UnShut Festival 2020

Name: UnShut Festival 2020
Start: 2020-07-02T10:00:00
End: 2020-07-04T23:00:00

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor Last Updated 26 June 2020

2 — 4 July 2020 Entrance is free — Visit now

Experience UnShut Festival online, on the streets or by post this July.

Taking place over 3 days, UnShut Festival 2020 brings experimental and radical performance work. And while we’re upset that ordinary festival fun is out of bounds, we think that UnShut Festival offers a brilliant alternative, and offers a creative response to the situation we find ourselves in right now.

Working with live artists to explore the world we’re living in, and the ways that we connect, socialise and interact, the festival aims to investigate, challenge and test the boundaries of contemporary performance.

An online celebration of experimental work, there will be 12 performances. Work will include building a theatre from scratch, a world-wide street clean, a revolution by postcard and an intimate performance in Animal Crossing.

Bringing durational performance, intimate one-to-one performances on Zoom, audio performance, a series of family-friendly tiny installations hidden across Sheffield city centre and a special online Q and A where you can join the artists in discussion, we think UnShut offers connection, creativity and community at such a challenging time for artists and audiences.

While you’re here…be sure to check out our full (and frequently updated) guide to the best online things to do in Manchester and the North.

2 — 4 July 2020 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near UnShut Festival 2020

Leeds

Place of worship

St George’s Church

St George’s is a lively city centre church in Leeds with three services every Sunday and a midweek programme that includes groups, courses and events. We’re here to help people

Liverpool

Restaurant

Picante

Picante is a sun-soaked Mexican restaurant at the trailblazing Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool.

Manchester

Event venue

Miru Mill

Miru Mill is an event space and micro-factory based at Churchgate Mill in Stockport.

Spa

iglu sauna

An authentic and affordable sauna and cold plunge experience in Hebden Bridge, in a beautiful outdoor setting amongst the trees. Book a regular session for £12 per person, or find…

Salford

Restaurant

Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar

Kallos is a Greek restaurant and wine bar in Salford, serving up exquisite dishes throughout the day and evening.

Manchester

Park

Centenary Gardens

The Centenary Gardens is a wonderful green space for the Old Trafford community to enjoy.

City Centre

Museum

Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions Manchester is part of the global Museum of Illusions Group, the largest and fastest-growing chain of private museums in the world.

Manchester

Bar or Pub

New Century Kitchen

Grand food hall with a superb outdoor space and a smart selection of in-house indie food traders

Ancoats

Restaurant

Bangkok Diners Club

When it comes to out-there ideas and beautiful Thai-inspired flavours, nowhere else comes close.

Leeds

Tourist Attraction

Tropical World

At Tropical World, families can enjoy a fun-filled and educational day out. Start your epic journey in the Butterfly House, where exotic butterflies fly freely through our swampy mangrove, fluttering

Manchester

Restaurant

Soap Street Pizza

Based at Nordie in Levenshulme, Soap Street Pizza put out the perfect pie: crispy base and inspired toppings.

City Centre

Restaurant

Pip
at Treehouse Manchester

Pip is the in-house restaurant at the long-awaited Treehouse Hotel, headed up by Bury-born chef, Mary-Ellen McTague.

See all places

What's on: Theatre

A band plays on a stage infront of a big crowd with lots of sparkling spotlights shining on them

Until 31 Dec

FamiliesCity Centre

Factory International Membership

Get priority booking on the best seats, special discounts, invitations to exclusive events and much more. Are you in?

from £45.00

Flecky Bennett’s HALLOWEEN 2018 Ghost Walk

Until 17 Dec 2026

Activity

Flecky Bennett’s Ghost Walks

Meet, Flecky Bennet, your guide through the dark and demonic side of the city as he takes you on one of Manchester’s award winning ghost walks.

from £15

Until 27 Feb 2026

Activity

Shiverpool: Ghost and History Tours

Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.

from £13.50

Until 27 May

DanceSalford

Contemporary Dance at Lowry

From compelling solo shows to awe-inspiring ensemble pieces, Lowry bring another unmissable season of contemporary dance.

from £14.00

Cycles at Aviva Studios: Boy Blue in dynamic poses, wearing coordinated streetwear outfits, performing against a dark background.

Until 29 May

Visual ArtsManchester

Factory International Spring Season 2025

Playable art installations, Shakespearean adaptations, contemporary cabaret, hip hop and live photography, Factory International bring another electrifying Spring Season.

Until 25 May

ComedyManchester

Free Activity at Aviva Studios

From comedy nights to drop-in family craft sessions, Factory International bring an accessible and inclusive programme of events this spring – the best thing, it’s all free.

free entry

Until 17 May

TheatreCity Centre

Mary Poppins at the Palace Theatre

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s spectacular production of the multi award-winning musical flies into Manchester.

from £15.00

Hamlet Hail to the Thief: The cover of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief – which is a collage of colourful text blocks stacked on top of each other. The text has been replaced by words from Hamlet.

Until 18 May

TheatreCity Centre

Hamlet Hail to the Thief at Aviva Studios

A thrilling adaptation blending Shakespeare’s great tragedy with Radiohead’s seminal album in an intoxicating blend of theatre, music, and movement.

from £10.00

Culture Guides

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses

Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Hayao Miyazaki's Dreams by Mystery Ensemble

Family things to do in the North

With these lighter, brighter days and warmer temperatures, it's really starting to feel like summer here in the North West!

Music in the North

Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring.

Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our 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.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

Three men sit next to each other. One's head is bandaged, one holds a torch and one wears a sleepmask.

Cinema in the North

Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here and the North is buzzing with must-visit new restaurants and bars.

See all guides