Things to do in Manchester and the North

Unmissable things to do in Manchester and the North

Discover acclaimed music and stand-out exhibitions, groundbreaking theatre, family, cinema and literary events in Manchester and the North.

Our top picks

Exhibitions 23 September–19 November 2017, FREE

Arts and Wonder season at Quarry Bank

Quarry Bank’s new season of contemporary art exploring themes of work, leisure and the legacies of industrialisation, seems particularly prescient in today’s world of rapidly advancing technology.

Exhibitions 11–22 October 2017, from £0.00

Design Manchester 2017

Manchester’s citywide festival of creativity and design returns for its fifth outing, sparking curiosity, creativity and discussion for all, from budding young animators to industry professionals. A jam-packed programme of talks, exhibitions, workshops, films, live music and fairs.

Music 18 October 2017, from £25.00

St. Vincent at O2 Apollo

Grammy-winning musician St. Vincent plays her largest Manchester show to date this October. She is touring new album Masseduction, which counts power, sex, imperilled relationships and death among its themes, and features contributions from the likes of Kamasi Washington and Jenny Lewis.

Exhibitions 21 October 2017–7 January 2018, FREE

The Return of Memory at HOME

A major new exhibition at HOME sets out to re-examine the legacy of the Russian Revolution through the lens of the ‘New East’ today.

Theatre 18–21 October 2017, from £15.50

Under Glass at The Lowry

Performers inhabit giant glass jars, Petri dishes and test tubes for an acclaimed production in which much is revealed through confinement.

Music 20 October 2017, from £27.50

Ute Lemper: The Best of Ute at the RNCM

Legendary German singer and actress Ute Lemper brings her celebrated show Last Tango in Berlin: The Best of Ute to Manchester. Expect to be taken to Berlin, Paris and Buenos Aires on a musical journey featuring the songs of Brecht, Weill, Piaf, Brel and Piazzolla.

Families 19 October–5 November 2017, from £6

Big Imaginations Festival

This autumn, Big Imaginations will celebrate and showcase the highest quality theatre for children and families in over 26 venues across the North West.

Want more?
Get it in your
inbox

Exhibitions 29 September 2017–3 June 2018, FREE

New North & South: South Asia art and culture programme 2017–18 across Manchester

A major programme of exhibitions and events reflecting on the shared heritage and historic connections between South Asia and the North of England opens across the city.

1 November 2017, from £0.00

United in Anger at No 70

Special screening of United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, an inspiring documentary about the international direct action sexual health advocacy group.

7 November 2017, from £0.00

Valuing Urban Nature at HOME

Communities, artists, activists, researchers, ecological organisations and policy-makers are invited to join environmental experts for an afternoon exploring the values of urban nature for wellbeing, ageing and biodiversity through film and chat.

5 December 2017, from £0.00

Artists in Archives: For Interest Only at Burgess Foundation

Watch, listen to and participate in artists’ presentations, displays, creative responses, performances and workshop activities, and view some of composer Delia Derbyshire’s archive.

Literature 8 December 2017, from £0.00

Food for Risen Bodies with Michael Symmons Roberts at Burgess Foundation

Join world-renowned writer and Man Met Professor of Poetry Michael Symmons Roberts for a special close reading of the series ‘Food for Risen Bodies’ from his 2004 collection Corpus.

Dance 19–20 October 2017, from £12

Andante at The Lowry

Igor and Moreno are internationally renowned dance artists who create mesmerising shows celebrating human life.

Music 21 October 2017, from £12.00

BBC Philharmonic: Stravinsky | Sibelius | Beethoven at The Bridgewater Hall

The first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth herald the start of one of the greatest symphonies ever written…..Conductor Nicholas Collon and Violinist James Ehnes join the orchestra for an evening not to be missed.

Festivals 25–29 October 2017, from £10.00

Gothic Manchester Festival 2017

Gothic Manchester Festival is back in style this October. Goths, steampunks and assorted ‘weirdo mosher freaks’ can let their hair down with a series of film screenings, literary events and the annual conference.

Culture Guides

RAH! Programme

Exciting new public engagement programme from Manchester Met’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities, with talks, screenings, fairs, workshops, artist happenings and augmented reality.

Music

As the festival season has well and truly ended, live music returns to the city’s concert halls and venues. Why not check out Manchester Folk Festival – new in 2017 – plus major events like Transformer and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

Theatre

Politics both personal and global make this month’s theatre guide, all backed up by the reassuring presence of Sherlock Holmes.

Cinema

Everything’s gone a little spooky. We pick out the best scary screenings on offer in Manchester and the North this October.

Exhibitions

From cutting-edge ceramics to steampunk fashion, festival season is far from over in the world of contemporary art.

Families

This month it’s all about spectacles and dramatic adventure at the Dashehra Diwali Mela, an enchanted Chester Zoo, the bonkers Winter Droving in Penrith and the Big Imaginations Festival of children’s theatre

Literature

There are some fantastic free live literature happenings, Gothic goings-on as Halloween approaches and bookings being taken for this year’s Creative Writing Graduate Fair – plus it’s your last chance to catch Manchester Literature Festival!