From Oasis icons to fearless suffragettes, football heroes to global creative pioneers, some of Manchester’s most famous faces are about to become impossible to miss…

Launching this summer, MCR Made is a spectacular free exhibition featuring the iconic work of internationally acclaimed Manchester artist and illustrator Stanley Chow, transforming the shopping centre into a giant celebration of the figures who have helped define Manchester’s identity across music, sport, science, politics, art and culture.

Running from 3rd August – 24th October, visitors can follow a free trail throughout Manchester Arndale, discovering 13 towering inflatable portraits (up to six metres in length) suspended across the Centre. Designed to encourage exploration, the exhibition features a series of unmissable photo opportunities, inviting visitors to capture their favourite Manchester icon before taking part in an exclusive social media competition.

Among the famous Mancunians brought to life are Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Emmeline Pankhurst, Alan Turing, L.S. Lowry, Lemn Sissay, Caroline Aherne, Aitch, and a host of trailblazers whose influence continues to define the city – and the world – today.

Stanley Chow said: “The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I’m sure it is for so many people from Manchester. I’m old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven’t stopped coming here since. I’m a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can’t think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way.”

David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations. Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester’s influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation.

“The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city’s fabric for almost five decades. The shopping centre provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating Manchester, its creativity and the iconic figures behind its global reputation.”

Few artists are better placed to tell that story than Chow. Born and based in Manchester, he has created bold, minimalist portraits that have become iconic in their own right, earning international recognition and depicting everyone from musicians and sports stars to actors, politicians and cultural figures. His distinctive style has made him one of the city’s most celebrated creative exports.

Chow’s most recent portraits have included the new PM and ex Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, Count Binface, Jude Bellingham and the late northern artist David Hockney.

As part of MCR Made, Stanley has illustrated an exclusive new portrait of MP Ellen Wilkinson. Born in Manchester in 1891, Ellen Wilkinson was a suffragette, women’s rights campaigner and the first female Education Secretary in the British cabinet. Ellen’s legacy of fighting for girls’ right to an education is honoured as part of the ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative at Manchester Arndale. The initiative offers free sanitary products to those in need, and was launched in 2022 in response to research which showed that a high percentage of girls in the UK were missing school through period poverty. 

Manchester Arndale will also be giving visitors the chance to own a piece of MCR Made, with 26 limited edition A4 prints signed by Stanley Chow up for grabs. Two prints of each icon have been produced, with winners allocated their artwork at random. To enter, simply follow @manchesterarndale on Instagram and like the competition post.

MCR Made offers visitors the opportunity to experience Manchester’s story in a completely new way, discovering giant installations and celebrating the people whose legacy continues to shape one of the world’s great cities.

MCR Made will be on display at Manchester Arndale from 3^rd August – 24th October 2026. Entry is free.