Cloud 23 / 20 Stories

What are Cloud 23 and 20 Stories?

Cloud 23 is the cocktail bar on the 23rd floor of the Beetham Tower, Manchester’s landmark 47-storey skyscraper on Deansgate. Perched roughly 100 metres above street level, it offers floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views north across the city centre toward the Pennines and south over Castlefield and Old Trafford. The bar’s sleek, dimly lit interior and reflective surfaces make it a dramatic setting for both portrait and cityscape photography.

20 Stories occupies the 19th and 20th floors of No. 1 Spinningfields, the commercial tower at the heart of Manchester’s business district. Unlike Cloud 23’s enclosed lounge, 20 Stories features a large open-air rooftop terrace planted with olive trees and fitted with fire pits, giving it a relaxed Mediterranean feel elevated above the Manchester skyline. The outdoor space faces east and south, offering direct sightlines to the Town Hall clock tower, Deansgate Square, and the Mancunian Way corridor.

Together, these two venues represent the best publicly accessible high-altitude vantage points in central Manchester. Both require reservations, especially at weekends, and have dress codes, so plan ahead. Photography policies can vary — it is worth checking with staff before setting up a tripod or flash.

Why Shoot Here?

• High-Altitude Views: Capture the entire city from a bird’s-eye perspective, with views stretching out to the Pennines on clear days.
• Skyline at Night: The city lights from above are spectacular, making these spots perfect for capturing the energy of Manchester after dark.
• Architectural Framing: Use the modern design of the bars and their terraces to frame your shots of the surrounding skyscrapers.
• Sunset and Golden Hour: Being high up allows you to capture the full beauty of the sun setting over the city’s rooftops.

Best Times to Shoot

• Sunset through blue hour — Book a table 30-45 minutes before sunset so you can capture the golden light on the skyline, then stay as the city transitions into a carpet of artificial light during blue hour.
• Clear winter evenings — Cold, dry air sharpens visibility dramatically; the Pennines become a crisp backdrop and city lights punch harder against the dark sky, ideal for long-exposure panoramas.
• After rain — Wet rooftops and streets below reflect light in colourful streaks, adding depth and interest to downward-looking cityscapes from the terrace at 20 Stories.
• Early weekday evenings — Quieter than weekend slots, giving you more space to move around the terrace or window seats without other guests crowding the sightlines.

Composition Ideas

• Window reflection layering (Cloud 23) — Shoot through the floor-to-ceiling glass to layer the interior bar lights and your own reflection over the city panorama, creating a moody double-exposure effect in-camera.
• Fire pit foreground (20 Stories) — Use the terrace fire pits or olive trees as warm foreground elements framing the skyline behind, adding depth and a sense of place to rooftop shots.
• Telephoto skyline compression — Bring a telephoto like the Sony 70-200mm f/4 G OSS to isolate individual landmarks like the Town Hall clock tower, Beetham Tower blade, or Deansgate Square towers, compressing the cityscape into dense, layered compositions.
• Vertical panorama — Shoot a multi-frame vertical stitch from street level far below to the horizon, capturing the full sense of height and the stacked layers of Manchester’s urban fabric.