7 December 2014

Polly Checkland Harding

Introducing our Advent Calendar – the seventh post in a cultural countdown to Christmas. Today: Game-changing art and a sing off.

It’s Castlefield Gallery’s 30th birthday – and we love the look of its new exhibition, 30 Years of the Future. Put together by some starry names in the art world, including artist Ryan Gander, critic JJ Charlesworth and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, the show promises to focus on the artists most likely to be serious influencers over the coming years. Castlefield Gallery, 1pm-6pm. Free.

Balance out some deep, intellectual musings with a cocktail: Elixir might be a little “Deansgate”, but they do serve treats with their drinks (and the ladies loos are pretty ace, too). For food, The Botanist is only a short stroll down the road. We’re still thinking about their salt and pepper onion curls…

Do more. The Choir of the Year Grand Final is being held at the Bridgewater Hall this evening, co-presented by Josie D’Arby and that bloke off the telly, Gareth Malone. Watch six choirs from across the UK battle it out to become the overall winner. Bridgewater Hall, 5pm. Tickets from £13.

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.

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Culture Guides

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.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

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. 

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.