Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

May

Creative Tourist

Summer is just around the corner, festivals are coming into view, and the warmer weather is getting everyone feeling a bit more inclined to get out there and explore what Manchester and the North’s has to offer by way of culture.

Happily there’s a whole lot. Spring Half Term and Spring Bank Holiday are always filled with great exhibitions, theatre shows and gigs, and the region’s many excellent restaurants are rolling out fresh new seasonal menus.

And if the increasing temperatures have got you feeling really brave, why not try some wild swimming? Or adventure activities? Or take it easier while exploring the North via the best of its Outdoor Art.

Seasonal Guides

Alcohol-free things to do in the North

January doesn’t have to mean hiding at home with fizzy water and The Traitors. Manchester’s packed with things to do without a pint in hand.
Festive Happening Camerata
Christmas Theatre and Concerts

As the big day approaches, you can count on theatres and concert halls across the North to pull out all the festive stops.
Christmas food and drink

The holidays are coming – time to eat, drink and be merry for Christmas 2025. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.

A smiling market trader shows a customer a painting in Victoria Baths
Christmas Shopping in the North

Back away from the high street and support some of Manchester’s best independent makers, sellers and curators this Christmas.
New Year’s Eve in the North

We’ve rounded up some of the city’s best options for seeing out 2025 in style – from wallet-friendly parties to some truly lavish experiences.
Champagne flute swirling in front of a Christmas tree.
Christmas in the North

If you’re looking for alternative or interesting things to do over Christmas in Manchester and the North, look no further.
Visit Blackpool.
Christmas Markets in the North

Makers, bakers and curators will be out in force this festive season as the North’s best Christmas Markets whirr into action.

Destinations

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

Squeeze the most out of these final weeks of summer thanks to our mid-August guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

Exhibitions

Our latest exhibition picks include a lost recording of the Strangeways protest, Manchester's first sound art festival, and queer archives revisited.

Matt Spratt.
Music

Aphex Twin-endorsed electronica, an eight-hour organ marathon and the most exciting band in Ireland's current folk revival all feature this month.

Woodhill by LUNG Theatre.
Theatre

Contemporary performance, verbatim theatre, dark comedy and a bold vision of Gaza - an eclectic mix for the start of autumn.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.