The Whitworth in pictures: The big reveal

Polly Checkland Harding

Pictures of the newly refurbished Whitworth gallery have been popping up here and there – but now, it’s time for the big reveal.

The countdown to the Whitworth’s reopening has been something of a tease. Enigmatic green posters caught people’s interest with the words ‘We’ve been building something’, underlined with zig-zag pattern much like the thread of a screw. Then, beautiful billboard photographs sent out a more literal invitation: ‘Let’s meet between the trees’. We’ve been talking to the gallery’s director, Maria Balshaw, about what makes this such an extraordinary transformation – but first, it’s time to see inside the gallery, ahead of the opening weekend. Here are ten of our favourite shots. If you have your own, share them with us and the gallery (@WhitworthArt). We’ll be using #galleryinthepark to tag them, and hope you will too. 

Roof of the Whitworth

Cornelia parker whit worth

Cornelia parker Whitworth

Whitworth

ideally here

Whitworth

Whitworth

Whitworth

Whitworth

Whitworth

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Sextile
Music in the North

Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

Three men sit next to each other. One's head is bandaged, one holds a torch and one wears a sleepmask.
Cinema in the North

Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.