Wake at Aviva Studios

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

Wake

Aviva Studios, Manchester
17-21 April 2025
Date
Time
Session Features
17 Apr 2025
7:30 pm
18 Apr 2025
7:30 pm
19 Apr 2025
7:00 pm
19 Apr 2025
9:30 pm
20 Apr 2025
7:30 pm

See website for more sessions

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

Wake at Aviva Studios: Man dances in a mesh crop top and gold shorts with purple and white irridescent lights in front of an audience.
Image courtesy of Aviva Studios, home of Factory International.
Book now

Expect wild acrobatics, outrageous cabaret and electrifying variety when Irish sensation THISISPOPBABY come to play at Aviva Studios. Bringing an exhilarating blend of ritual, rave, grief and joy, Wake is a performance party that celebrates life and connection.

Club culture collides with Irish tradition in Wake, a variety show that takes its name from Ireland’s traditional funeral rite. Expect high-octane and fabulous performances from an all-star cast of traditional musicians, electro-pop superstars, cabaret artists, aerialists, pole dancers, Irish dancers, singers and slam poets.

Co-created and co-directed by THISISPOPBABY’s Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon, Wake explores liturgy and togetherness; it toasts yesterday’s passing and looks toward the future – a live performance – with the euphoria of a wild party – reminding us to live fully.

A vital force for social change in Ireland, THISISPOPBABY have been tearing up the space between high art and club culture almost two decades. Their shows have played to audiences of over 450,000 people, winning major theatre awards and thrilling audiences globally. Standing at the cutting edge of contemporary performance in Ireland – pioneering large-scale shows such as Wake, Riot and Alice in Funderland – the company speak to the world through the lens of what it means to be Irish.

This acclaimed spectacular has already had two sold-out, award-winning runs in Dublin. Now, Wake is set to rouse the people of Manchester – don’t miss out.

What's on at Aviva Studios

MusicManchester
Fat Dog at Aviva Studios

On the Day of the Dead, South London’s Fat Dog bring their wired, theatrical electro-punk to their biggest stage yet.

From £25

Where to go near Wake at Aviva Studios

Castlefield
Event venue
Old Granada Studios

Manchester’s old Granada Studios is an iconic piece of the city’s history and home to Sidney Bernstein’s television empire.

Manchester Opera House by Phil Tragen
City Centre
Theatre
Manchester Opera House

A commercial touring theatre, the Manchester Opera House is reopening in August 2021, all set to host the city’s finest mainstream theatrical productions, music gigs, opera and ballet.

City Centre
Music venue
Low Four Studio

Old Granada Studios has announced Low Four: a new studio and music project that will stream and archive live music performance as part of a new generation of music TV programming. The inclusion of a viewing balcony also means that these recordings, along with special events and concerts, will be made open to a few […]

Manchester
Restaurant
20 Stories

High-end restaurant and cocktail bar, with stunning views of the Manchester skyline.

Manchester
Gallery
Smolensky Gallery

This appointment-only gallery is a hidden gem in Manchester. Art lovers and collectors can browse many high quality pieces.

What's on: Dance

Transform 25 in Leeds
TheatreLeeds
Transform Festival 2025

Leeds’ Transform Festival is an engine room of powerful, urgent and trailblazing performance, visual arts, dance, conversations and adventure.

Free entry

Culture Guides

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

It's busy month across the cinemas of the north as Halloween programming leads into two of the region's biggest film festivals.

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre in the North

Theatre this month bursts with contrasts - from bold new writing and Black History Month highlights to contemporary arts and reimagined classics.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

Music in the North

From New York’s experimental underground to the most exciting sounds coming from local scenes, we're lining up a noisy autumn of gigs.

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries in the North are far from spooky this October - instead you'll find tactile sculptures, plant magic and curatorial experiments.