Raymond Gubbay’s Christmas Festival at The Bridgewater Hall

Chris Horkan

Book now

The Bridgewater Hall Christmas Festival

The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
14 December 2017-14 January 2018

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

Image courtesy of Raymond Gubbay
Book now

Manchester’s most prestigious concert hall hosts an impressive, varied month-long festival of Raymond Gubbay concerts this December and January.

Launched by superstar singer Katherine Jenkins, who celebrates her very own Christmas concert of music and songs on 14 December, the series features a joyous assortment of Christmas carols presented by Alan Titchmarsh on 19 December, plus a ‘Christmas Spectacular’ of music, dance, lights and even indoor fireworks on 20 December.

Jonathan Cohen conducts a spine-tingling Carol Singalong on Christmas Eve, meanwhile, with a rousing Boxing Day staging of the Last Night of the Christmas Proms book-ending the big day.

The series then celebrates the Leading Ladies of musicals including Wicked and Chicago on 27 December, while John Williams’ iconic scores for the likes of Harry Potter, Hook, Indiana Jones and Jaws are the dramatic focus for Manchester Concert Orchestra and conductor Anthony Inglis on 28 December.

The new year sees legendary band leader Ray McVay leading his orchestra through Glenn Miller big band classics on 7 January, before the festival draws to a close with a romantic afternoon of Johann Strauss favourites on 14 January.

All in all, this wide-ranging nine-concert festival offers something for everyone to enjoy over the holiday period.

What's on at The Bridgewater Hall

Until
MusicCity Centre
The Hallé 2025-26 Season

The Hallé invites audiences to a year of classical masterpieces, world premieres and appearances by some electrifying artists and composers.

From £17

Where to go near Raymond Gubbay’s Christmas Festival at The Bridgewater Hall

Manchester
Restaurant
Midland Tea Room

Dating back to 1903, Manchester’s stately Midland Hotel now has its own dedicated tea room. Expect traditional offerings in elegant surroundings.

City Centre
Hotel
The Midland Hotel

With 312 luxurious bedrooms, the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel occupies one of the most beautiful and storied buildings in Manchester.

Society Manchester
City Centre
Society Manchester

Society Manchester is a glorious indoor and outdoor space in the very heart of the city, with five street food vendors to choose from and a range of high-quality drinks.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Haunt MCR
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Haunt MCR

Haunt MCR is a speciality coffee shop and wine bar located on Manchester’s bustling Peter Street.

Manchester
Restaurant
Exhibition

Exhibition hosts three of the city’s most celebrated independent kitchens: Osma, Baratxuri, and Jaan by Another Hand.

City Centre
Restaurant
ONDA Pasta Bar

ONDA is a treat for the tastebuds. Long dark wood tables are shared by eager diners, as tapas-style plates of fresh pasta and other Italian dishes are ferried around the restaurant.

Manchester
Restaurant
Jaan

Serving up exceptional Persian cuisine, this new food concept from the team behind Another Hand is a must-try.

City Centre
Restaurant
Nudo Sushi Box

Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.

What's on: Music

deathcrash Press Image
MusicManchester
deathcrash at YES

Quiet introspection and cathartic eruptions – the mysterious kids in the corner of the Brixton Windmill scene bring their new album Somersaults to YES.

From £17.45
MusicManchester
Sounds From The Other City

One of the country’s foremost festivals showcasing new and emerging talent, Sounds From The Other City is back over Early May Bank Holiday.

From £30

Culture Guides

A busy image created using generative AI. The image depicts a man at the centre with grey hair and rosy cheeks, surrounding him are fairies that appear to be created in his own image with multiple limbs and unique bodily proportions. Around them are hundreds of vials, microscopes and dated scientific equipment.
Exhibitions

Spring has sprung a wealth of great exhibitions in the North West, from intimate photographic shows to huge installations.

SILVERWINGKILLER - Press Image
Music

Our latest music picks spotlight a new underground Manchester scene gaining national attention, alongside jazz, contemporary classical and more.

Theatre

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.

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.