I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar at Waterside

Creative Tourist

Book now

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar

Waterside, Manchester
16-17 May 2025

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

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar at Waterside
Image courtesy of Lucy Ridges.
Book now

Step into Holly Redford-Jones’ bold, award-winning Lesbian Bar—a wild, witty celebration of queer nightlife and the women who shaped it.

Inspired by the Jonathan Richman song, this solo show dances through untold tales of lesbian debauchery, asking: where have all the lesbian bars gone, and what makes one feel like home?

Blending music, movement, and mischief, Redford-Jones pays tribute to the iconic and the everyday, from sapphic institutions to Chesterfield’s famously crooked spire. With movement direction by Lizard Morris and produced by Brit Seaton, this is a joyful, defiant love letter to queer pasts and futures.

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar comes to Waterside as part of Pride in Trafford celebrations.

Where to go near I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar at Waterside

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

Manchester
Park
Wythenshawe Park

With a 17th Century hall set in 109 acres of open parkland, Wythenshawe Park makes a super day out for all ages. Explore the historic woodlands, lush grasslands and meadows; take a stroll around the many themed gardens and check out the sports and leisure facilities on offer.

What's on: Theatre

–
TheatreManchester
FAMEHUNGRY at HOME

Louise Orwin takes on the TikTok algorithm in FAMEHUNGRY, a funny, unpredictable theatrical experiment exploring art, fame and online attention.

From £11.20
Compass Festival 2026
Until
FestivalsLeeds
Compass Festival 2026

With interactive encounters and live performance, Compass Festival is set to animate the city of Leeds once again this November.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

It's autumn and time to get scheduling those hearty meals. Here's the October guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

Theatre

The nights are drawing in. Theatre across the North is refusing to play it safe. November brings experimental performance, queer comedy and plenty of surprises.

Exhibitions

It’s a good season for contemporary art fans in Manchester, with many of our favourite small galleries launching something big.

Music

Grubby dance music meets high-gloss hyperpop and wildly ambitious opera in our latest music guide.

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.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...