Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Victoria Baths, Manchester

Buy beautiful handmade craft for you, your home and loved ones, direct from over 160 of the UK's finest designer-makers. For advance tickets, exhibitor list and info please visit www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

About this Event

Celebrating its 15th edition, the much-loved Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (GNCCF) is the largest and most established selling event for high quality craft in the North.

GNCCF returns to its permanent new home of Victoria Baths, Manchester's iconic heritage attraction, from Friday 14 October to Sunday 16 October 2022 with a launch Preview Evening on Thursday 13 October ( limited tickets).

The GNCCF is an opportunity to see over 160 of the UK's finest designer-makers and buy or commission unique handmade work directly from them. All exhibitors have been specially selected for the quality of their work and to showcase a diverse range of craft with ceramics, jewellery, glass, interior and fashion textiles, prints, furniture, lighting and more on sale.

As well as an on-site cafe, the venue's stunning Edwardian tiled interior will also be the backdrop for installations, exhibitions and workshops, and - new for 2022 - GREENGRADS, a selling showcase of UK craft & design graduates engaging with eco-issues.

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair is a fabulous and inspiring shopping opportunity to find one-off pieces for yourself, statement objects for the home, and thoughtful gifts for Christmas. And a great day out!

For further details, a list of exhibitors and information on how to get to the GNCCF:  www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

GNCCF Covid 19 Safety Measures

The safety of our visitors and exhibitors is our priority. We want everyone to feel comfortable and enjoy their visit to the GNCCF and so, as reassurance, we will have the following safety measures in place:

• Increased ventilation by opening windows and doors. As it’s October, this may make the venue chillier so please bring a jacket. At busy times, we may stagger entry and visitor numbers in areas with poorer ventilation.
• Enhanced cleaning throughout the show with particular attention paid to touchpoints and toilets.
• Hand sanitising stations will be available for your use. We recommend you sanitise regularly during your visit and especially after handling or touching work. Exhibitors will also be advised to have hand sanitiser on their stands
• We encourage you to continue keeping a safe distance from other visitors and exhibitors where you can; we may need to limit the number of people in parts of the fair during busy periods to prevent overcrowding.
• The wearing of facemasks will be at your discretion.
• People with Covid-19 symptoms (ie high temperature, new continuous cough or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste) are requested not to attend; those who display or develop symptoms whilst attending GNCCF will be asked to leave.
• We will ask visitors to identify their preferred arrival time when they book.
• We politely request all attendees to be considerate to those around themand to respect their preferences and the safety measures in place.

( The above measures have been designed in line with Government Guidelines and the Events Industry Alliance All Secure Standard guidelines).

Other things you may want to know about your visit:

What are the opening times:

Preview Evening:

Thursday 13th October:   18.00-21.00

(Limited tickets available for general public)

Public Openings:

Friday 14th October: 10.00-17.00

Saturday 15th October    10.00-17.00

Sunday 16th October     10.00-16.00

Who are tickets concessions for?

Students with a student card, the unwaged and people on benefits or disability allowance. Accompanying carers will be given complimentary access.

Can you buy tickets on the door?

We advise that you pre-book your tickets but tickets are available on the door.

As tickets for the Preview Evening are limited, we recommend you buy these in advance.

Is there a cafe on-site?

There will be a licenced cafe selling teas, coffees, sandwiches, cakes and other light refreshments, plus wines and beers. There will also be a coffee pop up.

Only food purchased in the cafe can be eaten there. Those not eating and visitors with packed lunches will be asked to move if the cafe is busy.  

How do we find out who is exhibiting?

A full list of exhibitors can be viewed on the website here

Can I buy tickets to the Preview?

Yes, you can buy tickets for the Preview on Thursday 12 October ( 6-9 pm) at a cost of £10 adv or £15 on the door.

I'd like to bring a student group, what do I need to know?

If you are a teacher/lecturer and plan to bring a group of more than 10 students please email us with details of the day and ETA.

We get a lot of students, especially Friday, so we want to make sure we are prepared to process large groups and fast-track your entry. We advise you to book tickets in advance for your group. If you prefer, you can pay by cheque payable to Great Northern Events NW Ltd in advance or we can invoice you for you to pay by bank transfer. 

We also request you brief your students on our student protocol which is here

Email us: [email protected]

I have been sent an invitation to the Preview Evening, how do I get my ticket with the promo code?

If you have received an email inviting you to the Preview on Thursday 13th October, you can get your complimentary invite by quoting the Promo code sent in the email. In some cases, the link will automatically unlock the promo code. If not click on the register icon, click on "Enter Promotional Code", select the number of invites you require (max 2 per person) and process as normal. There is no charge for these invites.

Any problems contact: [email protected]

What is the refund policy on tickets?

Refunds will be given up to 7 days preceding the event. 

Please contact [email protected]

Can I use my ticket on another day?

No, we politely ask you to request a refund and rebook. We are monitoring visitor numbers throughout the public opening times to keep all our visitors, exhibitors and staff safe.

Please note, Eventbrite prints the tickets detailing the show opening from Thursday through til Sunday - it's confusing, as at first glance, you think your ticket states it's for Thursday. This is not the case - further down it states the day your ticket is valid for.

What time does the GNCCF open on Thursday 13 October?

The GNCCF is ONLY OPEN IN THE EVENING on Thursday 13 October from 6-9 pm for the Preview. You can buy advance tickets for the Preview or buy at the door.

Getting to the GNCCF & Parking

The GNCCF takes place at Victoria Baths, Hathersage Road, Manchester M13 0FE. This is about 5-10 mins drive out of the city centre, near the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

The event is AA signposted but you can also follow the brown tourist signs for Victoria Baths.

For directions and public transport to the venue please click here.

There is limited car parking to the rear of the building - take the side road at the left side of the building (Pax Road) to take you to the rear car park via the side gates.

Be careful not to park outside of the enclosed rear car park on Pax Road as this is private land and you may be issued with a parking ticket.

Blue Badge holders may park directly in front of the building.

Otherwise, there is parking on Hathersage Road and elsewhere subject to normal on-street parking regulations. There is also a large multi-storey at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on Hathersage Road, a five min walk away ( Height restriction 2.1m; fees - up to 3 hrs £2.50, 3-6 hrs £5, 6-24hrs £15, weekly permit £20).

Accessibility at the venue?

The GNCCF is accessible on the ground floor only, with hand-cranked lifts into the exhibitor stand areas within the pools. There is ramped access to the front and rear of the building with parking for Blue Badge holders at the front entrance on Hathersage Road. There are accessible toilets.

Unfortunately, a small number of exhibitors and some installations and workshops will be situated upstairs and we regret that there is no disabled access. We will state on the website who is exhibiting upstairs and, if you wish to see their work, we will endeavour to assign you with a fair steward who will video their stand(s) and bring any work you wish to look at to you, with no obligation to buy. If this personal service is of interest please email [email protected] so we can arrange this for you in advance. If you just turn up on the day, please request this service at the front desk and we will do our best to arrange it during your visit.

Further details on accessibility and the venue are here

Is the event family-friendly?

We welcome families with children but children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under 16 get in free if accompanied by an adult. Children coming alone will need to buy a concessionary ticket. Please note that the event has many expensive and breakable objects, so children must be kept under a watchful eye as all breakages will need to be paid for.

The GNCCF is a shopping event but there will be a drop-in craft workshop running at certain times during the day which is suitable for children, but they MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Some exhibitors will also be demonstrating their craft.

Why do we charge for a "shopping" event?

GNCCF is a specially selected event to ensure the work on sale is of a high standard and made by the makers who are exhibiting. Great Northern Events NW Ltd, who organises the GNCCF, is a not-for-profit company and do not take any commissions on exhibitor sales.

Behind the scenes, we also do a lot of outreach work throughout the year in partnership with the charity The Oasis Centre, a drop-in centre in Gorton, a deprived area of Manchester. We provide craft workshops, led by GNCCF exhibitors, for their service users. 

We also fund maker support initiatives and subsidise stand fees for new makers and provide free stands for selected new graduates and other organisations. 

We are part-funded by Arts Council England through a National Lottery Project Grant. We have to raise the rest of the costs of staging the GNCCF and funding our charitable initiatives through exhibitor fees and door receipts. 

We hope this does not stop you from visiting the GNCCF. We thank you for your understanding and support in promoting and allowing us the opportunity to share great craft with everyone.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Further information about visiting the GNCCF can be found here

Or you can email the organiser:

[email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Victoria Baths, Hathersage Road, Manchester, United Kingdom