pandemic Institute was opened in The Spine building in the city’s Knowledge Quarter. A new ‘Hemisphere’ building inspired by the human brain will soon provide another multi-million pound research and development facility. Photo: The Pandemic Institute
4. The Cavern Club
Manchester has plenty to boast about when it comes to music - but Liverpool has the iconic Cavern Club. The intimate venue launched the career of the most famous band in the world, The Beatles, and everyone who’s anyone has played there over the years, from The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder to Adele and the Arctic Monkeys. Photo: Getty Images