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Spring

Creative Tourist

Spring is here, the sun’s (almost) out and things are looking up. Even better, there are all manner of ace things to do in Spring, particularly if you’re of a cultural bent. From romantic places to go on a Valentine’s date to places to take your mum, from short break ideas to help you make the most of the Easter bank Holidays to school holiday what’s on guides, and from blockbuster exhibitions and art openings to music, art and digital festivals, read our recommendations to ensure that you feel like Spring has most definitely sprung.

Seasonal Guides

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.
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.
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.

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.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
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.

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

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Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.