RNCM Autumn Season

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

RNCM Autumn Season

13 October-13 December 2024

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

Female with white suit sitting on piano stool singing
Madeline Bell by Tatiana Gorilovsky.
Book now

You can always count on the RNCM to deliver an electrifying Autumn Season. From soul legends to fantastical opera, live art to dance’s cutting edge, we select our highlights below, alongside a separate round-up of the College’s brand new Inspirational Artists series.

Two of our highlights tap into the same theme of Dance:Music — one the RNCM will explore in depth over their 2024/25 season, exploring the symbiotic relationship between these two art forms. The RNCM Symphony Orchestra’s performance in November takes an alternative look at symphonic dance works, while in December, ArkEnsemble and dancers from Company Chameleon collaborate on an immersive experience that transcends the ordinary.

Talking of cross-arts collaboration, a must for families is the next Young Explorers event, A Symphony of Stories, which sees renowned author and artist James Mayhew bring his illustrations to life live on stage, against the backdrop of orchestral favourites by Holst, Stravinsky and Ravel.

Another feast for the senses comes with the RNCM’s latest opera: Emmanuel Chabrier’s L’étoile. Expect a rollercoaster of humorous happenings, mistaken identities, and comical disguises, with a score that takes all kinds of delicious twists and turns. Finally, a legend takes to the RNCM stage in the form of soul singer Madeline Bell. Working with everyone from Dusty Springfield to Scott Walker, The Rolling Stones to Elton John, Bell – despite now being in her 80s – remains a tour de force on stage, her voice shining as brightly as ever.

Where to go near RNCM Autumn Season

Manchester
Restaurant
San Carlo Fumo

San Carlo Fumo is a sun trap on St Peter’s Square, serving up traditional Italian food at its best

Utility Gift Shop
Manchester
Shop
Utility Gift Shop

Utility Gift Shop on Oxford Road is all about products that are new, unique, quirky and cool. High street shopping at its best.

exterior of Contact Theatre building
Manchester
Theatre
Contact Theatre

Following a major redevelopment, the iconic venue on Oxford Road will be reopening its doors to welcome the public back into the building this autumn. 

The Salutation pub in Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Salutation

This traditional boozer, surrounded by imposing flats and university buildings, was taken over by Trof (of the Deaf Institute fame). The Sally, as the regulars call it, hosts an energetic, arty crowd – and its recently expanded outside area is another good reason to visit.

What's on: Music

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Classical Music in the North

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.

A young boy with a white sash around his left arm cries.
Cinema in the North

Outdoor cinema announcements, a major retrospective at HOME, and the best of indie cinema.