The Hallé 2026-27 Season

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

The Hallé 2026-27 Season

Manchester Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
Until 30 January 2027

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

Alex Burns.
Book now

New brand, new roles, new premieres. It’s all happening at the Hallé, and these six concerts are where it’s happening most. Here are our picks from the more contemporary, adventurous end of the orchestra’s packed 2026/27 season.

Opening Night unveils a world premiere symphony from Featured Composer James MacMillan, conducted by Kahchun Wong at the top of his third season with the Orchestra. Later in the autumn, the baton passes to Thomas Adès, who conducts the piece he wrote for The Bridgewater Hall’s opening celebrations, 30 years ago, alongside Stravinsky’s The Firebird.

Featured Artist Jonny Greenwood brings perhaps the most unique event in the season: his eight-hour, durational organ piece, 606 Years of Reverb at Manchester Cathedral, followed the same evening by his breakthrough film score for There Will Be Blood.

New doesn’t always mean recent. Offenbach’s Barkouf vanished for 157 years before its rediscovery, and finally gets its UK premiere here, before the award for least Christmassy Christmas concert goes to How To Train Your Dragon 2, whose Sigur Rós-inflected, Oscar-nominated score will be performed live to picture.

Our top picks

Stravinsky’s The Firebird at The Bridgewater Hall

Stravinsky’s The Firebird at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 19 November 2026, From £18.50 - Book now

30 years after writing a piece for The Bridgewater Hall’s opening celebrations, Thomas Adès returns to conduct it alongside Stravinsky and a world premiere.

Stravinsky’s The Firebird
-

How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 30 December 2026, From £34.50 - Book now

John Powell’s Oscar-nominated score, co-written with Sigur Rós’s Jónsi, gets a rare live-to-picture performance this Christmas.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert
-

The Hallé Presents: 606 Years of Reverb at Manchester Cathedral

The Hallé Presents: 606 Years of Reverb at Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, 30 January 2027, From £23.25 - Book now

Finding new things to say with one of the oldest instruments around, Jonny Greenwood’s eight-hour organ piece takes over Manchester Cathedral.

James McVinnie
Kristaps Anskens

There Will Be Blood in concert at The Bridgewater Hall

There Will Be Blood in concert at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 30 January 2027, From £34.50 - Book now

Jonny Greenwood plays live the instrument that gave his Oscar-disqualified film debut its unmistakable, unforgettable voice.

There Will Be Blood in concert
-

What's on at Manchester Cathedral

Where to go near The Hallé 2026-27 Season

Manchester
Event venue
Festa Italiana

The 2022 Festa Italiana was a roaring success, with great food options and captivating live music performances throughout the weekend.

Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Quarter
Park
Cathedral Gardens

Cathedral Gardens is a partially lawned public space in Manchester city centre, located between Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum.

Manchester
Restaurant
The Cosy Club

Elegant and welcoming restaurant and bar in the Corn Exchange, with an attractive domed ceiling and plenty of original features like the staircase and tiles.

Manchester
Music venue
The Stoller Hall

The baby in the family of Manchester’s concert halls, The Stoller Hall greatly enhances the city’s already enviable live music provision.

Proper Tea Cathedral Quarter Mancheste
Cathedral Quarter
Café or Coffee Shop
Proper Tea

Proper Tea sits opposite Manchester Cathedral, serving up artisanal teas (with instructions on how long to leave them brewing), sandwiches, soups and excellent cake.

Manchester
Restaurant
Kitchen In An Arch

An offshoot from the much-loved Umezushi, this specialist deli is a one-stop-shop for all your sushi making needs, and also hosts occasional workshops to improve your culinary skills.

The National Football Museum Manchester
Manchester
Museum
National Football Museum

The National Football Museum is now open to the public, ready to show off its impressive array of football-related exhibits and activities.

What's on: Music

Matt Spratt.
MusicManchester
Madra Salach at New Century

This Irish folk six-piece released a stark and often beautiful debut EP that gives little hint of their “feral, snarling” live show.

From £21.00
Music
Ditz at The White Hotel

Brighton’s Ditz bring industrial noise and thoughtful lyrics to The White Hotel for the first and last time, supported by Bathing Suits.

From £18.50
Pete Hill.
MusicCity Centre
Cabaret Voltaire at Albert Hall

More than 50 years after Cabaret Voltaire’s first gig, this is your final chance to see the band that did it first, doing it one last time.

From £35.00

Culture Guides

Nwando Ebizie and Sidiki Dembélé wear jewel-toned clothes against a midnight blue backdrop.
Music

Returning legends, their noisy heirs and centuries-old music made new – all in our latest guide update.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre

Shakespearean tragedy, indie musical theatre, live art and beautifully strange dance-theatre – four standout picks for autumn.

Food and Drink in the North

Step into autumn safe in the knowledge that you have the North's very best mid-September guide to food and drink in Manchester and beyond.

Exhibitions

Our latest exhibition picks include a lost recording of the Strangeways protest, Manchester's first sound art festival, and queer archives revisited.

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.