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Here are our top picks of things to do in January, including; great exhibitions, live music, literature, theatrical adventures and much more. We’ve got everything from cultural experiences to relaxed family activities.
Blow away the January blues and get out and about in Manchester and the North.
If you are getting carried away with the Veganuary phenomenon, check out our guides to Vegan food in Manchester, Vegan Food in Liverpool and Vegan Food in Leeds.
Happy New Year!
Things to do in January
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Colin Currie (percussion) with Northern Chamber Orchestra at The Stoller Hall
Lauded as “the world’s finest and most daring percussionist” by The Spectator, Colin Currie performs as part of a wonderful programme at The Stoller Hall.
Manchester Open Exhibition 2020 at HOME
Featuring over 500 artists from across Greater Manchester, the inaugural edition of the Manchester Open Exhibition at HOME should be a highly eclectic and exciting affair.
BBC Philharmonic: Clyne/Vaughan Williams/Berlioz at The Bridgewater Hall
Bookended by two wild works by Anna Clyne and Berlioz and featuring Vaughan Williams’ classic The Lark Ascending, this BBC Philharmonic concert promises to dazzle.
Utopias at the Whitworth
A provocative exhibition that will bring together historic, modern and contemporary works from the Whitworth collection to examine utopian strategies.
Still showing this month
Telescope Walking Tours at Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
Join one of the Centre’s Explainers as they take you on a tour of the iconic Lovell Telescope. Find out how it came to be and discover more about the ground breaking research it enables.
Liverpool Biennial Northern England Tour
Whether Liverpool Biennial 2018 passed you by or you diligently ticked-off every last one of its multiple offerings (if so; bravo), the Liverpool Biennial Northern England Tour seems unlikely to disappoint.
Autumn at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens
If ever there’s a time to explore Beningbrough Hall, this is certainly it. Check out the packed programme of seasonal events and activities at the National Trust property this autumn.
The Reno at the Whitworth
Award-winning playwright Linda Brogan and a group of local residents who used to attend the Reno nightclub in the 1970s and 80s prepare to occupy the Whitworth for one year. Located in Moss Side, the Reno was known as a space for young mixed-race Mancunians. This living exhibition will tell the story of the club through art and archive materials.
A-Z of Salford’s Collections at Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Discover how Victorian gentlemen protected their moustaches from tea, which monarch’s pair of stockings reside in Salford, get up close to incredible art and more.
In A League Of Their Own at Castleford Museum
Rugby League is born and bred in West Yorkshire. From its beginnings in Huddersfield in 1895 to the Super League superstars of today, celebrate over 120 years of blood, sweat and tears.
Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest at People’s History Museum
Marking the 200-year-anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, ‘Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest’ at People’s History Museum takes visitors on a journey through the past, present and future of protest in this country.
Family Fun at Pontefract Museum
Lively activity sessions that everyone can take part in.
Castle Crafts at Pontefract Castle
Get creative together and explore and learn about the history of Pontefract Castle through play or crafts. A different activity each month.
Yemen: Inside a Crisis at Imperial War Museum North
Curated with support from award-winning journalist Iona Craig, Yemen: Inside a Crisis at Imperial War Museum North offers a powerful look at one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Poulsen Arc Dream Radio at Storyhouse in Chester
What does it mean to be transported into another person’s memories? Step into a new digital art commission at Storyhouse in Chester to find out.
Pearl Alcock at the Whitworth
Part of the Windrush generation, artist Pearl Alcock’s series of ‘visions’ and ‘moods’ realised as drawings and paintings go on display at the Whitworth.
Louise Giovanelli at Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery prepares to present a series of new paintings by artist Louise Giovanelli, alongside rarely-seen early Renaissance panel paintings.
David Smith: Sculpture 1932–1965 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a major exhibition of work by the great American artist David Smith (1906–1965) – the first solo exhibition of Smith’s work in the UK since Tate Modern’s 2006 project and the largest ever outside the capital.
Holly Hendry / Taus Makhacheva at The Tetley
As part of the Liverpool Biennial touring programme, The Tetley is hosting works by artists Holly Hendry and Taus Makhacheva.
The Sun at the Science and Industry Museum
Museum of Science and Industry’s blockbuster summer exhibition, The Sun, sets out to bring us as close to the star as many of us are likely to ever come.
Maddi Nicholson: a place lived at Hardman Square in Spinningfields
‘a place lived’ by Maddi Nicholson is a new public artwork that delves into the near-forgotten history of Manchester’s thriving financial district.
Unreformed: Wallpaper and Design Diversity at the Whitworth
Unreformed: Wallpaper and Design Diversity at the Whitworth examines the powerful the voices of the Design Reform movement.
Cézanne at the Whitworth
This exhibition celebrates an extraordinary collection of drawings and prints by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) that has been gifted and placed on long-term loan to the Whitworth
Meditation at the Manchester Buddhist Centre
Learn how to meditate with the welcoming community at Manchester Buddhist Centre. Their beginners classes are the perfect way to find your feet and develop your own meditation practice.
The Hallé 2019-20 Season
From a brilliant range of symphonies, concertos, vocal works, operas and more, we select our five top picks from the Hallé’s 2019-20 season.
BBC Philharmonic 2019/20 Concert Season
An outstanding orchestra live in a world-class concert hall – read about the BBC Philharmonic’s 2019-20 season at The Bridgewater Hall.
Everyman & Playhouse Autumn Season
A busy and brilliant season, expect award-winning musicals, stage adaptations of revered literary classics and celebrated cult films, alongside high-quality family shows. There is plenty to enjoy in Liverpool’s theatres this autumn.
Rewriting The Future at Site Gallery, Sheffield
Rewriting the Future at Site Gallery explores how feminist speculative perspectives can offer new insights into how we can restructure society in a more equal way.
Alexis Teplin at Bluecoat
This solo show of new work at Bluecoat marks artist Alexis Teplin’s largest major UK exhibition. Her work crosses between painting, performance and film, drawing parallels between the process of each art form.
Technical Tours at the National Coal Mining Museum
Get into the the heart of the machinery with technical tours of the mines at the National Coal Mining Museum.
Second Nature: What is ‘nature’ anyway? at The Portico Library
Second Nature at The Portico Library brings together literature, artefacts, research and new works by contemporary artists and young people to ask what we mean by ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ today and how these terms have been used throughout the modern age.
Alan Davie & David Hockney: Early Works at The Hepworth Wakefield
A major new exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield brings together the work of two major figures of post-war British painting: Alan Davie and David Hockney.
Christina Quarles at The Hepworth Wakefield
Marking her first solo exhibition outside of America, ‘Christina Quarles at The Hepworth Wakefield’ offers an incredible window onto the inner world of the Los Angeles-based artist.
Elizabeth Price at the Whitworth
‘Elizabeth Price at the Whitworth’ brings together new and acclaimed works – including drawings, sculpture, and video – by the Turner prize-winning artist.
Cui Jie at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
Described by the Wall Street Journal as one of ‘China’s Rising Art Stars’, encounter the work of Shanghai-based artist Cui Jie at CFCCA.
Cheng Ran: Diary of a Madman, Manchester Plan at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art presents an exhibition of newly commissioned work by Cheng Ran, representing a further Manchester chapter in the artist’s ‘Diary of a Madman’ series.
Winter Wildlife in print at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens
After the leaves have fallen and the flowers have gone, discover beautifully crafted artwork by Yorkshire artist Gerard Hobson inspired by real-life creatures that call Beningbrough their home.
Northern Chamber Orchestra 2019/20 Season
Northern Chamber Orchestra’s 2019/20 Season features the likes of violinists Chloe Hanslip and Anthony Marwood; pianist Martin James Bartlett; percussionist Colin Currie; and their President, cellist, Raphael Wallfisch.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto: Sleeping Beauty at Liverpool Everyman
Well, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to see Liverpool’s jukebox-sensational Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto, would it?
Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool
Drenched in the rich beauty of the Guatemalan rainforest, Tate Liverpool presents the first UK solo exhibition of work by the Swiss-Argentinian artist, Vivian Suter.
Theaster Gates: Amalgam at Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool presents ‘Theaster Gates: Amalgam’, the first major exhibition of work by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gatesa in the UK.
Related Guides
Jazz in Manchester
Some tops picks of weekly live jazz gigs and jam nights from across the city. Whether you’re a jazz player or appreciator, there’s something for everyone.
Three reasons to visit Birmingham this Summer
Technically Birmingham isn’t in the North, but this summer they are putting on some great festivals. Three reasons to visit Birmingham this Summer.
Nightclubs in Manchester
Manchester today offers such a variety of venues at which to feel young and alive, you’d be a fool not to check out the city’s solid-gold after hours scene.
August Bank Holiday
Looking for things to do over the August Bank Holiday? Near fear, we’ve put together a handpicked list of things to do in Manchester and the North this August Bank Holiday weekend.
Father’s Day
This year’s Father’s Day is Sunday 16th June. Get out and about and spend some quality time with the old man in Manchester.
Music Venues in Cumbria
When the sun goes down and you’ve had your fair share of Cumbria’s great outdoors, head to the area’s music venues to catch folk and jazz sessions, as well as regular performances by touring musicians. We recommend some of our favourites.
Things to do right now
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