Christmas in Manchester and the North

Creative Tourist

Last Updated 21 December 2021

Christmas in Manchester and the North comes but once a year, and after 2020’s snowed-in celebrations, it’s a joy to be able to make the most of what the region’s independent scene has to offer. Of course, with omicron on the rise, caution needs to be exercised while going anywhere right now, but assuming you’re vaccinated, masked and sanitised to the nines, we’ll dig right into our alternative list of things to do this holiday. From not-on-the-high-street Christmas Shopping to our top festive theatre and concert picks, we’ve been busy as elves pulling together our recommendations of things to do for maximum fun, minimum stress. And for those looking for an appropriately excessive Christmas gorge, our Christmas Food and Drink guide is for you. Dig in.

Here are our picks

1. Christmas Theatre and Concerts

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! 2021

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

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2. Christmas Shopping

Photo by Dan Eden.

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.

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3. Christmas Food and Drink

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

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4. New Year’s Eve in Manchester and the North

NYE 2015 at the Kazimier. Photo: Mina Bihi.

From warehouse raves to live funk and soul, vegan street food to fancy dining, here’s our guide to New Year’s Eve in Manchester and the North.

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