Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Seasonal Guides
There’s no denying that Christmas is coming, but there’s still plenty of things to do in December in Manchester and across the North.
A lot of the things to do in December are festive-themed; from Christmas shows and concerts to hip-hop holiday specials. But don’t worry, there’s plenty out there for you Grinch’s too; with literary nights, exhibitions and gigs galore.
Here’s where you’ll find our editors this month.
The December Longlist
Powered by
BADBADNOTGOOD at Albert Hall
In support of their expansive 2021 album Talk Memory, BADBADNOTGOOD play their biggest show in Manchester to date, at Albert Hall.
Still showing this month
Damien Hirst at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Experience YBA artist Damien Hirst’s towering and provocative outdoor sculptures at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
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.
Skyliner: Alternative Tours of Manchester
Join Skyliner for the anti-tour of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. The route interrogates current developments in the city as well as visiting the area’s most notable pieces of street art.
What is Manchester Art Gallery? at Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery reopens with a thought-provoking new exhibition that delves into the history of the public institution and its role within the city.
Families at the National Football Museum
Bring your football-loving family for a visit to England’s one and only national museum for football, with activities for families available throughout the museum.
Book sale at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and award-winning garden is a must-see, with the famous book sale every second Sunday of the month throughout 2022.
Embroidery with Sara Dennis at Lancaster Castle
Learn embroidery in a fun and relaxed environment with the BBC’s Sara Dennis at Lancaster Castle’s famous Witches Tower.
Graffiti at Zap Graffiti
Liverpool’s Zap Graffiti teaches all the basic skills and techniques you need to make a street-style creation you’ll be proud of.
Blacksmithing at Forge Four
This beginners workshop will teach participants the traditional skills associated with blacksmithing, in the ‘Steel City’ of Sheffield.
Stone carving at West Riding Stonecarving Association
The West Riding Stonecarving Association is dedicated to keeping the art of hand-carving stone alive and bringing it to the general public.
Textile taxidermy with Jaki Bogg at Craven Arts Studios
Head to Skipton’s Craven Arts Studios to create a unique mounted animal head for your home with local textile artist Jaki Bogg.
Candle making at Cheshire Workshops
Try your hand at candle making with the experts at Cheshire Workshops, this fun and creative skill is suitable for all ages.
Pottery at Earth Pig Pottery and Fine Art in Buxton
Try your hand at pottery at Earth Pig Studio in Buxton’s Green Man Gallery; a longstanding community arts hub, shop and gallery.
Eat The City – Scranchester Tours
Satisfy your hunger for knowledge as well as lunch with Scranchester’s food tours of the city centre. You may discover a new favourite hidden gem or learn a bit more about the cultural or historical significance of the food you eat all the time.
Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Stop and spend an hour or two with this special creation, nestled within a stand of birch trees beside Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Upper Lake.
Glass fusing at Glassmonkey Studio
Come and experience the magic of fused glass at Glass Monkey Studio in Burnley, where workshops cater for all levels and abilities.
Making silver stacker rings at The Old Granary
One of many workshops hosted by local jeweller Helen Drye, here you’ll learn the technical skills required to make a chic stacker ring.
Knittaz with Attitude: Yarnbombing at Upside Down Coffee
Knitting, crochet, yarnbombing and contemporary needlecraft. Not a workshop as such but a ‘learning’ social with Knittaz with Attitude.
At Home with the Pankhurst Family at the Pankhurst Centre
The Pankhurst Centre’s new permanent exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of the people behind the iconic Pankhurst name.
2022 Banner Exhibition at People’s History Museum
The 2022 Banner Exhibition 2022 at the People’s History Museum will take you on a journey through the history of rights and equality via its dazzling collection.
Robert Indiana: Sculpture 1958-2018 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
A major exhibition of Robert Indiana’s sculptures and two-dimensional work will adorn the rolling hills and Underground Gallery of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Fairy Tales at Z-Arts
Z-Arts presents Fairy Tales, an enchanting exhibition that takes children aged 0-8 to an interactive Fairy Tale wonderland.
Refractive Pool: Contemporary Painting in Liverpool at Walker Art Gallery
‘Refractive Pool: Contemporary Painting in Liverpool’ at Walker Art Gallery celebrates local talent with an exhibition of paintings by 21 Merseyside artists alongside a publication.
Recollections May Vary at the Mental Health Museum, Wakefield
Inspired by the museum collection of objects and documents related to mental health, ‘Recollections May Vary’ gathers the work of 12 artists, resulting in a powerful display of very personal responses.
Inspired by Lady Lever at Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight’s exhibition ‘Inspired by Lady Lever’ aims to reveal a little more about the lady herself, with the help of valuable artefacts, while celebrating 100 years of history at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, and the life of the woman it is named after.
Rachel Goodyear: Stirrings at Salford Museum & Art Gallery
Salford Museum & Art Gallery presents a ‘homecoming’ exhibition – the first major solo show in the North by the Salford-based, internationally renowned artist Rachel Goodyear.
Shakespeare North Playhouse Opening Season
Launching with a glorious weekend of free festivities (15-17 July), check out Shakespeare North Playhouse’s spectacular opening season.
Autumn season at Z-arts
Families of Manchester can look forward to an incredible season of events at Z-arts this autumn, in a series of activities and events that holds arts, nature and creativity at its core.
Jadé Fadojutimi at The Hepworth Wakefield
This September, The Hepworth Wakefield is giving audiences the opportunity to experience the wonderfully colourful world of Jadé Fadojutimi.
JMW Turner with Lamin Fofana: Dark Waters at Tate Liverpool
See JWM Turner’s work like never before paired with Lamin Fofana’s immersive exhsound environment in ‘Dark Waters’, a very special exhibition at Tate Liverpool opening this September.
Turner Prize 2022 at Tate Liverpool
This year, Tate Liverpool will have the pleasure of hosting what is possibly the most important event in contemporary art in the UK – the Turner Prize.
The Lion King at the Palace Theatre
The sun may have set over our Manchester theatres during the pandemic – but now “it’s rolling high through the sapphire sky” once again. Hit musical The Lion King has added even more dates to its previously postponed run.
Lightopia at Heaton Park
The award-winning and visually sensational lantern and light festival returns to illuminate Manchester this winter.
Related Guides
New Year’s Eve in Manchester and the North
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.
Exhibitions
From immersive playgrounds and mythological journeys to tackling injustice, this month is filled with fresh art to see all around the North.
Christmas in Manchester and the North
If you’re looking for alternative or interesting things to do over Christmas, you’re in the right place.
Christmas Theatre and Concerts
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.
Families
As summer in Manchester turns out to be a scorcher, here are our hottest picks of some of the best outdoor and indoor family-friendly events and activities happening in Manchester and the North during the summer holidays and the coming months, featuring festivals, performances, gaming fun, garden visits and so much more.
Things to do right now
Powered by 
