Serving the city’s ‘best pint of Guinness’ and historic 1730 vibes: 14 brilliant Manchester pubs and sports bars showing live football

Located on the Northern Quarter’s characterful Tib Street, Tib Street Tavern is a top matchday hub packed with screens across two buzzing floors. It offers traditional pub energy and ideal viewing setups for football fans, especially during high-stakes Derby Days.

Black Cat Club screens live football matches throughout the week. The bar broadcasts the main fixtures alongside a full roster of other sports, from rugby and boxing to Formula 1 and NFL. If your team’s match isn’t on the regular schedule, you can call the bar directly to request a screen.

Before, after or during half time, keep yourself and your mates entertained with a spot of shuffleboard, darts or grab a bite to eat. It’s more than just a screen in a bar.

Located in a Grade II listed Victorian building, The Brotherhood serves as a dedicated spot for catching live matches. You’ll find extensive coverage of football, rugby, NFL, and other major sports events broadcast across dozens of 4K screens throughout the venue.

Beyond the matchday viewing, the space features multiple rooms designed with an early 20th-century aesthetic. You can pair the action with their menu of bar snacks, burgers, and wings, or head to the games area for pool and darts. They also offer options for private hire and group bookings if you are planning to watch with a crowd.

The Sawyer’s Arms operates out of a Grade II-listed building that has held a pub licence since 1730, making it one of the oldest in the city. Located a short walk from the Arndale Centre and the Opera House, the pub serves classic British dishes and pies alongside an eclectic range of real ales.

The pub screens major sporting events and fixtures, and you can order food and drinks directly to your table via their app while watching the game.

This Irish pub in Manchester city centre doubles as a dedicated sports venue. Screens throughout the bar broadcast live fixtures, including major international tournaments like the World Cup. The space features a late-night licence on weekends, making it a reliable spot for matches that run late into the evening, so grab a Guinness and settle in for the game.

Set just steps from Old Trafford, Hotel Football’s dedicated restaurant serves hearty, locally sourced food alongside live sports. The space doubles down on the football theme with memorabilia from famous players throughout the venue.

The menu covers everything from award-winning pizzas and burgers to healthy salads, with nods to the beautiful game in dishes like the “Scholesy,” “Veganaldo,” or “Messi Fries.” Pair it with one of their bespoke beers while watching the match – but just remember, it’s a Reds spot through and through.

Shack Bar & Grill screens major football fixtures across 18 displays spread over two floors. For groups wanting a focused viewing experience, the venue provides private TV booths that offer a dedicated space to watch the match. Book these in advance to secure your spot for big games.

Right in the thick of Deansgate, BOX Deansgate is a massive, two-floor sports bar that handles big match days without descending into total chaos. They broadcast all the key Premier League fixtures across 35 HD screens, so you won’t have to crane your neck or fight for a view of the TV.

It has a solid pub menu of pizzas, burgers, and kebabs to keep you going through extra time. If you want a break from the screen, they have shuffleboard available all day, and on weekends, the space turns into a party with live music running until the early hours.

Fancy a proper pint? Serving craft beers galore, from sour sessions to showstopping stouts, Port Street Beer House has got you covered. And the football is covered too. The beer house has a walk-up-only policy, but be quick to nab yourself a seat in front of the screen. You can sit in comfy booths or flee to their outdoor terrace if you’re not liking the score.

Mulligans, based just off Deansgate in the heart of Manchester, is an authentic Irish Pub, renowned for having the best pint of Guinness in Manchester and is Manchester’s oldest Irish pub. Mulligans shows a whole host of live sport including GAA, football, rugby and horse racing, and of course, will be showing the latest footy match, and is one of the best places you could watch. What’s more, it’s most definitely a reds pub.

With a newer, bigger setup, iconic Northern Quarter pub The Freemount has the perfect vibe and tech to make watching the football as enjoyable as possible – win or lose. With a matchday atmosphere to rival the grounds themselves, grab a pint and a couple of mates, and you can dance the night away once the final whistle blows.

Taking up a sizeable chunk of the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square, The Salmon of Knowledge is mostly known for its Irish heart and fantastic stout. When it comes to sport, though, both the city centre and Didsbury locations come up trumps, screening all sorts of sports, including football, all year round.

Grab a pint and a spice bag, and good luck getting a table – you might want to turn up ahead of kick off to secure yourself a seat.

Salford’s Old Pint Pot is just a stone’s throw from the city centre, making it the perfect spot to escape the crowds and settle in for a match, without leaving the area. Sitting right on the banks of the River Irwell, the Old Pint Pot draws a solid crowd of students and local regulars. The pub broadcasts major football fixtures on indoor screens around the main bar, carrying Sky Sports so you won’t miss the weekend action.

The kitchen turns out classic pub dishes like burgers, steaks, and curries to eat while you watch. You can grab a pint of real ale or craft beer from the bar and take it out to the large riverside beer garden before kick-off.

Following a massive £2 million refurbishment, the former Shamrock has been reborn as The Spinner’s Rest. As the newest addition to the Joseph Holt brewery family, this pub brings a traditional feel right into the middle of modern Ancoats, keeping its connection to the area’s cotton-spinning history.

The space is set up to handle live sports alongside live entertainment. You can grab one of their award-winning Northern ales and order from the food menu, which runs until 8pm every day.