JD Wetherspoon to Open First Manchester Airport Pub as Final Major Food and Drink Venue in Terminal 2 Transformation

(IN SHORT) Manchester Airport has revealed that its first JD Wetherspoon pub will open in September in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will be named The Belle Vue, in honour of Manchester’s historic Belle Vue entertainment site. The former Belle Vue location was once home to a pub, zoological gardens, greyhound racing and a speedway track, and played a major role in the city’s social and sporting life from the Victorian period until the final event at Belle Vue stadium in 2020. The new 338 sqm pub will have more than 300 covers and a clubhouse-style design inspired by Belle Vue’s heritage and the sporting culture of Manchester and the North West. It will be the final major food and drink venue to open as part of Manchester Airport’s £1.3 billion Terminal 2 transformation, which has more than doubled the terminal’s size and brought in a mix of high street and Northern brands. Airport executives said the pub will add another recognisable name to the terminal while expanding passenger choice, with the new Boutique Mall also due to open this summer.

(PRESS RELEASE) MANCHESTER, UK, 2026-Jun-4 — /Travel PR News/ — Manchester Airport has confirmed that its first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub will open in September, with the new Terminal 2 venue set to be named The Belle Vue in tribute to one of Manchester’s best-known historic entertainment landmarks.

The new pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will form the final major food and drink opening delivered as part of Manchester Airport’s decade-long £1.3 billion transformation programme. The redevelopment has more than doubled the size of Terminal 2 and introduced a broad mix of national high street names and Northern brands to the airport’s upgraded departure experience.

The Belle Vue takes its name from the former Belle Vue site in Manchester, a long-standing centre of social, sporting and leisure activity. Over the years, the historic location included a pub, zoological gardens, greyhound racing and a speedway track, becoming a major part of city life from the Victorian era through to the final event held at Belle Vue stadium in 2020.

The 338 sqm airport pub will offer more than 300 covers and has been designed around the heritage of Belle Vue and the wider sporting culture of Manchester and the North West of England. Early artistic impressions show a clubhouse-style interior combining traditional and contemporary design elements, with sports memorabilia used throughout the space to reflect the venue’s inspiration.

Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, said the airport is pleased to reveal further details of the new JD Wetherspoon pub, which will capture the spirit and traditions of sporting entertainment in Manchester. He said The Belle Vue will bring another well-known brand into Terminal 2 as part of the airport’s £1.3 billion transformation.

Richard Jackson, Retail Director at Manchester Airport, said the airport’s aim throughout the transformation programme has been to create a varied food and drink offer with a strong sense of place. He added that The Belle Vue will complement the existing bars and pubs in Terminal 2, giving passengers more choice across different tastes and budgets.

The pub’s opening will come during a busy period for Terminal 2, with the airport’s new Boutique Mall also scheduled to open this summer. The mall will feature several major fashion brands and will further expand the retail offer available to passengers travelling through the terminal.

JD Wetherspoon Chief Executive John Hutson said the company is looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport and expects the new pub to appeal to travellers of all ages while becoming an asset to the new terminal.

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SOURCE: The Manchester Airports Group plc.