Influenced by the hardcore punk and noise rock of the 80s and 90s, Brighton-based Ditz make taut and erratic, melodic and urgent post punk. Gaining traction with singles ‘Gayboy’ and ‘Total 90’ last year, 2020 is looking to be a big one for the band. Taking a decidedly experimental approach when playing live, their sets are as freeform as they are thrilling. We can’t wait to watch them at YES.
Serving up crunching noise pop, synthwave and shoegaze, Manchester’s own Joe Oxley AKA TVAM performs a special Christmas show at YES.
from £16.80
Long-established Manchester bar and nightclub, Joshua Brooks is just off student hotspot Oxford Road. Open until 4am on the weekends with regular DJ-led club nights.
Refined steakhouse with smart, low-lit decor, boasting some of the finest cuts of meat in the city.
Beer, cocktails and Asian street food at one of Manchester’s friendliest bars.
A tip for affordable, consistently good food is Middle Kingdom, just outside Chinatown on Princess Street. It offers the full hot pot experience, where you and your friends order a bunch of ingredients and cook it yourselves at the table.
Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.
PINK is a discursive curatorial project and exhibition space based in Manchester city centre.
From its charming Art Deco interiors to a quirky, highly original creative arts output, our theatre is firmly established within the city’s famously vibrant cultural scene.
Independent Leeds-based brewery North has opened its first Manchester taproom, in Oxford Road’s Circle Square neighbourhood.
Cornerhouse on Oxford Street was an independent cinema, gallery, restaurant, bookshop – oh yes, and also a Manchester institution. It has now closed it’s doors, relocated and reinvented itself as HOME.
Friendly pub under a railway arch serving vegetarian and vegan pub food, as well as hosting regular live music.
Street food takeaway, this venue is now closed.
This residency restaurant opened in summer 2019, at Locke Hotels’ Whitworth Locke. The first residency comes courtesy of Mexican specialists El Camino.
Learn some DJ and production skills with DJ Gym Manchester, based in the culturally infused surrounds of Hatch.
from £269
Old Chapel Music studio in Holdback, Leeds is offering an interactive historical music tour that opens its doors and ears to the public.
free entry
Sing a range of songs in the Folk and World Music Choir, learn how to get the most out of your voice whilst making new friends.
A relaxed and friendly choir for over fifties, Golden Voices Choir brings people together from all walks to life to sing, laugh and have fun.
The Bridgewater Hall’s flagship concert series brings the best international orchestras, celebrated recitalists and world renowned choirs to Manchester.
from £14.50
The RNCM’s Autumn Season brings with it an incredibly diverse programme of live music from across the genre spectrum. Here are our highlights.
from £8.50
Serving up crunching noise pop, synthwave and shoegaze, Manchester’s own Joe Oxley AKA TVAM performs a special Christmas show at YES.
from £16.80
The Christmas concert in Tatton Park is an annual sell-out, kickstarting the Christmas countdown and filling the grand surrounds of Tenants’ Hall with festive favourites.
from £11.00
We're unapologetically entering into the Christmas spirit here at Tours and Activities with some alternative festive fun.
Festive frolics, monstrous theatre and magical outdoor adventures all feature in our latest picks of things to do with the family.
Keep warm with festive feasts, Hollywood stars and 90s nostalgia across the North's cinemas this December.
Provocative new writing, glitzy burlesque and big budget shows, our theatre guide spans the festive season and beyond.
It might be curl-up-with-a-book season, but there's lots to get out and about for and plenty of events where you can stock up on new reads.
Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.
While rainy late autumn may not be the most energising of seasons, there is plenty of new art to see and inspire this month!
The best food and drink options in Manchester and the North for the upcoming winter months.