Boasting the status of ‘the oldest active African orchestra’, Benin’s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo has been active since the 1960s, playing styles such as afrobeat, funk and soukous on hundreds of records.
Three of its original members, Vincent Ahehehinnou, Gustave Bentho and Loko Pierre, continue to drive the orchestra both live and on record – with their most recent release, 2016’s Madjafalao, attracting almost universal praise.
Rock-informed, techno-adjacent musical collagists Moin perform at Band on the Wall this spring.
from £16.50
Band on the Wall bring people together to make, as well as watch, music. Join them to learn folk tunes from all over the world.
Historic award-winning pub in Manchester’s Northern Quarter specialising in real ale.
The Rose & Monkey Hotel is one of the Northern Quarter’s best music-led bars, with a truly impressive beer garden. Our new favourite Manchester pub.
The Northern Quarter’s self-styled ‘happiest place in Manchester’, based at the old Bluu site.
Stylish modern bar serving sophisticated cocktails in the Northern Quarter.
Excellent Mexican cuisine based in Mackie Mayor in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Pull Up is a bustling Caribbean restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The Firehouse serves up quality food and drink at its new Wednesday evening supper club.
A Grade II listed market building in the Northern Quarter, Mackie Mayor is a key fixture in the ever-growing Northern Quarter food and drink scene.
No-frills bar on Manchester’s Swan Street. A wide selection of beers and ciders mixed with a great jukebox make this an ideal pre-Band on The Wall drinking spot.
Noi Quattro is an independent pizzeria at the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
New Orleans reaches Manchester with this dedicated jazz club in the Northern Quarter – a reliable choice for a good night out.
Join Joe Feeley a Mancunian through and through, who guides you into Manchester’s two pillars of cultural excellence with his Rock and Goal tour.
from £9.99
Get priority booking on the best seats, special discounts, invitations to exclusive events and much more. Are you in?
from £45.00
Band on the Wall bring people together to make, as well as watch, music. Join them to learn folk tunes from all over the world.
The Bridgewater Hall’s flagship concert series brings the best international orchestras, celebrated recitalists and world-renowned choirs to Manchester.
from £8
Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.
from £10.00
Playable art installations, Shakespearean adaptations, contemporary cabaret, hip hop and live photography, Factory International bring another electrifying Spring Season.
Open-air club Progress scales up to 5000 capacity and launches a spring/summer season of forward-thinking electronic music and grassroots culture.
from £0.00
All instruments, all abilities are welcome to join a band every week at Altogether Otherwise as part of their Singing and Dancing programme.
free entry
Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.
With these lighter, brighter days and warmer temperatures, it's really starting to feel like summer here in the North West!
Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month
We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.
We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.
Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring.
Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.
Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.
