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

Culture Guides

Cinema

Northern flicks, sci-fi masterpieces and some brand new film festivals feature in this month’s cinema preview.

Exhibitions

Spring weather might be dragging its feet a little, but the world of exhibitions isn’t slowing down with new shows popping up everywhere to greet the new season.

The Giant Easter Egg Hunt at RHS Garden Bridgewater

Families

With spring’s indecisive weather in mind, we’ve pulled together a whole load of fun indoor and outdoor family events and activities taking place in Manchester and the North.

Jen Calleja

Literature

Books are most definitely back, with a whole host of live events by writers local as well as international, from pop-up performances to regular reading series, plus some hybrid festival specials and online launches allowing access wherever you happen to be.

Music

From Father John Misty to The Flaming Lips, The Waeve to Big Thief, here are the gigs on our radar for early spring.

Theatre in Manchester and the North

Theatre

You’ll find everything from work-in-progress scratch nights to multi-award winning musicals in this month’s theatre guide.

Classical Music

We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.

Food and Drink

Get ready for spring and summer with the best restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.

Tours and Activities

From indie markets to bit-sized meditation, spoon carving workshops to gallery tours, here are the headlines in the world of tours and activities.