Six whole weeks? A family summer guide.

Creative Tourist

It’s summertime in Manchester, and there’s lots to do. From al fresco film to musical shipping containers, from a new Living Worlds gallery to a celebration of frogs, from tales of industrial life to building your own strand of DNA: this is your indispensable guide to the museums and galleries, the parks and gardens, the kid-friendly cafés, shops and hotels of Manchester.

Download the PDF guide now, browse it below, or use the columns on the right to discover what’s on in Manchester, and learn about travel information, guided walks, maps,  hotels and more.

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

Food and Drink in the North

Spring has arrived, bringing with it Mother's Day, al fresco dining and a rush of high-profile food and drink-related events in Manchester.

Music

From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.

A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter.
Theatre

This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.

Ceramic Sculpture
Exhibitions

Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.

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.

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.