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

Theatre 19–23 March 2019, from £5.00

Scottee: Fat Blokes at HOME

Following the sell-out run in May, Fat Blokes is ready to stage another fat rebellion at HOME this March. A pragmatic dialogue about fat queer masculinity.

Music 31 March–6 April 2019, from £21

The Pilgrim’s Progress by Ralph Vaughan Williams at RNCM

Inspired by John Bunyan’s novel, Ralph Vaughan William’s opera ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ will be one of the highlights of RNCM’s Spring Season.

Exhibitions 15 March–26 August 2019, from £2

Charles Rennie Mackintosh: making the Glasgow Style at Walker Art Gallery

Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool prepares to present its blockbuster exhibition of 2019, dedicated to the life and work of the Glaswegian artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh – father of the UK’s part in the international Art Nouveau movement.

Music 24 March 2019, from £12

Shiva Feshareki at The Lowry

Electro-composer Shiva Feshareki comes to Salford, fresh an enormously successful 2018 where she performed at the BBC Proms and picked up multiple awards including the Women Make Music PRS Award and BBC/Guardian Young Composer of the Year.

Music 21 March 2019, FREE

Both Sides Now International Showcase at Manchester Central Library

The Both Sides Now International Showcase is a bold, experimental and genre-spanning evening of new music created as part of a cross-European collaboration.

Bimingham Royal Ballet: Beauty and the Beast at The Lowry

Dance 20–23 March 2019, from £19.00

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Beauty and the Beast at The Lowry

Birmingham Royal Ballet return to The Lowry with David Bintley’s glorious, gothic adaptation of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in his farewell season.

Cinema 22 March 2019, from £8

Decontamination #16 Contralto at RNCM

For Decontamination #16, RNCM has programmed Sarah Hennies’ ‘Contralto’, a work for video, strings and percussion that explores transfeminine identity.

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Exhibitions 29 March–16 June 2019, FREE

Ericka Beckman and Marianna Simnett at FACT

A duo-exhibition of work by the eminent American filmmaker Ericka Beckman and rising London-based video artist Marianna Simnett marks a strong start to FACT’s year-long season focusing on identity, representation and gender.

Literature 27 March 2019, FREE

Bad Language with Maz Hedgehog at Gullivers

Maz Hedgehog’s debut collection of original poems, Vivat Regina, is out with Superbia Books this month and she’ll be headlining Bad Language – expect magical beasts and beings with a black queer perspective and viewpoints within British cultural identity.

MIF19 David Lynch at HOME Manchester International Festival

Festivals 4–21 July 2019, from £12.00

MIF19 – Manchester International Festival

The complete Manchester International Festival 2019 line-up is now out, and it’s fair to say that we’re more than a little excited by the calibre of this year’s programme.

Theatre 7–23 March 2019, from £18.50

Barber Shop Chronicles at the Royal Exchange

LAST CHANCE. Following two sold-out runs at the National Theatre, acclaimed performances in Leeds, Inua Ellams’ Barber Shop Chronicles closes at The Royal Exchange this weekend.

Music 7 April 2019, from £30.60

James Blake at Victoria Warehouse

Following his acclaimed new album ‘Assume Form’, James Blake’s gig at Victoria Warehouse will be one of the most exciting of the spring season.

Music 4 April 2019, from £10

Kelly Moran at Band on the Wall

Combining the prepared piano with electro-acoustic techniques, Kelly Moran’s music is as mesmerising as it is unique.

'William Stott of Oldham: Great Painters are Rare' Exhibition at Gallery Oldham

Exhibitions 26 January–11 May 2019, FREE

William Stott of Oldham: Great Painters are Rare at Gallery Oldham

Exactly 120 years after his death, the work of the world-renowned William Stott of Oldham returns to his hometown as part of an exhibition dedicated to his legacy.

Literature 26–28 April 2019, from £10

Storyhouse Women at Chester Storyhouse

International activist, author and actor Rose McGowan is headlining the second Storyhouse Women Weekend festival taking place at the city arts venue 26 to 28 April, discussing her bestselling memoir/manifesto Brave.