The Hallé 2026-27 Season

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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The Hallé 2026-27 Season

Manchester Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
24 September 2026-30 January 2027

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

Alex Burns.
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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

The Hallé: Opening Night at The Bridgewater Hall

The Hallé: Opening Night at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 24 September 2026, From £18.50 - Book now

James MacMillan’s new symphony gets its world premiere as the Hallé opens its 2026/27 season, alongside Beethoven’s finest concerto.

The Hallé: Opening Night
Drew Forsyth

The Hallé and Opera Rara: Offenbach’s Barkouf at The Bridgewater Hall

The Hallé and Opera Rara: Offenbach’s Barkouf at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 4 October 2026, From £18.00 - Book now

Silenced for 157 years after scandalising Paris, Offenbach’s political satire Barkouf finally gets its UK premiere in Manchester.

The Hallé and Opera Rara: Offenbach’s Barkouf
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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
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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
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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
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What's on at Manchester Cathedral

Where to go near The Hallé 2026-27 Season

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
Event venue
Festa Italiana

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

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

Greg Freeman by Steve Gullick
MusicManchester
Greg Freeman at YES

Greg Freeman mines local history for character-driven tales of violence, loss and epiphany on his second album, Burnover.

From £18.00
Music
Kavari at The White Hotel

Fresh from one of the year’s most uncompromising EPs, Kavari brings her Aphex Twin-endorsed, hard-clipped sound to Salford.

From £11.00
Ora Cogan by Alexa Black.
MusicManchester
Ora Cogan at The Abbey

Gothic country ballads, psych-folk drones and pedal steel drawn long and slow. Ora Cogan brings her witchy country to Now Wave’s new (old) pub.

From £18.50
MusicManchester
Wednesday at The Ritz

Victory lapping the best album of their career so far, there hasn’t been a better moment yet to catch these North Carolina rockers.

From £29.95
MusicManchester
Manchester Psych Fest 2026

O2 Apollo becomes Pysch Fest’s main stage for the first time, with Billy Nomates and bdrmm heading the final wave.

From £44.80
Encounter Festival 2026
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Preston comes alive with outdoor theatre, live music, dance and family-friendly creativity in one of the North West’s most joyful festivals.

Free entry

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