Hallé Family Christmas Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

Hallé Family Christmas Concert

The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
1 December 2024

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

Image courtesy of The Hallé
Book now

Is it that time of year already? An annual festive favourite is back with a bang as the Hallé take to The Bridgewater Hall for their family Christmas concert.

Join the Hallé elves and their presenter Pippa the Christmas Bat (known, the rest of the year, as Lucy Tuck) for a festive journey through family film scores, tinsel clad classics and seasonal orchestral favourites.

Not many people know that Santa has a special team of highly trained bats that guide him and his reindeer through the night sky on Christmas Eve. Pippa longs to join the ranks, but she needs some help to pass Santa’s test and make it onto the Special Bat Service!

With a helping hand from the audience, Pippa will bring the programme to life as the Hallé and the Hallé Youth Training Choir whirl through the standout musical moments of films like Frozen, Elf and The Snowman, plus festive has-do-be-dones like ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ and ‘Carol of the Bells’. And would it really be Christmas without the ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker?

Along the way, there’ll be bat-flying, waltzing and even some cartwheels, as Santa and his reindeer whizz through the night sky on Christmas Eve.

The concert starts at 11.30am, so it’s perfect for little ones, plus if you head over early (from 10am), you can join in all the reindeer games in The Bridgewater Hall foyer. Write your own Christmas carol, take an ‘Elfie’ in a photo booth with festive props, meet members of the orchestra and scoff a Santa-approved mince pie – all before heading into the auditorium for one of the festive concerts of the year. What’s not to like?

What's on at The Bridgewater Hall

Walking Tour Stock imagery
Until
ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day.

From £25.00

Where to go near Hallé Family Christmas Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

City Centre
Hotel
The Midland Hotel

With 312 luxurious bedrooms, the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel occupies one of the most beautiful and storied buildings in Manchester.

Manchester
Restaurant
Midland Tea Room

Dating back to 1903, Manchester’s stately Midland Hotel now has its own dedicated tea room. Expect traditional offerings in elegant surroundings.

Society Manchester
City Centre
Society Manchester

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.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Haunt MCR
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Haunt MCR

Haunt MCR is a speciality coffee shop and wine bar located on Manchester’s bustling Peter Street.

Manchester
Restaurant
Exhibition

Exhibition hosts three of the city’s most celebrated independent kitchens: Osma, Baratxuri, and Jaan by Another Hand.

City Centre
Restaurant
ONDA Pasta Bar

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.

Manchester
Restaurant
Jaan

Serving up exceptional Persian cuisine, this new food concept from the team behind Another Hand is a must-try.

City Centre
Restaurant
Nudo Sushi Box

Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.

What's on: Families

Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts
FamiliesManchester
Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts

A free day of bizarre behaviour and exciting live performance at Z-arts. Expect the unexpected. Playful, unpredictable, and not easily forgotten.

Free entry
Topsy Turvy
Families
Topsy Turvy 25

Theatre Porto’s joyful outdoor celebration returns to Whitby Park this summer with another wonderfully topsy-turvy weekend of art, performance and playful surprises. Taking over the park from 7–10 August, Topsy

From £5.50
Africana and Caribbean Food Fest
FestivalsLeeds
African & Caribbean Food Fest 2025

Calling people of Leeds and beyond! The city’s favourite African and Caribbean Food Fest is back, and this year it’s turning up the heat with Harmony of Colours, a celebration…

Free entry

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North.
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.