A photographic exhibition is taking place throughout June 2026 to showcase how Manchester has evolved throughout the three decades since the 1996 IRA bombing. ‘Manchester then and now’ coincides with the incident’s 30th anniversary and will feature rare archival images of Manchester with contemporary photographs of the same location years later.
The month-long event serves as a striking visual narrative of resilience, regeneration and architectural evolution. Key shots chart the immediate impact of the bomb and the city’s recovery, while other views show the ripple effects of the city’s regeneration.
Having kicked off with a VIP launch on 3 June 2026 with keynote speaker, Tom Stannard, chief executive at Manchester City Council, the photographic exhibition is flanked by both a panel discussion and round table. All events are taking place at Material Source (Federation Street).
Reflecting on recovery, resilience and what’s ahead, the events examine the challenges that followed the devastation and the key ingredients that enabled Manchester’s transformation into one of the UK’s most dynamic and resilient cities.
Examining how the built environment sector can help shape a city that is adaptable, inclusive and resilient, ready to meet the challenges of the next 30 years, the events feature input from a range of spokespeople. These include longstanding leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, Rachel Haugh from SimpsonHaugh, Nick Russell from Salboy and Jessica Bowles from Bruntwood SciTech.
Euan Kellie, founding director of Euan Kellie Property Solutions, has captured a lot of the exhibition’s modern-day photography personally, much of which has featured in his popular ‘Flashback Friday’ LinkedIn posts.
“Over the past decade or more, Manchester has changed at a pace that would have been hard to imagine in the past,” said Euan.
“The city centre has expanded in every direction. Entire neighbourhoods have been redefined and the transformations keep coming.
“Some parts of the city are completely unrecognisable versus how they were in 1996 and there are some stellar examples of regeneration that have come off the back of a truly devastating event.
“At times, it’s hard to remember the way things were and this exhibition will provide a platform for reflection, discussion and celebration of what the city has both achieved, plus what it’s got in store for future generations.”
Featuring 30 ‘then and now’ images of Manchester, the photographic exhibition will showcase landmark views from across Manchester, including Rolling Street (Middlewood Locks), Princess Road and Great Jackson Street (Deansgate Square).
Whilst the event runs throughout June and is free to attend, places at the ‘Thirty years on from the Manchester bomb: A moment of reflection’ panel event on 15th June 2026 are limited and must be booked here.
📍 You can see ‘Manchester then and now’ displayed at Material Source Studio, Hanover, 1 Federation St, Manchester M4 4BF.
