Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Browse our things to do in August in Manchester and the North this August, to find a fantastic exhibition, live music performance or restaurant that interests you and/or your family, we have options for all ages.
Don’t forget to check out our guide to the August Bank Holiday.
Things to do in August
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Caribbean Carnival of Manchester at Alexandra Park (CANCELLED)
All are welcome to join in the revelry of the region’s largest festival of Caribbean music and carnival arts, in the stunning setting of Alexander Park.
And Say the Animal Responded? at FACT, Liverpool
And Say the Animal Responded? at FACT provides a fascinating window into the lives of the other animals that form part of Earth’s total population.
Six the Musical – Drive in Concert at the University of Bolton Stadium
Get your live theatre fix at this open-air drive-in performance of the electrifying smash-hit musical.
Just So Festival 2020 CANCELLED
The best family festival in the UK returns for its 11th outing. Pillow fights, paddle-boarding, woodland opera, and the best new outdoor arts for families.
Still showing this month
RNCM Lunchtime Concerts (online)
RNCM are taking their lunchtime concerts online, with remote recitals by students, staff and alumni live-streamed on Facebook every Monday and Thursday.
The Choir Project: Virtual Choir
Improve your singing and wellbeing by joining The Choir Project’s weekly virtual choir led by Manchester singer and musical director, Dan McDwyer.
Manchester Art Gallery Highlights Tour
Take a tour around select artworks from Manchester Art Gallery’s collection. Lead by different guides every day, each tour is personal to their taste. Tours start at 2 pm from Thursday to Sunday.
Judy Chicago – Online at BALTIC, Gateshead
BALTIC presents an online edition of its major retrospective on Judy Chicago – one of the most important feminist artists of the last half-century.
Trading Station: how hot drinks shape our lives at Manchester Art Gallery
Trading Station at Manchester Art Gallery charts the history and changing social role of hot drinks in our lives.
Local Leeds Food Tour
Fresh local produce is always on the menu of the Local Leeds food tour. Visit six pubs and restaurants serving up some of Yorkshire’s finest cuisine.
Leeds Street Food Tour
Eat your way through some of the best street food Leeds has to offer, with insights into the people and stories behind each bite. Try something new with the Leeds Street Food tour.
2020 Banner Display at People’s History Museum
Visit People’s History Museum’s 2020 display of political banners from across the years – including several that will go on public show for the first time.
Utopias at the Whitworth
How have visions of utopia and the visual culture that helped form it impacted upon the Brexit debate? A new exhibition at the Whitworth explores.
Whitworth Art Gallery Daily Tour
Take a closer look at some of the Whitworth Art Gallery’s collection while gaining a better understanding of the context in which the pieces were created. The free tours run daily from 2 pm.
The Little Library in Spinningfields
Take your pick from The Little Library’s carefully curated collection of classics and new releases, adding a recently read book of your own as a replacement.
Bill Brandt / Henry Moore – Online at The Hepworth Wakefield
This major exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield brings together over 200 works by Bill Brandt and Henry Moore highlighting their shared interests.
Liverpool Beatles Walk and Ticket to Ride Tour
Immerse yourself in the world of John, Paul, George and Ringo as you walk in their footsteps through The Beatles’ home city in this six-hour extravaganza of a walking tour.
Two hour Beatles Guided Walk & Cavern Club
This Beatles Guided Walk & Cavern Club is the perfect way to learn more about The Beatles while discovering the city of Liverpool.
New Digital Experiences at People’s History Museum
Can cutting-edge tech bring us closer to the events of the past? People’s History Museum unveils a series of new digital artworks and experiences.
POSTPONED -The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the Adventures of Mog the Forgetful Cat at Z-arts
In this immersive exhibition, children can let their imaginations go wild as they take centre stage alongside some of their favourite characters from beloved children’s author, Judith Kerr.
Amazon with HOME
Created by composer Alex Ho and theatre-maker Elayce Ismail, this stunning fusion of music, text and visuals sees a trip to the Amazon take an unexpected turn.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire – Streaming on Mubi
Brittany, France 1770. Portrait painter Marianne (Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Haenel), a reluctant bride to be who has just left the convent.
Turkey Sausage Roll with HOME
Presented by Homemakers and the RADA Festival, Turkey Sausage Roll takes you on a journey into one young woman’s restless mind.
Animation Slam with HOME
Pairing some of the sharpest minds on the UK spoken word scene with hand-drawn animations by theatre-maker and video designer Edalia Day, be sure to catch this animated slam.
Wait I’m From Wuhan with HOME
Follow Jasmine’s story, as she struggles to decide whether or not to search for her birth family in Wuhan, told via a series of Instagram and blog posts.
How To Win with HOME
Take part in this new episodic online game created by multi-award-winning interactive theatre-makers Hidden Track, in collaboration with you, the player.
ACTUALQUEST with HOME
The Homemakers series of virtual theatre continues with this interactive, fantasy musical set in and around your own home.
Joana Vasconcelos at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents the monumental work of celebrated Portuguese sculptor Joana Vasconcelos.
Stockport Air Raid Shelter Explorer Tour
Every second Wednesday of the month guided tours of the mile long stretch of Air Raid Shelter under Stockport give you the chance to see a more personalised view of the tunnels.
Syd Shelton: Rock Against Racism – Online at Gallery Oldham
Gallery Oldham presents an online exhibition of photographs by Yorkshire-born Syd Shelton capturing the legendary Rock Against Racism movement.
Abel Rodríguez – Online at BALTIC, Gateshead
Travel to the depths of the South American rainforest with a visit to Abel Rordriguez’s first solo exhibition, presented online at BALTIC Plus.
WEB/SITE – Online at Site Gallery, Sheffield
Site Gallery presents WEB/SITE – an online programme of events and activity engaging with contemporary artists and ideas.
Bacurau – Streaming on Mubi
The follow-up to Aquarius from director Kleber Mendonça Filho, this time co-directing and co-writing with long term producer Juliano Dornelles merges sci-fi, the western, Brazilian bandit movies (cangaço) and horror for a highly original and ultra-violent look at a town under siege from a mysterious threat.
Carcanet Exhibition at The John Rylands Library – postponed until libraries reopen
Marking 50 years of poetry publishing house Carcanet, and 45 years in Manchester, this exhibition opens up the archive and shares some unique, previously unseen material.
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
Heart surgeon Juha has lived life at an unengaged distance since his wife’s passing. And although it is often debilitating, his grief also throws up some rather surprising sexual urges.
System Crasher – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
Controversial from the moment it premiered in Competition at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival, documentarian Nora Fingscheidt’s fiction feature debut portrays the life of a chaotic and troubled young girl.
Suzanne Lacy: We Are Here at Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth
Suzanne Lacy: We Are Here marks the only UK stop of a major touring retrospective dedicated to the American feminist artist.
Be Inspired with Manchester Art Gallery
Be Inspired with Manchester Art Gallery is a collection of activities gathered by their team to help inspire your creativity at home.
Anthony Burgess on Tape
Anthony Burgess on Tape is an online exhibition from the International Anthony Burgess Foundation comprising of 1,094 cassettes and 87 reel-to-reel tapes from one of Manchester’s greatest and most prolific writers.
Posters from the Irish civil rights era – Online with the Working Class Movement Library
Working Class Movement Library presents an online exhibition of powerful posters made by young activists fighting for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
BAM Online – with Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre
BAM Online brings you closer to many of the most loved works within Bury Art Museum’s collection whilst its doors are closed.
Stay At Home Activities – Online with National Football Museum
Stay at home and join National Football Museum online for a packed programme of activities for families this Easter.
The Living Planet – Online at FACT, Liverpool
FACT’s year-long programme, The Living Planet, seems even more timely than first imagined – and has been created for people to interact with and enjoy remotely for free online.
Derek Jarman: PROTEST! at Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery presents the UK edition of PROTEST! – a major retrospective dedicated to the life and work of the iconic British artist Derek Jarman.
At Home With Radiohead
Radiohead are helping fans get through the lockdown with a series of largely unseen concert films, uploaded to YouTube every Thursday.
Strip! How Football Got Shirty – Online Exhibition from the National Football Museum
The National Football Museum presents a major online exhibition of football shirts. Enjoy in-depth analysis, opinion, and discussion by the exhibition curators and shirt industry insiders into what makes certain shirts so special.
Homemakers
HOME have invited theatre and live art makers to create new works at home, for an audience who are also at home.
Homelands
Very different from what we’re seeing elsewhere during the lockdown, Homelands is for anyone who needs a creative outlet and a sense of connection during this time.
I am falling in love with you and it’s making me do stupid things
Follow Bryony Kimmings on a long, lonely night after she finds the email address of a potential lover and through the following day’s onslaught of Covid anxiety.
ABC (Anything But Covid) with HOME
Tune in to this new short film, by Ugly Bucket, which examines the lengths we’ll go to oblige the pressures of staying productive in lockdown.
Threat to Breath with HOME
A brand new commission for Homemakers, Threat to Breath is a sound piece to listen to at home, on your own or with others.
Love Letters to a Liveable Future with HOME
Part of Homemakers, this ongoing project offers the space to imagine how we would like our world to change once we emerge from lockdown.
The Gardener Digs in Another Time – Online at the Whitworth
the Whitworth in Manchester invites you to step into the garden as subject with an online version of its 2016 exhibition, The Gardener Digs in Another Time.
Grimmfest TV
Grimmfest TV is a new online channel from the people behind Grimmfest, Manchester’s horror and fantasy film festival.
Homemakers: Tell Me with HOME
How well do you know your friends? Homemakers presents Tell Me, a game for two or more people which you can play at home. Intrigued? Read on…
Tim Burgess’ Listening Parties
The Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess is hosting daily album listening parties on Twitter, featuring guest appearances from Britpop and indie royalty.
Stay Well – Wellbeing Audio Session with Manchester Art Gallery
To help you stay well and maintain good mental health Manchester Art Gallery is offering a weekly mindfulness session.
My First Protest Song with People’s History Museum
Rejoice! You can now join the People’s History Museum online as they stream this regular favourite from their events programme.
Wake Up Together and Where Love is Illegal – VR Version, Online at Open Eye Gallery
Travel back in time and explore a VR-edition of Open Eye Gallery’s hugely popular 2018-19 exhibition, ‘Wake Up Together’, featuring work by Ren Hang and Robin Hammond; two artists who both champion the rights of every person to love who they want and respectfully live as they wish.
But I’m a Cheerleader – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Natasha Lyonne and RuPaul Charles star in Jamie Babbit’s cult 1999 romantic satire.
The Irishman – Streaming on Netflix
Martin Scorsese’s epic saga of organised crime in postwar America, The Irishman weaves an engrossing and intricate web of connected events, audaciously cutting back and forth across decades.
Marriage Story – Streaming on Netflix
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson excel as a couple whose once enviable union crumbles under the weight of mounting resentments and divergent needs.
Stop Making Sense – Streaming on BFI Player
Jonathan Demme x Talking Heads. Find out why Stop Making Sense is widely regarded as the greatest concert film ever made.
Knives Out – Streaming on Google Play
Rian Johnson (Brick) assembles an all-star cast in this characteristically intelligent whodunit about a famed southern detective who joins forces with local police to investigate a group of eccentric suspects following the murder of a wealthy crime novelist.
Beau Travail – Streaming on Talk Talk TV
Claire Denis’ masterful reworking of Herman Melville is sensual and dangerous.
Zodiac – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
A relentless serial killer is stalking the streets of San Francisco, leaving citizens in a state of panic and baffling the authorities with the ciphers and menacing letters he leaves at the murder scenes.
Homemakers: Siege – Part 1 with HOME
Presented in two parts, Siege is a nitty-gritty, punch-packed series of online discussions between disabled women performance makers.
Infinite Football – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
They talk about the beautiful game, but for Laurentiu Ginghina, it’s not enough.
Silver Screen Classics – Streaming on BBC iPlayer
Films from RKO Pictures, one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Lost Online with HOME, Z-Arts and STUN
One for our next generation of digital natives: an exciting new dance commission inspired by the dance challenges on TikTok and Instagram.
Homemakers: Week Nine with HOME
Find a quiet room, grab your headphones and get some welcomed lockdown escapism with this specially commissioned cinematic soundtrack.
Ash is Purest White – Streaming on Google Play
Set in China’s underworld, Jia Zhangke’s tale of love and betrayal follows a self-sacrificial gangster’s moll as she comes out of prison and sets about tracking down her former lover.
Burning – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
South Korean director Lee Chang Dong delivers a brilliantly executed, abstract but intellectually stimulating portrait of working class frustrations and contemporary alienation.
Mistress America – Streaming on Netflix
Featuring the fantastically talented Greta Gerwig, Mistress America is the story of Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, who’s finding the experience of university disappointing.
Ad Astra – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Twenty years after his father left on a one-way mission to Neptune in order to find signs of alien intelligence, Army Corps engineer Roy McBride travels through the solar system to find him and understand why his mission failed. The latest film from acclaimed director James Gray (The Lost City of Z) is suffused with his customary intelligence.
Thoroughbreds – Streaming on Netflix
Cory Finley’s assured debut feature is a coldly stylish story of wealthy suburban highschoolers out to commit the perfect murder.
Call Me By Your Name – Streaming on Google Play
In 1980s Italy, a romance blossoms between a seventeen year-old student and the older man hired as his father’s research assistant.
Black Narcissus – Streaming on BFI Player
Bigger Than Life presents a 35mm screening of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1947 film, Black Narcissus at Stockport Plaza on Sunday 2nd September with an introduction by film scholar, Andrew Moor.
Suspiria – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
A darkness swirls at the centre of a world-renowned dance company in director Luca Guadagnino’s ambitious re-imaging of Dario Argento’s sublime Suspiria.
Styx – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
A woman’s solo journey along the west coast of Africa takes a turn when she is faced with a sinking migrant ship in Wolfgang Fischer’s intense, distressing procedural.
Beach Rats – Streaming on Netflix
Frankie, an aimless Brooklyn teenager is having a miserable summer. With his father dying and his mother wanting him to find a girlfriend, Frankie escapes with his delinquent friends and flirts with older men online.
Phantom Thread – Streaming on Netflix
Set in the glamour of 50’s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis in his final performance) and his sister Cyril (Manville) are at the centre of British fashion in Phantom Thread, the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson.
Lover for a Day – Streaming on iTunes
The third and final instalment in Garrel’s trilogy of love comprising Jealousy and In the Shadow of Women, Lover For a Day is another monochrome Paris-set examination of love.
Columbus – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana – a small Midwestern city celebrated for its modernist buildings.
Good Time – Streaming on Netflix
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an attempt to get his brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of jail.
Rafiki – Streaming on BFI Player
Now showing on BFI Player is Wanuri Kahiu lyrical lesbian romance, Rafiki. Notable as the…
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Streaming on iTunes
The 40th anniversary 4K restoration of the Director’s Cut version of Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi classic in which a series of unexplained events lead an electrical engineer (Richard Dreyfuss) into an encounter with an alien lifeform.
A Series of Metaphors About A Plague with HOME
Since the beginnings of European theatre and politics, people have used plague as a metaphor for thinking about what society and art could be. In this playful piece Javaad Alipoor and Natalie Diddams present their response to this idea.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
One of the most noteworthy films to be released direct to streaming during lockdown so far, Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a vital depiction of women’s rights in the contemporary United States.
Virtual Poetry Walk at The Reader in Liverpool
Every Tuesday morning you’re invited to join the Poetry Walk with The Reader in Calderstones Park. Get into the great outdoors and escape the everyday, while exploring poetry and making the most of the beautiful surroundings.
Online activities at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
The Elizabeth Gaskell’s House team are inviting you to join them online for virtual tours, readalong discussions on Twitter and Facebook, and regular blogs from the award-winning garden team.
Makar to Makar with Jackie Kay
Weekly online show hosted by the Scottish poet laureate Jackie Kay talking to another guest “makar” or maker every episode about their work and influences, with readings of both new and old poems, and music from one of three resident singers.
Krabi, 2562 – Streaming on MUBI
Experimental art-house auteurs Anocha Suwichakornpong and Ben Rivers join forces for a surreal, perplexing trip to Thailand in Krabi, 2562.
MIF 19: Revisit David Lynch’s HOME Takeover
Last summer, David Lynch took over HOME with his art, film, music and more! Every corner of HOME was inhabited by a Lynchian spirit for Manchester International Festival.
Big Night – Streaming on Netflix
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been salivating at the ever-suave Stanley Tucci’s online cocktail making demonstrations — his directorial debut is equally seductive.
Manchester Craft and Design Centre: Craft at Home
‘Craft at Home’ is a new online space where you can continue to support Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s resident makers, pick-up bespoke gifts, and get busy with bee related craft.
Guest of Honour – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
Veteran filmmaker Atom Egoyan returns with a complex, absorbing family drama about a father-daughter relationship wrestling with past traumas that inform present circumstances.
The Degree Show on Mars – Online
Dust of your space helmets and prepare for take-off. Graduating art students from Liverpool John Moores University present: ‘The Degree Show on Mars’ – a multiverse exhibition responding to the many challenges we are currently facing back on Earth.
Days of the Bagnold Summer – Streaming on BFI Player
Sue, works in a library. Daniel, eats crisps and listens to Metallica. This was the summer Daniel was due to spend with his father and his father’s new wife in Florida. But when they cancel his trip at the last minute, Sue and Daniel suddenly face the prospect of six long weeks together.
Sheffield Doc/Fest
Having taken place in Sheffield annually in June, this year Sheffield Doc/Fest extends its activities throughout the rest of the year – both in Sheffield and virtually.
Comma Press Online Short Story Course
Over the course of 6 workshops get your head around short story writing with Comma Press.
Word Central online
In association with Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries, Word Central Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word heads online fortnightly, with a sign-up-in-advance open mic and a guest poet at each event.
You Don’t Nomi – Streaming on BFI Player
A chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995’s biggest film flop, Paul Verhoeven’s showgirls, from disastrous release to cult adoration and extraordinary redemption.
Life Drawing Manchester Online Classes
The popular Northern Quarter community, Life Drawing Manchester, have migrated to zoom, opening up their classes to models and artists from all over the world.
Wasp Network – Streaming on Netflix
New from French auteur Olivier Assayas, Wasp Network is a brash tropical drama following the post-Cold War spies, terrorists and counter-terrorists operating between Havana and Miami in the 1990s.
People’s History Museum’s Radicals Quiz
Find out which radical you are, and some of the ideas they fought for, in this fun and interactive quiz from the People’s History Museum.
The Girl With a Bracelet – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
When Sixteen-year-old Lise is accused of murdering her best friend, the impending case tests the loyalty of her family and those around her.
Old Bank Daily Drawing Via Zoom
Like Bob Ross but weirder, more interactive, and with terrible production values. You’ll need a mark-making device, a surface to draw on and an open mind for the Old Bank Residency’s daily drawing.
Shared Reading live stream
Join The Reader for their shared reading live stream – a lunchtime of lockdown-inspired literature every Tuesday and Thursday at 1pm.
Virtual Factory: Your Progress Will Be Saved
Your Progress Will Be Saved is a Pre-Factory Event from Manchester International Festival which finds avatar artist and curator LaTurbo Avedon working in Fortnite.
Silly Squad Summer Reading Challenge
Manchester Libraries invites younger readers to a feast of Silly Squad Summer Reading Challenge daily activity stretching over nine weeks – from Draw Alongs with Nick Sharratt, poetry with Dommy B and sessions with a host of storytellers, to supercool crafts with Archives+ and Manchester artists.
Showroom Summer Season
Sheffield’s Showroom presents a series of free weekly film talks from esteemed academics from both Sheffield Hallam and University of Sheffield.
Hamilton – Streaming on Disney Plus
Politically charged with a hip-hop soundtrack, there is no doubt that this filmed performance is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2020.
Use Hearing Protection: The Early Years of Factory Records at the Science and Industry Museum (temporarily closed)
Use Hearing Protection tells the story of Factory Records’ formative years from 1978-1982, when the label made waves with its innovative work in music, technology and design.
Elders Mondays Spring Summer 2020 with the Royal Exchange
Our good friends at the Royal Exchange Theatre have been working hard to bring their Elders Monday sessions online. Reach out, stay connected and remain creative.
Online Group French Courses at Alliance Française
Learn a new language this summer with Alliance Française. Join the online group lessons from Manchester’s enthusiastic and welcoming francophone hub.
Muso Baby Virtual!
Join Manchester Museum online for emotional support and suggestions for family well-being activities followed by music and songs. Perfect for ages 0-5.
Drive Thru Cinema at Middlewood Locks
From Thelma and Louise to Drive, this summer at Middlewood Locks in Salford, The Village Screen Drive Thru cinema presents a series of cult films.
Kendal Calling Festival 2020 CANCELLED
Featuring over 200 artists and performers, immersive arts experiences and kids activities, Kendal Calling is a great, family-friendly festival set in the stunning Lake District.
Underneath The Stars Festival 2020 at Cinderhill Farm CANCELLED
Underneath The Stars Festival is a cracking weekend of folk in the South Yorkshire countryside. Paul Carrack, Kate Rusby and Suzanne Vega headline in 2020.
Related Guides
Online events
Discover the best things to do online from the organisations we love in Manchester and the North.
Jazz in Manchester
Some tops picks of weekly live jazz gigs and jam nights from across the city. Whether you’re a jazz player or appreciator, there’s something for everyone.
Nightclubs in Manchester
Manchester today offers such a variety of venues at which to feel young and alive, you’d be a fool not to check out the city’s solid-gold after hours scene.
August Bank Holiday
Looking for things to do over the August Bank Holiday? Near fear, we’ve put together a handpicked list of things to do in Manchester and the North this August Bank Holiday weekend.
Father’s Day
This year’s Father’s Day is Sunday 16th June. Get out and about and spend some quality time with the old man in Manchester.
Music Venues in Cumbria
When the sun goes down and you’ve had your fair share of Cumbria’s great outdoors, head to the area’s music venues to catch folk and jazz sessions, as well as regular performances by touring musicians. We recommend some of our favourites.
Things to do right now
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