Connect Fest

Ben Williams, Managing Editor

Visit now

Connect Fest

11-15 May 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Connect Fest
Book now

The Royal Exchange presents Connect Fest. Directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin and written by Testament, five different groups of people, with different passions, tastes and favourite bands are making their way to the festival. All heading in the same direction with one goal in mind – to make it to the gig on-time, to meet new people, listen to music they’ve never heard before and make memories that will last forever.

Following on from the success of past intergenerational productions Adieu and The Space Between Us the Royal Exchange Young and Elders Companies collaborate in a uniquely inventive way to create an original piece of online work that celebrates the importance of staying connected.

Connect Fest is part theatre show, part music festival and part soap-opera rolled into one. Made up of five individual online episodes which are released every day this week, watch Connect Fest on the Royal Exchange’s website now.

Where to go near Connect Fest

Manchester
Restaurant
Butter Bird

Butter Bird is a newly opened casual but stylish restaurant in Ancoats, based around the very delicious concept of tea-brined chicken.

Asmara Bella
Manchester
Restaurant
Asmara Bella

Eritrean & Ethiopian Restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, serving up traditional food from the Horn of Africa.

Rochdale Town Hall is a Victorian-era municipal building in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is
Manchester
Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Town Hall is a Victorian-era municipal building in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, widely recognised as being one of the finest municipal buildings in the country.

Cafe Beermoth
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Cafe Beermoth

Cafe Beermoth is the very definition of a modern Manchester pub – relaxed, friendly and with a wide range of carefully curated booze options.

Chorlton
Restaurant
Horse and Jockey Chorlton

Chorlton’s magnificent Horse and Jockey has had an almighty do-over, transforming it into one of South Manchester’s top must-visit drinking and dining destinations.

The Curling Club - Vinegar Yard
Castlefield
The Curling Club

New Jackson in Manchester is having a full scale seasonal takeover. Think curling lanes, lively bars and a packed line up of DJs and performances.

Chadderton Town Hall
Manchester
Event venue
Chadderton Town Hall

Chadderton Town Hall is a magnificent example of Edwardian architecture . Built in 1912/13 in the style of ‘English Renaissance’ and recently restored maintaining its traditional features in regal reds

Cumbria
Restaurant
Heft

A Michelin star restaurant and homely 17th century inn in the Lake District, with food provided by esteemed chef Kevin Tickle.

Tangerine
Chapel Street
Restaurant
Tangerine

Manchester’s latest must-visit multipurpose venue, offering top-level food, drinks and live shows.

What's on: Theatre

Pinocchio at the Lowry
FamiliesMediaCityUK
Pinocchio at Lowry

Watch a playful, high-energy adaptation of Pinocchio where everyday objects become puppets and family relationships take centre stage.

Culture Guides

Theatre

Classic texts and new work meet in this month’s Theatre Guide, with a bumper crop of shows shaped by power, consequence and collective action.

Exhibitions

From monumental to minutiae, this month’s exhibitions trace power, care and community across galleries big and small.

Music

We have an eclectic mix of gigs for you this month, moving from experimental electronics and noise rock to synth pop, opera, and hyper-local R&B.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is coming, but first let's get Valentine's Day done and dusted. Here's our deal-packed guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

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.