Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
In the dark and cosy surroundings of the Portico Library, Little Sparrow will perform her songs which are beautifully vulnerable, combining delicate lyrics and a mystical ambience.
Join the Portico Library for a mindful days of workshops and intriguing evenings of talks with artists, curators and researchers.
From £80.00
A fascinating archival exhibition uncovers the forgotten stories of people who have helped shape The Portico Library’s 220-year history.
Free entry
Sunday lunch with a sense of occasion at this stately venue on Mosley Street.
Elegant cocktail bar in the centre of Manchester, with a relaxed atmosphere and wonderfully friendly staff.
The Alchemist New York Street has a menu packed with inventive and far-out ideas.
A beautifully styled multi-purpose venue, including cafe, bar, kitchen and more.
Tartuffe serve up top-notch rotisserie chicken and eye-catching small plates at their Side Street base.
Moose Coffee celebrates ‘the best meal of the day’ (brunch) in American style, with stack pancakes, potato hash, Huevos Rancheros and eggs any way. There’s always a queue.
Lennox is chef Nico Simeone’s new restaurant, serving dishes similar to his Six By Nico restaurant but with bigger, more ambitious ideas.
Home-X is the online spin-off of renowned Scottish-Italian chef Nico Simeone’s Six By Nico restaurant. This is geared around kit meals to cook at home.
Pho does a fine line in pho, the noodle soup that’s a staple of Vietnamese street cuisine.
Now based at the Great Northern, Siam Smiles is a food stop that’s hot on everyone’s lips.
Summery bakes, seasonal salads and fresh light meals at Manchester Art Gallery’s in-house café, courtesy of highly-regarded Head Chef Matthew Taylor.
Hunan, a Chinese restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown, may be a bit off the beaten track – but it’s all the better for that.
Victory lapping the best album of their career so far, there hasn’t been a better moment yet to catch these North Carolina rockers.
From £29.95
A Place To Bury Strangers bring their lacerating blend of post punk, noise rock and shoegaze to The White Hotel.
From £22
Catchy songs, colourful characters and sharp social satire combine in one of the most talked-about queer theatre hits.
From £15.00
O2 Apollo becomes Pysch Fest’s main stage for the first time, with Billy Nomates and bdrmm heading the final wave.
From £44.80
Preston comes alive with outdoor theatre, live music and family-friendly creativity in one of the North West’s most joyful festivals.
Free entry
Manchester’s premier concert hall celebrates 30 years with the debut of a new orchestra and guest artists drawn from Manchester’s grime, dancehall, drag and jazz scenes.
From £7.00
James MacMillan’s new symphony gets its world premiere as the Hallé opens its 2026/27 season, marking 30 years since The Bridgewater Hall became the orchestra’s home.
From £18.50
British-French singer-songwriter Lauren Auder brings her second, post-industrial love album to YES Basement.
From £15.61
Squeeze the most out of these final weeks of summer thanks to our mid-August guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
Summer isn’t usually a high point in the exhibitions calendar, but Greater Manchester’s small galleries seem to have made a pact to change that this year.
Aphex Twin-endorsed electronica, an eight-hour organ marathon and the most exciting band in Ireland's current folk revival all feature this month.
From intimate dramas to spectacular outdoor festivals, discover the North West performances worth adding to your diary.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
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.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
