Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
On an extensive worldwide tour in support of their latest album, Painting With, Animal Collective return to the UK.
Prepare to do some browsing and digging – this second hand bookshop is full of hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered
The Liner Hotel offers accommodation in style, with comfort, luxury and a seasonal menu in a central Liverpool location.
A visit to Liverpool starting and ending at Lime Street Station
The largest two-tier theatre in the country, the Liverpool Empire Theatre boasts a busy programme of performances and events all year round.
The Walker Art Gallery is a small but perfectly formed traditional gallery. It houses an impressive collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative art from 13th century to present day.
The final building in the World Heritage Site of William Brown Street to be revamped, the wonderfully restored Central Library takes pride of place in Liverpool’s architecturally stunning Cultural Quarter.
A little sanctuary in the middle of the city
There is something for everyone at this museum, making it hugely popular with families.
A stunning Hall at the heart of the city
The Royal Court Theatre stages mostly home-grown comedies, somewhat mannered and self-conscious reflections of an inward-looking city.
Fairly non-descript shopping centre in central Liverpool.
Round the Corner provides excellent drinks, local music and good vibes, with a rooftop bar and an event space in Liverpool’s Fabric District.
Connecting scenes, sounds and spaces across Manchester, Keep Walking brings a three-day programme of gigs, club nights and workshops.
From £5.00
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine present a programme that pays homage to our nations’ bonds, alongside two Beethoven landmarks.
From £25.00
Daniel Avery’s played in Manchester countless times over the last decade, but never quite like this – in an empty Edwardian swimming pool, beneath monumental installation art.
From £34.00
Across breweries, warehouses and bars, Kelham Jazz Festival brings the city’s and the wider North’s jazz community together for the first time.
From £11.59
A river, abused and neglected, speaks back through an interactive sound installation and sound walk by Maya Chowdhry.
Free entry
One of London’s most hyped bands of the last few years, Bar Italia are playing Band on the Wall in support of their latest album, Some Like It Hot.
From £19.45
Kelly Lee Owens brings her dreampoppy electronica to Band on the Wall as part of this year’s BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.
From £30
Musical brutalism is having a moment – and Mandy, Indiana are right in it, bringing URGH’s raw force to Brudenell.
From £15.00
This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.
Spring has arrived, bringing with it al fresco dining and a rush of high-profile food and drink-related events in Manchester.
This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.
Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
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.
