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Before We Were Proud at Waterside
Many LGBTQ+ people who lived through criminalisation are still here, and photographer Steve Reeves is recording their stories.
Free entryOur arts and culture highlights
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May Half Term at the Science and Industry Museum
With a miniature steam railway, working engines and a percussion group inspired by industry, the Science and Industry Museum brings play with a point.
Free entry
Until
Peripheries at 1853 Studios
Eight artists explore violence, migration and shifting ideas of what it means to exist on the margins in this new group show at 1853 Studios.
Free entry
Manchester Collective: Patterns in Repeat at Aviva Studios
Manchester Collective bring titans of contemporary music together with world premieres in a bold, body-driven programme at Aviva Studios.
From £14.00
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The Black Lights in Blackpool
Day tickets are now on sale for the White Hotel’s Blackpool takeover, placing The Caretaker, Blackhaine and A Guy Called Gerald inside the town’s most iconic spaces.
From £20
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Curtain Up at Lowry
Lowry presents an exhibition on group communion, featuring artists who capture the energy and anticipation of live audiences.
Until
Even These Things at the Royal Exchange
30 years after the IRA bomb, a new Royal Exchange play traces three centuries of Manchester history as it plays out through individual lives.
From £12.00Culture Guides
Tickets 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...
Until
Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester
Tickets from £20.00
Explore the ways in which Manchester helped shape and reinforce the ideas...
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Beatles Liverpool Walking Tour
Tickets from £28.62
From the waterfront to the heart of the Cavern Quarter, fans can...
Trees, Flowers and Manchester City Centre Green Spaces Tour
Tickets from £20.00
Hidden gardens, re-wilded viaducts, and endless canals - explore Manchester’s softer side...
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Peaky Blinders Liverpool Walking Tour
Tickets from £42.40
Throughout this extended walking tour, fans can trace the Shelby family’s rise...
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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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The Manchester Pub Walkabout
Tickets from £25.00
Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester's drinking history in one of...
Music highlights coming soon
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Vintage Vibes at East Lancashire Railway
Vintage Vibes returns to East Lancashire Railway this May, taking over Bury for a gleefully bonkers bank holiday weekend of music and retro pop culture.
From £19.00
manchester jazz festival Takeover at Aviva Studios
Three women-led acts, a photography exhibition, and free entry: mjf closes its 2026 edition with quiet confidence.
Free entry
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manchester jazz festival 2026
Manchester jazz festival is back for 10 days, with a line-up that moves from major international names to some of the most exciting artists emerging closer to home.
0-£30
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Pixies – P40 Celebrating 40 Years at Aviva Studios
Pixies bring two nights of feral alternative rock to Aviva Studios this May, marking 40 years of the band
From £55.00
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Theatre highlights coming soon
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The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher at Liverpool Everyman
In this world premiere, Hilary Mantel’s audacious short story becomes a darkly comic psychological thriller about power, class and political anger.
From £11.00
Bionic and the Wires: Beneath the Breathing Ground at Castlefield Viaduct
Plant-powered music meets dance in a lush sky garden. This quietly radical performance invites you to slow down and tune in, and see differently.
From £15.00
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Spitfire Girls at Octagon Theatre Bolton
Katherine Senior’s new play Spitfire Girls lands in Bolton with the extraordinary true stories of WWII women pilots.
From £15.00
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Nation at HOME
Arriving from an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run, Nation is a dark, unsettling fable about nationhood and identity.
From £19.20
Spotlight on
Curtain Up at Lowry
Lowry presents an exhibition on group communion, featuring artists who capture the energy and anticipation of live audiences.
Take me thereExhibitions highlights
Until
Before We Were Proud at Waterside
Many LGBTQ+ people who lived through criminalisation are still here, and photographer Steve Reeves is recording their stories.
Free entry
Until
Peripheries at 1853 Studios
Eight artists explore violence, migration and shifting ideas of what it means to exist on the margins in this new group show at 1853 Studios.
Free entry
10 x 10 at Saul Hay Gallery
Saul Hay celebrates its 10th anniversary with an exhibition that gives 100 artists just 10 centimetres to work with.
Free entry
Until
Common Ground at Manchester Craft & Design Centre
The Peak District is one of the most walked, photographed and painted landscapes in England. Common Ground is interested in what lies beneath it.
Free entryFood And Drink Guides
Our latest food and drink picks
Manchester
Tai Wu
Long-standing, trend-swerving Chinese restaurant on Manchester’s Upper Brook Street, with a reputation for authentic dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine.
Manchester
BAB Korean Food
A highlight of Manchester’s K-Food space, Bab Korean Food serves up authentic, well-made dishes at the Kargo MKT food hall in MediaCity.
Castlefield
Dimitri’s
Longstanding Greek taverna Dimtri’s delivers traditional, fuss-free Greek food, aimed at everyone from courting couples to multi-generational families in Manchester.
Manchester
Kong’s NQ
Kong’s isn’t like other chicken shops. This much-loved Northern Quarter restaurant is all about high-grade ingredients and expert preparation.
Castlefield
Trading Route
Trading Route serves up time-honoured Sunday grub, in a modern Manchester setting. Worth a visit for the expertly-curated soundtrack alone.
Leeds
Arcadia Ale House
Arcadia Ale house is a sports bar located in the Headingly area of Leeds with a range of drinks offers throughout the week.
Leeds
Pasta Romagna
Pasta Romagna is a family owned, independent restaurant in the heart of the city centre. Bringing you homestyle Italian cuisine since 1982.
Manchester neighbourhoods
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Ancoats & New IslingtonAncoats, just off the Northern Quarter in Manchester, is one of the city's most increasingly desirable neighbourhoods. Find out why.
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Chorlton, ManchesterChorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only 10-odd minutes away by tram). A sprawling hive of artisan coffee shops, boutique clothing stores,...
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City Centre, ManchesterThe heart of Manchester is packed full with history and stories. This industriousness is evident across the city centre, where proud heritage meets contemporary ambition, and a forward-looking mix of...
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Deansgate, ManchesterWhen you think of Deansgate, you might think about the long (seemingly endless) street that runs from the Manchester Cathedral all the way down to the Deansgate Towers. And you...
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Didsbury, ManchesterDidsbury has the perfect split between big brands and independent businesses, welcoming all from far and wide.
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Northern Quarter, ManchesterManchester’s most characterful, independent district is a jumbled network of streets to one side of Piccadilly Gardens. Here are the places you need to check out.
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Oxford Road, ManchesterWe cherrypick our favourite spots on Oxford Road, taking in unique theatres, characterful gig venues and fascinating museums.
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Salford, Greater ManchesterCross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford, which is enjoying something of a regeneration.
