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November

Creative Tourist

It might be getting pretty cold out, but resist the urge to stay inside within touching distance of the radiator. Get out there and enjoy these amazing cultural things to do in November.

The music scene in the North is looking as vibrant and varied as ever with even more brilliant classical concerts alongside a booming choice of gigs. Head over to the Music section for our top picks. As for art, November is a fantastically busy month, with new exhibitions at every turn. There’s also plenty to dig into in our Theatre guide, including The Welcome, Factory International’s formal introduction to Manchester’s arts scene.

Finally, the Christmas warm up begins here, and bit by bit we’re adding to our round-ups of the best Christmas theatre and concerts taking place across the region, as well as some Christmas shopping ideas. And of course, tis nearly the season for a Christmas pig-out — you’ll find plenty of festive options in our Christmas food and drink guide.

 

 

Seasonal Guides

The Jungle Book at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Open Air Theatre in Manchester and the North

Open air theatre shows are happening across the north over the next few months – we’ve collated our top picks into a neat guide for you.

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.
Festival-goers at Green Island
Festivals

Here’s our guide to the best summer festivals with experiences taking place in a field or on the streets near you.
Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids
Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids

Check out our definitive and regularly updated guide of things to do with the family over the summer holidays.
Outdoor Art in the North

Our guide to the North’s outdoor art, which has a special relationship to community, cultural heritage and the landscape it’s situated in.
Outdoor Activities

Get out and about with our guide to interesting, unusual and distinctly cultural outdoor events and outdoor activities.
FaleSaSacred House
Visual Arts at MIF25

From indigenous wisdom in paint and performance to immersive sound installations, MIF25 returns with a unique visual arts programme.

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

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.