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

Barbara Dane
CinemaManchester
Kinofilm/ Soul on Sunday at Nia Centre

Kinofilm present a special screening of documentary The Nine Lives of Barbara Dane as part of Soul on Sunday an all-day event celebrating Northern Soul at the Nia Centre.

From £8.00
A black woman sat down looking to the left.
Until
MusicLeeds
Sound Out Leeds 2024/25

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
Aisla dancing and Dj'ing
ActivityAncoats
Become A Superstar DJ

Get hands on with the decks in this funk and soul superstar DJ workshop from BBC Radio 6’s Ailsa.

Free entry
A youth band playing guitars Slam Dunk & Launchpad Youth Showcase
Music
Slam Dunk & Launchpad Youth Showcase

Launchpad & Slam Dunk have teamed up for a new Youth Showcase event, featuring 5 artists all aged 18 and under based in West Yorkshire performing at one of Leeds

From £8.00

Culture Guides

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.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Experimental performance, thought-provoking new writing and our picks of Manchester International Festival - here’s what’s taking centre stage this summer.

Isabel Galleymore in conversation
Literature Events in the North

There's a lot of experimentation going on in our Literature guide, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.

Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
Exhibitions in the North

From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.