Logistics

Date and Venue

The 17th European VLBI Network Symposium and Users' Meeting will be hosted by Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, from 14-18 September 2026.

Our main venue will be located on the University's main city campus on Oxford Road, within the Schuster Building.

• A map of The University of Manchester campus can be found here.
• A map of Jodrell Bank Observatory (home to SKAO Global HQ) can be found here.

Fees, Funding, Visas and Travel Support

Fees

Registration fees for the meeting is £375 (Early-Bird rate) and £450 (Regular rate) and this will cover all lunches, teas and coffee breaks, a welcome reception on the evening of Monday 14 September 2026 and conference dinner on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at the iconic Manchester Science Museum. See registration page for full fee schedule.

Funding & Travel Support

Thanks to the generous contributions from our sponsors, we expect to make available some funding to support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) participation in the 17th EVN Symposium & Users' Meeting. If you would like to be considered for this support then you must indicate this on your registration form. To be eligible for funding/travel support;

• You must be an ECR (Postgrads/Postdocs/Other)
• You must provide a jusification for your request (No more than 200 words)
• You must contribute to the conference proceedings (Oral or Poster contribution)

Visas

If you require a UK visa to attend the meeting, and you need us to provide you with an invitation letter then you will have to indicate this on your registration form. To facilitate organising visas, please register and request a visa letter as soon as possible.

Getting here

To get here, it is easiest to fly into Manchester International Airport and get the train to Manchester Oxford Road or Manchester Victoria or Manchester Picadilly stations. All three take you into the centre of Manchester and take 20-25 minutes. The Alan Turing Building can be reached from any of the train stations, though it is closest to Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Picadilly stations and takes 15-20 minutes to walk.

Accommodation

As the main venue is on the Oxford Road campus, we recommend booking a hotel in the city centre or south of city centre.

There exist a wide range of hotel and accommodation options in Manchester to meet every budget. Accommodation will need to be paid for by the participant but we do have a small amount of support for those most in need to pay for their accommodation - please state if you would like this on the registration form and why (see Funding/Travel support above). The hotels listed below are potential places to stay -- all within 7-15 minutes walking distance to the meeting venue -- though we cannot guarantee the price on the rooms:

• Travelodge – Manchester Upper Brook Street  [ £64 per night ]
• Premier Inn Manchester City Centre (Princess Street) hotel  [ £63 per night (non refundable) or £78 (cancellation option) ]
• Holiday Inn Express Manchester CC - Oxford Road  [ Twin room (two single beds) is £131 per night ]
• ibis budget Manchester Centre Pollard Street  [ £48.72 per night (non refundable) or £55.20 (cancellation option)]
• Pendulum Hotel - Hotel Near Manchester Piccadilly  [ £50 per night ]
• Hyatt Regency, University of Manchester - a 4* hotel which offers a preferential rate for visitors to the University  [ £137 per night ]

Food and Drink in Manchester

We will be providing lunches throughout the week as well as teas and coffees.

• This list compiled by JBCA members shows 50 places worth visiting with a wide variety of good food options in Manchester.

What to do in Manchester

If you have a bit of free time in Manchester, there is a lot to see and do.

• This list compiled by JBCA members shows several suggestions for different parts of Manchester to visit.

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