Inside Manchester’s influencer empire: Secrets of why Thomas brothers, P Louise, Maddison Sarah and extra function there, hidden companies steering their each transfer… and reality about THOSE events. Special report by MOLLY CLAYTON

In the days when it was full of Oasis-loving, die-hard football fans, Manchester was a haven for Boomers.

Celebs would spend their Saturday nights at The Hacienda, home of the ‘Madchester’ scene and the place where clubbers popped pills and danced to acid house music.

But that era is now well and truly over and today’s fashionable ‘Mancs’ are TikTokers armed with ‘ring lights’ – those ubiquitous LED lamps that provide the essential shadow-free illumination – and prone to showing off their new wares outside designer shops, matcha lattes in hand.

Manchester isn’t just having a moment – again – it has become a full-blown influencer empire, fast overtaking London, where the competition for followers is almost as intense as that for a table at Sexy Fish, the sister restaurant of hospitality magnate Richard Caring’s flagship outlet on Mayfair’s uber chi-chi Berkeley Square.

And the biggest sign of the times? Everyone – from PR agencies and up-and-coming chefs to twenty-something social media newcomers chasing a cheaper postcode outside the capital – is flocking here.

A scroll through Instagram or TikTok shows just how many high-profile names now live, work and take their snaps and make their videos in the city, giving Manchester its own celebrity ecosystem in the process.

Leading the pack is Molly-Mae Hague, the Love Island star who has become one of the UK’s most influential social media creators. Her presence alone has done much to elevate the city’s profile, attracting other young talent who want to be part of her circle. Alongside her is Tommy Fury, her boxer fiancé, who has seamlessly merged sport, social media and lifestyle content in the city.

Other prominent names include Maddison Sarah, known for her lifestyle and fashion content, and the Thomas brothers, whose comedy videos have generated thousands of local fans.

Manchester has also produced stars such as Angry Ginge, whose recent winning appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! massively increased his online following.

His profile has been further boosted by a ‘Congrats King Ginge’ billboard campaign funded by JD Sports, one of his commercial partners.

Socialites like Sasha Atwood, girlfriend of Everton football star Jack Grealish, also spend a lot of time in Manchester, helping to draw attention to the city’s restaurant and coffee-shop scene.

Rising fashion influencers Tara Maynard and Aimee Smale are also putting Manchester on the map. A pop-up concession for Aimee’s fashion brand Odd Muse in the Manchester branch of Selfridges in October drew hundreds of women into the shop.

One local source told me: ‘The thing about Manchester is that it’s small, so a lot of people know one another, it’s a community.

‘Now all of the London restaurants and clubs have ventured up North and luxury living has taken over but at a cheaper price point. Everyone wants to live here.

‘Even influencer and brand events have started becoming more common. I saw one influencer in a shop the other day being asked for selfies. It was only a matter of time, the city has so much potential.’

Manchester’s PR scene is booming too, signalling its emergence as a serious influencer hub.

The Social PR, founded by Love Islander Scott Thomas in 2016, is the perfect example. It’s specifically designed to cater for the growing Northern talent pool, keeping home-grown creators and influencers in Manchester rather than sending them straight to the capital.

The agency handles everything from product launches to media strategy, helping brands tap into the city’s expanding digital audience.

Then there’s YMU, one of London’s most prestigious talent agencies, with a client roster that includes Davina McCall, Simon Cowell and Graham Norton, which has quietly opened a Manchester branch. They’re scouting talent, hosting events and building networks that rival those of the capital.

Manchester’s nightlife has undergone a radical shift. Bars, restaurants and clubs are now ‘curated’ spaces designed for digital content production as much as socialising.

‘Influencers will be invited to the hottest new restaurant, go and take all the photos and post about it,’ says one local. ‘Then, all the followers and fans will go weeks after and the influencer will move on to the next best place. It’s a constant cycle, but it works well for everyone involved.’

Restaurant and bar SDK, opened by former England midfielder Danny Murphy, is the newest hotspot.

The launch party attracted influencers, actors and reality TV stars, and its interior – packed with mirrors, ambient lighting, and Instagram-ready setups – makes every visit an opportunity for content creation.

Visitors spend hours posing, photographing and filming, creating a digital footprint that has already helped turn the restaurant into a city landmark.

Meanwhile, the opening of the Manchester branch of Sexy Fish has brought a bigger slice of London glamour to the city, attracting the influencer elite on weekend evenings.

When it comes to bars, One Eight Six, a self-styled ‘speakeasy’ entered via a mirrored barbershop door, exemplifies the trend for secretive, quirky venues that look good on social media and create a narrative.

Fenix, a restaurant with a Greek-inspired aesthetic and DJs, has become an Instagram playground, hosting celebrities such as Molly-Mae Hague and Lennon Gallagher (son of Liam). It’s so popular, a London branch is opening next year.

Louis, however, flips the script entirely. This New York-style restaurant bans photography, insisting on wrapping phones with branded covers on arrival. Anyone caught taking a snap is asked to leave.

Influencers flock there nonetheless, not to post content, but for the cachet of being there, proving that social currency in Manchester isn’t always about the feed, sometimes it’s about exclusivity.

And then there’s Soho House, which became the city’s only private members’ club with its opening at the end of last month. The club’s exclusivity, including laptop restrictions (which I am told are soon to be lifted), has had content creators flocking to apply for memberships.

Despite its strict ‘no photos’ rule, I have seen the odd sneaky snap posted on social media this week. When I visited, I was told to go and try out the photo booth on the top floor.

It’s clearly already a hit with local celebs – I spotted BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent having lunch with pals in the rooftop restaurant.

Hip hop act Loyle Carner performed at the opening party and future attractions include the Grammy award-winner Honey Dijon and veteran bandleader Jools Holland.

Despite the fact that the club’s launch was pushed back almost two years due to building delays, all the signs are that it’s a big hit with the locals.

‘Manchester was desperate for a private members’ club,’ I am told. ‘It will quickly become the place to be seen.’

Other new arrivals like Chotto Matte, a Japanese-Peruvian fusion rooftop restaurant, and upcoming London imports such as breakfast specialist Eggslut and fast-food outlet Shake Shack are reinforcing the city’s reputation as an influencer haven.

And it’s not just nightlife that’s changing Manchester – the city centre has changed out of all recognition thanks to a high-rise boom.

‘Years ago there was barely a skyline,’ one source tells me. ‘Now it looks more like New York. They’re building a lot of new flats, a lot of fancy ones with pools, spas – one even has a climbing wall and mini golf.’

Stroll around the area and it’s impossible not to be struck by the number of cranes, forklift trucks and builders.

The new wave of residential developments appear to be specifically targeting young, affluent and social media-savvy tenants. Towers like Deansgate, Elizabeth, and Colliers Yard combine high-end interiors, amenities like gyms and pools, and the kind of apartments that look perfect in photos.

‘Go into any of those apartment buildings and in the communal areas it’s like one big Instagram party,’ I am told.

It’s places like these that are home to the majority of Manchester’s influencers. They are a magnet for social media wannabes starting out on their careers and I’m told there’s quite a high turnover of residents,

After a few years of hard graft, they tend to move out and buy in the ‘Cheshire Golden Triangle’, which is made up of the prosperous villages of Alderley Edge, Prestbury and Wilmslow.

There Manchester United WAGs, Molly Mae and stylist Ellie Egar, who has almost half a million Instagram followers, live in sprawling mansions.

But the ultimate luxury destination has to be the new Nobu Hotel & Residences. Work is already under way on this £360million, 76-floor project, which will be the tallest skyscraper in the UK outside of London, and boasts 452 apartments when it is completed in six years time.

No wonder Robert De Niro, who is a key investor in Nobu, says: ‘It’s great being here in Manchester because it has real character. We’re proud to be part of it.’

The project’s developer, Manchester-based Salboy, is equally upbeat. ‘Manchester’s been booming for over 10 years now and the population just continues to grow,’ it said. ‘To entice the likes of Nobu and what they bring in terms of quality and brand and exposure – it’s enormous and I think this is a catalyst to really push on and do more in the city.’

Elsewhere, Port Street apartments, offering one-bedroom flats for rent starting at £1,500 a month, is set to open next year. Its offerings are already being dubbed the ultimate influencer pads thanks to a rooftop bar perfect for sunrise Instagram shots and co-working spaces for content creators.

Then there’s Vista River, another apartment block dedicated to content creators. It has a rock climbing wall, a residents’ restaurant, a dog spa and even a fully equipped studio for photoshoots or podcasting.

Despite its two-bedroom apartments starting at £415,000, the majority of the 55-storey tower’s flats have already been sold.

But Manchester isn’t just a place to live or party, it’s becoming a magnet for big‑name brands and major events.

Take the smash hit link-up between café Açai & The Tribe – the cafe that specialises in acai, a fruit grown and harvested in the Amazaonian rainforest – and lifestyle podcasters and influencers Sophia Tuxford and Cinzia Baylis-Zullo of The Girls Bathroom.

The limited-edition acai‑bowl and matcha‑drink collaboration caught the imagination of Manchester’s social‑media crowd and locals queued for hours for a piece of the action.

Then there was the night retail fashion giant ASOS took guests first‑class from London to Manchester for an Adidas party last month at Victoria Baths, a Grade II-listed event space.

Celebrities and influencers such as Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel, Love Island winner Toni Lates and fashion influencer Alicia Roddy all attended.

But next year, Manchester will host a much bigger event – the iconic BRIT Awards will be held at the ultra‑modern Co-op Live Arena for the first time ever in February 2026, ending almost five decades of the awards being staged exclusively in London.

What’s more, the MOBO Awards are also coming to Manchester next year, with the 30th‑anniversary event to beheld in March.

And even Vogue has gone north, taking its immersive experience – first staged in London – to Manchester this month at the Aviva Studios.

Between big‑name retail parties, viral café collaborations and music awards, Manchester is proving that for brands, events and creators alike, there’s no better time to set up shop up north.

Manchester’s boom isn’t just cultural, it’s demographic too. Greater Manchester has seen a 3.9 per cent increase in residents aged up to 24 since 2011, making it the UK’s fastest growing city-region for young people.

Manchester might not be the gritty, industrial underdog of its Oasis era any more but it hasn’t gone soft. It’s simply swapped factory floors for glossy rooftops and traded Gallagher swagger for ring lights and restaurant launches.

And make no mistake, this isn’t some passing trend or a sub-par northern knock-off of London. It’s a full-scale power shift.

Creators, brands, developers and A-list events are pouring in faster than the city can build skyscrapers to house them. For the first time in years, the rest of the country is looking North for what’s next.