Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Light Festivals in the North

Alice Hiley

As the colder and darker nights draw in, it can be tempting to settle into the sofa and hibernate away until summer returns. But you’d be missing out on some of the most spectacular – and ubiquitously pleasing – events in the North: light festivals. More popular than ever, our list is bursting with more established as well as brand new events for you to explore. Best of all, light festivals are family friendly and the perfect way to light up the shorter winter days.

You might associate festivals with summer and music, but these illuminated events are a celebration of the magic of the festive period and the beauty of the buildings all around us. Some are more traditional, marking the end of the harvest season, while others showcase cutting-edge light technology; you’ll see everything from handmade, candle-lit lanterns and puppets to large-scale LED and neon sculpture.

Towns become night-time, open air galleries with something to discover around every corner. All sorts of communities get involved, from sprawling cities like Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds to seaside towns like Blackpool and tiny villages like Saltaire. Whether you’re getting involved by crafting your own wicker lantern or interacting with touch-sensitive installations, get ready to be fully immersed in the experience.

Seasonal Guides

Creepy capers across Manchester and the North for little and big ghosts with the most.
Halloween in Manchester and the North

As Halloween approaches read our guide to the creepy capers happening for little and big ghosts with the most.
Tilly and the bear
Christmas Theatre and Concerts

As the big day approaches, you can count on theatres and concert halls across the North to pull out all the festive stops.
Champagne flute swirling in front of a Christmas tree.
Christmas in the North

If you’re looking for alternative or interesting things to do over Christmas in Manchester and the North, look no further.
Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Cultural Calendar 2025

Our editors’ biannually updated list of some of the best-looking arts and cultural events in Manchester and the North in 2025.
An illustration people shopping at The Hepworth Wakefield Festive Market
Christmas Shopping in the North

Back away from the high street and support some of Manchester’s best independent makers, sellers and curators this Christmas.
If at First Main Image
Black History Month in Manchester and the North

Discover the North West’s best Black History Month events, including exhibitions, theatre and dance.
Mother and daughter play with smell interactive_Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You
Things to do over October half term

Looking for things to do with the family over the Easter school holidays? We’ve got you covered.

Destinations

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Cinema in the North

A host of Halloween horrors, experimental shorts, plus pioneering black British cinema make our October Cinema Guide.

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.