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

Music 16–20 October 2019, from £6.00

Manchester Folk Festival 2019

Indulge in a long weekend packed with amazing gigs in great venues. Get involved in singing, songwriting and craft workshops. Grab your friends and dance a ceilidh. This festival is a chance to discover new bands, create something you’re proud of, relax with friends and make new connections.

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.

Cinema 22 March–9 April 2019, from £5.00

¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival at HOME: Film Programme

HOME’s annual celebration of the best in new Spanish and Latin American filmmaking returns with an exciting line-up of UK premieres, one off events and filmmaker Q&As.

Dance 29–30 March 2019, from £15.00

Mark Morris Dance Group: Pepperland at The Lowry

Featuring some of their biggest hits all played live, this is a joyful celebration of The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.

Music 28 March 2019, from £6.50

Psappha: Starry Night at St Michael’s

Featuring emerging composers as well as internationally renowned ones, Psappha’s ‘Starry Night’ will be a wonderful concert of contemporary classical music.

Music 26 March 2019, from £13.08

Olivia Chaney at The Stoller Hall

Following the release of her massively acclaimed album ‘Shelter’, Olivia Chaney brings her captivating live show to Manchester’s Stoller Hall.

Theatre 27–30 March 2019, from £5.00

The Funeral Director at HOME

Intersecting religion, sexuality and gender – winner of the 2018 Papatango New Writing Prize, The Funeral Director comes to HOME’s stage this March.

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.

Exhibitions 22 March–26 May 2019, FREE

UnDoing at Castlefield Gallery

UnDoing at Castlefield Gallery explores our often conflicted relationship between past and present in architecture.

Exhibitions 12 July–5 October 2019, FREE

Ruskin, Turner and The Storm Cloud at Abbot Hall Art Gallery

This summer, Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Cumbria marks the 200-year-anniversary of the great Victorian art critic and watercolourist, John Ruskin’s birth, with an exhibition dedicated to the turbulent skies above.

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.

Untitled (panel work) detail - courtesy Joe Moran. The Lowry

Dance 23 March–14 April 2019, FREE

EDIT.04 Live Creations: Joe Moran / Dance Art Foundation at The Lowry

For EDIT.04, British-Irish choreographer Joe Moran prepares to transform The Lowry’s gallery space into a ‘live exhibition’ combining performance, film and spray paint drawing.

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.