6 December – Street Scene at the RNCM & Selfridges special Christmas events

Polly Checkland Harding

Our cultural countdown to Christmas… America’s first opera, and drop into Selfridges Exchange Square for special festive shopping events.

The RNCM is bringing Kurt Weill’s Street Scene to life, with what set designer Kate Ford describes as “a transparent house where there is no place for secrets” acting as the perfect stage for family and community tensions bubbling over during 24 hours in the high summer of 1946. The hopes, dreams and tensions between the characters make for a gripping, escalating operatic tragedy – a melting-pot that’s not to be missed in the chilly run up to Christmas. Street Scene, RNCM, 2-12 December, tickets from £12

Summer in New York and Selfridges’ festive events

Selfridges Exchange Square is rolling out all the stops in the run up to Christmas: little people will have the chance to meet Father Christmas and his Elf in store and pose for a free photograph with the great man himself (12pm-4pm Sat & Sun, 19-21 December). There are also live performances lined up (12pm-4pm Sat & Sun, until 20 December; 12pm-4pm every day 21-24 December), a complimentary personalisation service for cards and gifts, and a Hampers Desk on level 3 where you can create a bespoke hamper filled with the recipient’s favourite treats. Worth making a shopping stop-off, eh? Selfridges Chrismas events, times and dates vary, see website for details

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

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.

One Leg One Eye
Music

From drone metal to art pop, free festivals to gigs in museums, here's one of our more eclectic music updates.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre

Community, memory, technology and love collide in this month's selection of thought-provoking theatre.

Food and Drink in the North

There’s been lamb, there’s been champagne, there’s been okra. Look at what you could have eaten, then plan the next few weeks accordingly.

Exhibitions

From post-it-sized art to commissions that fill entire gallery walls, five exhibitions ask what the overlooked reveals.

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.