Things to do in December 2016: Hull City of Culture & Lightwaves

Polly Checkland Harding

The Creative Tourist Cultural Calendar. This month: Hull City of Culture, Lightwaves and Christmas markets.

Lightwaves. Outdoor, light and projection-based art at Manchester’s waterfront destination. The Quays, Salford

Christmas markets. From the mega to the micro, we publish the best art and alt shopping experiences in the north. Various venues

Hull City of Culture. In 2017, Hull becomes the UK City of Culture. It’s an honour that’s only bestowed every four years, on a city that demonstrates a belief in the transformational power of culture. Get ready for 365 days of mindblowing art and culture. Various venues, Hull, launch events will take place throughout December

Small Business Saturday. Show your love for the small, the independent and the boutique. Nationwide, date TBC

Winter Arts Market. Merseyside’s largest arts and crafts market is in its eighth year, and features work from more than 200 of the region’s best artists, designers and makers, in one of the UK’s most stunning venues.  St George’s Hall, Liverpool, 3 & 4 Dec

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

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

Ceramic Sculpture
Exhibitions

Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Fatoumata Diawara by Alun Be.
Music

This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring has arrived, bringing with it al fresco dining and a rush of high-profile food and drink-related events in Manchester.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.