It's impossible to talk about nightlife or clubbing and not talk about Manchester, just as it's impossible to talk about Manchester and not mention nightlife or clubbing.

Manchester was so synonymous with clubbing towards the end of the twentieth century that The Haçienda even made the front cover of Newsweek, as the global nightlife spotlight focused on Manchester.

Both the club and this period of Mancunian nightlife were immortalised in 2002 in Michael Winterbottom’s film 24 Hour Party People, starring Manchester's own Steve Coogan.

But there's much more to Manchester's nightlife than that baggy period of acid house. Manchester was the home of the first ever DJ, and over time has introduced everything from rock'n'roll to acid house to the UK. As early as the nineteenth century, German immigrants to the city complained that the locals preferred to sing rather than listen to the purities of classical music.

The city's nightlife is now experiencing one of its more vibrant, innovative and exciting periods. Manchester now boasts more bars and clubs than ever before, an amazing double the amount of five years ago, which means there is something for all tastes.

Between the down-to-earth good time cheesy party vibes of places like Brannigans and Tiger Tiger to the subterranean vibes of Electric Chair and the 'donkey jazz' of Keep It Unreal, all bases are covered.

From the Gay Village, encapsulated by the likes of Queer As Folk and Bob & Rose, to the straight village of Deansgate, where you’ll catch the likes of Becks & Giggsy in trendy bars like The Living Room. From the trance and progressive house of Tangled at The Phoenix, to the beats and hip-hop supplied by the Friends and Family of Grand Central and Fat City.

The city even has a late night bar sci-fi themed bar in FAB café, not to mention its sister club Satan’s Hollow.

Manchester also has a burgeoning comedy scene, as you expect from the city that recently spawned John Thomson, Caroline Aherne and The Royle Family. There's plenty of established comedy clubs like The Buzz and Frog and Bucket and the city is now home to the world's first purpose built comedy club in the northern branch of The Comedy Store.

Given that there's over 150 clubs in the Manchester area, you can see where the phrase "24 Hour Party People" came from. They cover every type of music from house and garage to hard rock to funk and soul. City Life Club of the Year Sankeys Soap continues to pull in the world's biggest DJs, from Sasha to Danny Tenaglia to Victor Calderone, playing alongside resident Greg Vickers.

The Music Box has been touted as Manchester's finest underground clubs, in more ways than one, and is home to the city's best monthly club nights, from Mr Scruff's Keep It Unreal to The Electric Chair, Hot Water Music and One Tree Island.

At the other end of the spectrum, the likes of Infinity and Brannigans provide quality cheese for those who are more bothered about a good time than what latest test pressings the DJ has.

Some of the best nights in town can be found in bars and a lot of them are free, like the legendary Balearic Aficionado on Sundays at Fat Cat Café.

Manchester has also become much more European in its outlook, embracing a cosmopolitan pavement culture. When the sun is out, head for the likes of Deansgate Locks, a parade of trendy bars off Deansgate with their own promenade, or the urban heritage park of Castlefield, just two minutes walk from Deansgate.

For more information about Manchester and what it has to offer, visit www.visitmanchester.com.