Christmas in the North

Creative Tourist

Christmas comes but once a year, and it’s a great time to make the most of what the region’s independent scene has to offer. From not-on-the-high-street Christmas Shopping to our top festive theatre and concert picks, we’ve pulled together our recommendations of things to do for maximum fun, minimum stress.

For those looking for an appropriately excessive Christmas gorge, our Christmas Food and Drink guide is for you, and if you’re looking to party on the biggest night of the year, check out our round-up of the best-looking events for New Year’s Eve.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Our top picks

Christmas Theatre and Concerts

With the big day approaching, theatres and concert halls across the North are pulling out all the festive stops. Here are our top picks.

Tilly and the bear
Paul Blakemore

Christmas Shopping in the North

We’ve compiled an alternative list of gift-central suggestions to keep you as far from the hellish throngs of Market Street as possible this Christmas.

An illustration people shopping at The Hepworth Wakefield Festive Market
The Hepworth Wakefield / Michael Driver

Christmas food and drink

Don’t worry about the calories, the holidays are here and that means it’s time to eat, drink, be merry and overdo things to a shocking degree.

Manchester Christmas Markets 2021

New Year’s Eve in the North

From house raves to live funk and soul, orchestral concerts to DJs spinning global sounds, here’s our guide to New Year’s Eve in Manchester and the North.

Image supplied by Band on the Wall.

Christmas Markets in the North

We round-up the pop-up Christmas markets you should be heading to this festive season, if you’re looking for alternative gifts and an obligatory glug of gluhwein.

Visit Blackpool.
Visit Blackpool.
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

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

There's a lot of experimentation going on in our Literature guide, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

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.

Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.

Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
Exhibitions in the North

From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.

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.