Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Royal Exchange Theatre

Creative Tourist
Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Lee Baxter.

The Royal Exchange is a former trading hall that became a theatre back in 1973. It was severely damaged by the 1996 IRA bomb that ripped the heart out of Manchester’s city centre, underwent a £32m redevelopment and reopened two years later with its seven-sided glass and steel theatre-in-the-round fully updated too.

This innovative performance space squats inside the Victorian Great Hall, a little like an alien interloper, making the Royal Exchange one of the most unique and celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics. It also houses a public lounge, a family-friendly space with books to read and games to play, and  The Rivals Bar & Café, the perfect perch for pre and post-show refreshments.

St Ann’s SquareManchesterM2 7DH View map
Telephone: 0161 833 9833 Visit Now

Accessibility

Disabled access

Admission Charges

Free / see specific performances for prices

Commercial and Hire Services

Function rooms available, costume hire

Services and Facilities

performances, exhibitions, events, tours, shop, bars, café, restaurant

Opening Hours

  • Monday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Tuesday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Wednesday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Thursday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Friday9:30am - 7:30pm
  • Saturday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Sunday11:00am - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on at Royal Exchange Theatre

What's on near Royal Exchange Theatre

Elizabeth Gaskell's House
TourManchester
The Manchester Literary Tour

On the eve of Elizabeth Gaskell’s birthday, join Jonathan Schofield Tours for a stroll around the sites (and sights) of Manchester’s literary past.

from £20.00
Until
ComedyManchester
Comedy Balloon

Every Wednesday at Ape & Apple, Manchester’s official underground comedy club, Comedy Balloon’s friendly and warm comedy night takes place.

free entry
See all events

Where to go near Royal Exchange Theatre

St Ann’s Square
City Centre
Park
St Ann’s Square

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…

Rapha Clubhouse Manchester
City Centre
Shop
Rapha Clubhouse Manchester

AKA cyclist heaven, Rapha is more than just a cycle-wear shop. It’s a place for anyone who loves cycling to congregate and celebrate the sport together.

City Centre
King Street Manchester

King Street is one of the most picturesque parts of Manchester with buildings designed by Alfred Waterhouse and C.R. Cockerell. Once Manchester’s financial epicenter, it’s now home to high-end retail and fine dining.

Manchester
Restaurant
KAI Deansgate

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Lunya Manchester

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

City Centre
Shop
Aston’s Of Manchester

In Royal Exchange Arcade, Aston’s of Manchester is a tobacconist that recently branched out into whisky sales. In their shop you’ll find an interesting selection of bottles to buy, including some real rarities, and tasting events here are just getting going.

See all places

Manchester District Guides

People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the…
Tib Street, Manchester

It’s not often that you find a street you could while away a whole day on: from beautifully made coffee in the morning, through to shopping, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner…
Cheetham Hill, Manchester

Cheetham Hill gets a bad rap as an area, however as you begin to look round you will find it has plenty to do. Let us be your guide.
Chorlton, Manchester

Chorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only 10-odd minutes away by tram). A sprawling hive of artisan coffee shops, boutique clothing stores,…
Castlefield, Manchester

The Roman General Julius Agricola founded ‘Mamucium’ in 79AD; the name means ‘breast shaped hill’, as this was what Agricola discovered in Castlefield, where the original settlement was based.
The front of Didsbury restaurant Volta.
Didsbury, Manchester

Didsbury has the perfect split between big brands and independent businesses, welcoming all from far and wide.
The Oast House pub in Spinningfields Manchester.
Spinningfields, Manchester

Spinningfields is Manchester’s realm of glass and steel, where global corporations have their headquarters. It’s also become a real culinary hotspot: you can find modern tapas at Ibérica, innovative Chinese…

Culture Guides

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. 

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.

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.