Construction is finally underway on Therme Group's vast wellbeing resort at TraffordCity, one of the largest leisure projects the area has seen in years.
Among the projects reshaping TraffordCity, few are as ambitious as Therme Manchester. Billed as the UK's first "wellbeing resort", it is being built on the former EventCity exhibition site off Barton Dock Road, a short distance from the Trafford Centre. The scheme is the work of Therme Group, an operator already running large thermal spa and water attractions across continental Europe; Manchester is set to be its first UK site.
What it is
Therme Manchester is planned as a year-round indoor wellbeing destination spread across a roughly 28-acre site. Approved plans describe a substantial set of facilities, reported to include more than ten pools, around 18 waterslides, and over 25 saunas and steam rooms, alongside wellbeing gardens and an indoor "all-season beach" with artificial waves. The concept blends a family water park with a more adult-focused spa and thermal-bathing offer, kept at a warm indoor climate throughout the year.
Where it stands now
The project has been some years in the making. Trafford Council granted planning permission around 2020, and a refreshed design was brought forward in 2023, shifting from a single sweeping glass roof towards a series of connected pavilions. The former EventCity buildings have since been cleared, with enabling and demolition works carried out on site. Therme Group marked the official start of main construction with a groundbreaking event in September 2025, and the resort is currently reported to be on course to open in late 2028.
The headline investment has commonly been cited at around £250m, though more recent coverage points to a larger figure as the design has been enhanced and new financial backing brought in. Therme has been cautious about firm dates, so the 2028 timeline is best read as a guide rather than a fixed commitment.
What it adds to the area
If delivered as planned, Therme would give TraffordCity a major year-round leisure anchor to sit alongside the Trafford Centre, the surrounding retail and the wider regeneration of the area. It is the kind of large, destination-scale attraction that tends to draw visitors from well beyond Greater Manchester and reinforces TraffordCity's positioning as a leisure and tourism hub rather than purely a shopping destination.
For anyone considering One Trafford Edge, Therme is part of the bigger picture in this corner of Stretford. A landmark wellbeing resort opening nearby strengthens the case for TraffordCity as a long-term leisure destination: the sort of amenity that supports an area's appeal to residents and tenants, even if its timeline is still subject to change. Register your interest →