Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Seasonal Guides
Festival Guides
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
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2019 at Leeds Art Gallery
An exciting indicator for what’s around the corner in terms of British contemporary art, the 70th anniversary edition of New Contemporaries is a must see.
Yorkshire! Achievement, Grit and Controversy at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens
Featuring over 20 paintings, photographs and prints, this National Trust exhibition brings together some of Yorkshire’s most iconic and controversial figures.
The Hallé – Shostakovich’s Defiant Response at The Bridgewater Hall
The Hallé pairs Beethoven’s magic with Shostakovich’s defiance in this Bridgewater Hall concert, which stars virtuoso pianist Víkingur Ólafsson.
BBC Philharmonic: Prokofiev/Coates/Walton at The Bridgewater Hall
Opening the BBC Philharmonic’s 2019-20 season, conductor John Wilson pairs light with darkness, sugar with spice, in an eclectic and thrilling programme.
Little Miss Sunshine at Liverpool Playhouse
Thirteen years after its cinematic release, the cult classic returns in a musical adaptation by a Tony-Award winning team.
Graphic Encounters at Manchester Metrolink Stations
A unique city project, presented across Greater Manchester Metrolink poster-sites exploring the experiences of women.
Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival
Not just literature – and ideas! – the seventh festival has on offer drama, comedy, poetry, spoken word, visual arts plus children’s and young people’s shows and events to get you reading and thinking.
SICK! Festival
Challenging, entertaining and always trying to change the world for the better, SICK! Festival makes just the kind of art we like.
RNCM Autumn Season
From concerts to film screenings to operas, we select our top 5 highlights from the RNCM Autumn Season, whose thematic focus is Migration.
British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent
For its 10th anniversary edition, British Ceramics Biennial returns with its most ambitious programme yet, featuring work by over 300 artists.
Everyman & Playhouse Autumn Season
A busy and brilliant season, expect award-winning musicals, stage adaptations of revered literary classics and celebrated cult films, alongside high-quality family shows. There is plenty to enjoy in Liverpool’s theatres this autumn.
Manchester Art Fair 2019 at Manchester Central
A firm favourite in Manchester’s cultural calendar, the Manchester Art Fair and The Manchester Contemporary weekend is not to be missed. Tickets are free for Creative Tourist readers.
MIF19: Ibrahim Mahama at the Whitworth
LAST CHANCE. Considered one of the most ‘internationally visible’ artists working out of Africa today, for MIF 2019 Ibrahim Mahama presents an assemblage of lost objects that reflect upon the history of his home country’s long struggle for independence.
No Particular Place to Go? 35 Years of Sculpture at Castlefield Gallery
35 years and still going strong. Castlefield – Manchester’s first public contemporary visual art gallery – looks back on its history through the prism of sculpture.
Football is Art at National Football Museum
With works by Banksy, Picasso and John Cocteau, National Football Museum’s current exhibition demonstrates how artists have been mining the beautiful game for inspiration for decades.
Culture Guides
Exhibitions
Like the 58th Venice Biennale which opened earlier this May, our latest pick of exhibitions across the north also has a strong ecological bent.
Literature
The books are back in September with one-off reading events, some much-anticipated launches and the return of the Northern Lights Writers’ Conference as we gear up for Manchester Literature Festival in October.
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Discover the best food and drink that the North has to offer in our expert guide to food and drink in Manchester and beyond.
Tours and Activities
Explore the mindful tours and activities Manchester has to offer in this month’s Tours and Activities guide.
Destination Guides
Things to do right now
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