With quality restaurants and bars to suit all tastes, cool clubs and a dynamic music and theatre scene . . . life is vivacious in the City of Preston.

By night and day, Preston is a buzzing place for all ages. Sport or shopping, dancing or dining, there’s something for everyone. Full visitor information is available at: www.visitpreston.com

• Over 20,000 people of all ages visit Preston’s vibrant pubs and clubs at weekends, The City boasts restaurants to suit all palates, including Thai, Italian, Mexican, Asian, Chinese and Celebrity Chef Paul Heathcote’s ’Winckley Square Chop House’ and ‘Olive Press’ restaurants.
• Preston is the number one shopping destination in Lancashire, according to the Experian Retail Ranking Analysis. The City’s thriving retail area includes two large shopping centres, which offer the full range of chain and department stores. Speciality shopping is available in the Victorian splendour of the Miller Arcade, and there are four ‘out of town’ retail parks.
• Both the Fishergate Centre and The Mall Shopping Centre have undergone major refurbishment programmes in recent years.
• The £750 million Tithebarn scheme will dramatically extend the city centre – increasing the non-food retail floorspace by over 50% (80,000 sq m) and will also create new hotel, leisure, entertainment, cultural, residential and commercial facilities. In addition, there will be improved car parking, a revitalised market and a state-of-the-art new bus station. The scheme will incorporate exceptional urban design and quality materials.
• The stunning Riversway Docklands has been created from Europe’s largest inland dock basin. It is a popular place for leisure, entertainment and shopping. The £6 million Ribble Link, which joins the River Ribble estuary near the dockland, was the first canal to be built in 100 years when it opened in 2002. It provides a 4.5km linear waterpark - connecting the docklands and the Lancaster Canal to the national waterways network.  Further ideas are being explored to integrate the river with the city centre and create new tourism, leisure and commercial opportunities.
• Preston’s open markets are renowned throughout the North West. The regular outdoor and indoor markets are complemented by twice weekly flea markets and the annual Continental and Pot Fairs.
• The £12 million Preston Sports Arena together with golf courses, numerous parks, recreation grounds and leisure centres provide superb facilities for sports enthusiasts.
• The refurbished 2,200 seat Preston Guild Hall and 780 capacity Charter Theatre host regular concerts, theatrical events, ballets and major nationally televised sporting events.
• Over 1,700 bed spaces are available within a 20 mile radius of Preston, ranging from prestigious 3 and 4 star hotels with conference facilities, to rural guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments. Preston’s tourism and day visitor market is worth an estimated £103 million per year.
  
  Useful Link: www.visitpreston.com.