Until
The Vessel at PINK
Chris Thompson transforms PINK into an uncanny, interactive cabinet of obsessions, inviting visitors to uncover its shifting, unstable narratives.
Free entry
What not to miss
Until
Yuki Kihara: Darwin in Paradise Camp at The Whitworth
Yuki Kihara reframes Pacific imagery through Fa’afafine voices, creating lush, critical artworks that unsettle long-standing colonial assumptions.
Free entry
The Silence of the Lambs: Live in Concert at The Bridgewater Hall
Experience Jonathan Demme’s multi-Oscar-winning thriller with iconic score performed live by the Hallé orchestra.
From £34.50
Ibibio Sound Machine at Band on the Wall
Fusing West African funk and disco with modern post-punk and electro, Ibibio Sound Machine inject some much-needed energy into January.
From £29
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The Memory Of Water at The Octagon Theatre
Three sisters, one bitter-sweet reunion – grief, whisky and buried truths collide in a sharply funny Northern family reckoning.
From £15.00
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The Guardians of Living Matter at Lowry
A new Lowry exhibition pitches us into 2076, where mycelium and AI entwine to ease the climate crisis together.
Legowelt at The White Hotel
Vintage machines, sci-fi dreams and 30 years of restless invention. Legowelt plays in deepest darkest Salford this January.
From £19.90Tickets by Creative Tourist
View all
Until
The Medieval Quarter Walking Tour
Tickets from £20.00
Explore Manchester’s Medieval Quarter on an architect-led walking tour uncovering the city’s...
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The Manchester Pub Walkabout
Tickets from £25
Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester's drinking history in one of...
Until
The Manchester Music Walkabout
Tickets from £25.00
Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around...
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Manchester’s Northern Quarter: Street Art & Local Stories
Tickets from £12.00
This walking tour explores the neighbourhood’s streets, stories and hidden corners, offering...
Until
Manchester City Walking Tour
Tickets from £12.00
Manchester has always been a city with stories to tell. This guided...
Until
Leeds City Centre Walking Tour
Tickets from £12.00
Leeds is a city best explored on foot. With a local guide...
Until
Idyllic England: Derbyshire & the Peak District
Tickets from £55.00
A tour through idyllic Derbyshire and the Peak District, where rolling hills,...
Until
Snowdonia, North Wales & Chester
Tickets from £74.63
This part of the world is packed with both marvels and myths,...
Spotlight on
A Christmas Fair at Chadderton Town Hall
Oldham Coliseum move down the road with a production of Jim Cartwright's festive play filled with northern lights.
Take me thereDestinations
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Things to Do in ManchesterOur guide to the best things to in Manchester, from award-winning theatre and exhibitions to the busiest music scene in the North.
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Things to do in LeedsOur guide to Leeds, a hub of northern creativity, the metropolis of Yorkshire and one of the greenest cities in the UK.
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Things to Do in LiverpoolOur guide to the thriving city of Liverpool, where new creative futures are written against the backdrop of a unique history.
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Bradford 2025 – UK City of CultureBradford 2025 – UK City of Culture is a city in celebration, not just for Bradford and the surrounding districts, but the whole of the North.
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Things to do in BlackpoolFancy a day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.
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Things to do in YorkWe take a closer look at York, one of the UK’s most beautiful heritage cities with a wealth of contemporary culture.
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Things to do in LancashireOur guide to the culturally rich coastal county of Lancashire, encompassing Lancaster, Morecambe, Blackpool and Blackburn.
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Things to Do in CheshireOur guide to the best things to in Cheshire, including culture, shopping and food and drink in Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.
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Things to Do in CumbriaOur guide to the best things to do in the Cumbria and the Lake District, including Penrith, Kendal, Carlisle, Keswick and Cockermouth.
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Things to do in West YorkshireOur guide to the best things to do in culture-packed West Yorkshire, including Hebden Bridge, Wakefield, Halifax and Huddersfield.
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Things to do in the North EastOur guide to the North East spans industrial heritage in Sunderland, medieval architecture in Durham and world-class culture in Newcastle.
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Things to Do in SheffieldOur guide to the hilly city of Sheffield, which boasts a fantastic community of artists, makers and cultural organisations.
Seasonal Guides
Where to go
Chorlton
Horse and Jockey Chorlton
Chorlton’s magnificent Horse and Jockey has had an almighty do-over, transforming it into one of South Manchester’s top must-visit drinking and dining destinations.
Castlefield
The Curling Club
New Jackson in Manchester is having a full scale seasonal takeover. Think curling lanes, lively bars and a packed line up of DJs and performances.
Manchester
Chadderton Town Hall
Chadderton Town Hall is a magnificent example of Edwardian architecture . Built in 1912/13 in the style of ‘English Renaissance’ and recently restored maintaining its traditional features in regal reds
Manchester
Christmas
at St John’s
at St John’s
A new alternative Manchester Christmas market from the well-seasoned team behind our street food faves Grub.
Chapel Street
Tangerine
Manchester’s latest must-visit multipurpose venue, offering top-level food, drinks and live shows.
City Centre
Posie
A new cocktail bar from the crack team behind 10 Tib Lane and Henry C.
Manchester
San Carlo Manchester King Street
Longstanding Italian restaurant in the snazzy bit of Manchester.
Culture Guides
Music in the North
Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.
Theatre in the North
Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.
Music in the North
Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.
Exhibitions in the North
This season, exhibitions across the North West feel attuned to the world beneath the world – the forces and stories shaping how we see, feel and imagine.
Tours and Activities in the North
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
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.
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.
Food and Drink in the North
Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.