This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Greater Manchester ranks buildings in Greater Manchester, England, by height. Greater Manchester is the second-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom after Greater London, with a population of over 2.5 million. The region's tallest buildings are concentrated in central Manchester and the adjacent borough of Salford, which together form a single, continuous urban core along the River Irwell.
Since the late 2010s, central Manchester has experienced a major high-rise boom, with the number of buildings over increasing from just four in 2017 to 28 in 2026. An additional seven towers exceeding 100ÃÂ metres are currently under construction. This represents the largest concentration of high-rises in any UK metropolitan area outside London. The tallest to date is the South Tower at Deansgate Square, completed in 2018 at , making it the tallest building in the UK outside London.
Notable tall buildings were first constructed in the region during the Victorian era. These were primarily religious or administrative in nature, such Salford Cathedral, the Church of St Mary, Manchester Assize Courts, and the Manchester Town Hall Clock TowerâÂÂthe latter reaching a height of .
The first proposed high-rise in Manchester exceeding 100 metres was the Quay Street Tower, envisioned in 1948. Had it been built, it would have been the tallest tower in Europe. However, the plan was rejected as inconsiderate, given that the city was still recovering from the Manchester Blitz during the Second World War.
A first wave of tall buildings arrived in central Manchester during the 1960s and 1970s, led by the CIS Tower (1962), which became the tallest in the UK at the time, and the City Tower (1965).
After decades of limited high-rise construction throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the 21st century brought a dramatic resurgence. In 2006 the Beetham Tower became the tallest building in the UK outside London and the first in the city to exceed , marking the beginning of Manchester's modern skyscraper era.
From the late 2010s onward, the combined urban core of Manchester and Salford experienced a transformational high-rise boom. A new area of central Manchester, known as New Jackson, was created and reserved for a cluster of skyscrapers. Here, the South Tower, completed in 2018, became the tallest building in the UK outside London and the first outside the capital to surpass . Today, New Jackson features six skyscrapers above and an additional two towers exceeding .
Outside New Jackson, the early 2020s have seen new clusters of towers constructed across other areas of the city region, adding further depth and scale. The Greengate district has become a prominent secondary high-rise area in its own right, with its tallest building being the Cortland at Colliers Yard, alongside four additional buildings exceeding 100 metres.
Salford Quays has also been at the forefront of development over the past 15 years, emerging as a tertiary focal point for high-rise construction. This includes the area's first building to exceed 100 metres, the Eda tower, along with six more towers completed above .
As of January 2026, Greater Manchester features 10 completed skyscrapers above 150 metres, 28 high-rises above 100 metres and 212 buildings above 50 metresâÂÂby far the highest totals of any city region in the UK outside of London.
Unlike most major cities in the UK, Manchester does not have any significant general height restrictions. This has enabled a number of transformative proposals that will significantly expand the central Manchester city region with new districts and amenities.
The tallest scheme is the Nobu Manchester skyscraper, now under construction in the central business district beside the completed Beetham Tower. The mixedâÂÂuse residential and hotel tower will host the luxury Nobu hotel brand. Planning approval was granted in spring 2025, with construction beginning in November that year.
The current tallest proposal forms part of the newly approved Regent Park skyscraper district in Ordsall, which will sit adjacent to the New Jackson district. This district is planned to include at least 10 buildings, with the tallest potentially reaching 242 m (792 ft). Although the scheme faced objections in July 2025 regarding the loss of retail options for existing residents, approval was granted for the development in November 2025.
The second-tallest proposal is the Lighthouse, planned as the focal point of the New Jackson skyscraper district by the end of the decade. As of December 2025, the Lighthouse proposals have been released but have not yet been submitted for formal planning approval. The New Jackson skyscraper district itself is still undergoing a major transformation. The twin skyscrapers, Contour, Tower 1 and Contour, Tower 2, are currently under construction, with Towerâ¯1 having topped out and overall completion scheduled for 2026. In addition to the Lighthouse, New Jackson has seen proposals for twin 'Park Place' towers, as well as four towers under the 'Green' monikerâÂÂtwo planned at 154 metres and two at . When complete, the district will feature at least 12 skyscrapers above and at least four more above .
Another new area for skyscrapers currently under construction is Trinity Islands in the Castlefield district. A tower, Trinity Heights, is topped out alongside its twin, the Vista River Gardens. They are expected to be joined by two as-yet unnamed towers and in height.
The existing Greengate skyscraper district, which as of November 2025 features four towers over 100 metres, is set to be expanded with at least three more towers, including the Parkside. Although planning approval was granted in 2023, the construction schedule for Parkside has yet to be announced.
Another new neighbourhood in the north of the cityâÂÂVictoria NorthâÂÂwill also transform Manchester by the end of the decade, delivering 15,000 homes and accommodating over 40,000 new residents. Part of this area will be Red Bank, a new skyscraper district featuring several towers, including a proposal for a skyscraper.
Outside these wider masterplans, there is a plethora of towers under construction, approved, or proposed throughout the city that are set to reshape the skyline over the next 10 years. Notable examples include the new Manchester United stadium, which will feature masts, and St Michael'sâÂÂa tower currently under construction that will house the luxury W Hotel brand and is scheduled for completion in 2027.
In a European context, only six cities currently contain more than 10 completed buildings over 150 metres: Moscow, Istanbul, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Warsaw. By the end of 2026, Manchester is projected to join this group as ongoing construction and scheduled completions are expected to bring the city's total number of completed 150â¯metreâÂÂplus buildings to more than 10. If all approved and proposed towers in Greater Manchester are realised, the city region could eventually contain over 25 buildings exceeding 150â¯metres, placing it behind only Moscow, Istanbul, and London in the number of tall buildings.
This list ranks structurally complete buildings and free-standing structures in Greater Manchester that stand at least tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.
An equals sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. Buildings that have been demolished are not included.
There are 26 buildings under construction in Greater Manchester and are planned to rise at least . Buildings appear on this list when each project reaches the stage of a piling rig being used on site. Buildings under construction that have been topped out and are externally complete are listed above and are classed as completed.
This list includes buildings that have gained planning approval from the relevant council authority in Greater Manchester and are planned to rise at least .
This lists proposals for the construction of buildings in Greater Manchester that were planned to rise at least , for which planning permission was rejected or which were otherwise withdrawn.
This lists buildings and structures in Greater Manchester that were at least 50 metres (164 ft) tall and have since been demolished.
After a period after the 1960s building boom where few new significant buildings were built in Greater Manchester, the early 21st century has seen a long list of proposals meaning the skyline has been transformed in recent decades. The first towers over were the CIS Tower and the City Tower, the former of which kept the title of tallest building in Greater Manchester for 44 years until the Beetham Tower was completed in 2006. In 2018 Deansgate Square South Tower became the tallest building in Greater Manchester and the tallest in the UK outside London.
The table shows the total number of tall buildings in Greater Manchester by borough. Each building is only included once e.g. Deansgate South Tower is included in the âÂÂ¥200m column but not in the âÂÂ¥150m column.
Updated 27 January 2026