Guided tour at The Bridgewater Hall
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
innovative acoustics and gravity defying architecture
innovative acoustics and gravity defying architecture
Celebrate Christmas the horrible way at The Bridgewater Hall this December.
from £21.50Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol will be presented live at The Bridgewater Hall this winter, featuring its musical score performed live to the film.
from £33.50The Bridgewater Hall’s flagship concert series brings the best international orchestras, celebrated recitalists and world renowned choirs to Manchester.
from £14.50Dating back to 1903, Manchester’s stately Midland Hotel now has its own dedicated tea room. Expect traditional offerings in elegant surroundings.
One of the most famous hotels in Manchester, and one of the most lavishly decorated to boot
Traditional high-end British dining with modern flourishes at the esteemed Midland Hotel in Manchester.
Manchester Central Convention Centre is the city’s main conferences and events centre, housed in the former Manchester Central railway station.
Society Manchester is a glorious indoor and outdoor space in the very heart of the city, with five street food vendors to choose from and a range of high-quality drinks.
Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.
Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Haunt MCR is a speciality coffee shop and wine bar located on Manchester’s bustling Peter Street.
ONDA is a treat for the tastebuds. Long dark wood tables are shared by eager diners, as tapas-style plates of fresh pasta and other Italian dishes are ferried around the restaurant.
The building consists of five floors of 10,000sqft in an L shape configuration – three of which are open-plan and the other two floors are divided into studio size spaces.
Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.
Iconic Manchester pub adorned with the sorts of bottle green, yellow and brown Victorian tiles that are a reclamation yard’s dream – this gem of a boozer is named after Sir Walter Scott’s novel of the same name and was a favourite hang-out of Eric Cantona.
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.
from £60Learn some DJ and production skills with DJ Gym Manchester, based in the culturally infused surrounds of Hatch.
from £269Whether you have never put pencil to paper or have been honing your artistic skills for years, Bee Creative studio runs life drawing sessions for people of all abilities.
from £10For those eager to expand their Vegan culinary repertoire the Vegetarian Society Cookery School’s new Vegan Supper Club is a must. With easy to follow instructions from expert tutors you can create sumptuous vegan meals which are then enjoyed as a group.
from £50Sí Manchester’s daily tour is a brilliant way to get an overview of the city with tours running in both English and Spanish.
free entryTry your hand at stand up comedy with an eight week intensive course with Dave Williams in the Frog and Bucket’s School of Comedy.
from £300.00The Old Dock tour is a treat for younger and older visitors alike, fans of Liverpool’s maritime past, and anybody curious about local history.
£8.50 with concessionsJoin Stewart and Derbyshire Bird Tours for a calm, friendly and relaxing experience getting close to nature.
from £20.00Enjoy our latest picks of things to do with the family, including festive fun and family raves to welcome in the new year!
We're unapologetically entering into the Christmas spirit here at Tours and Activities with some alternative festive fun.
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.