Inspired by Orwell’s Keep the Aspidistra Flying, this independent bookshop is housed in a bright kiosk within Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse. They specialise in politics, fiction, history, LGBT and art. Why not pick up a good read next time you’re leaving AMC?
Factory Spotlight hands the mic to After the Applause for a free live edition celebrating the launch of season two of the Manchester podcast.
Free entry
Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Angel’s Bone brings a dark contemporary parable about exploitation, coercion and the abuse of power.
From £10.00
Creativity is taking centre stage at Aviva Studios. Black Creative Trailblazers host Sip and Paint, an evening dedicated to colour, culture and community.
From £8.00
From cult hero to global collaborator, Thundercat is back with his first album in six years, and a headline show at Aviva Studios.
From £37.50
This April at Aviva Studios, Manchester’s dancefloor gets a queer makeover with Street Symphony x Red Rodeo Club.
Free entry
Manchester Film Festival returns in 2026 with another lively celebration of independent and boundary-pushing cinema.
From £16.95
A major new dance work brings Sinéad O’Connor’s uncompromising voice back into the room, responding to a life lived against the grain.
From £10.00
A mainstream chain cinema showing a mix of new releases and blockbusters. Located in The Great Northern Warehouse complex.
James Martin’s new pre-theatre menu provides modern British cuisine at a pocket-friendly price.
An epicentre of entertainment and shopping housed within a 19th Century railway warehouse. The Great Northern is a commercial hub of leisure, lifestyle and buiness in the centre of Manchester.
Another Hand is a new restaurant from team behind 3hands, offering casual dining at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This upmarket Cantonese restaurant is based in a casino, meaning you can fill your belly then go blow your wages, all in the same place!
Tucked into the first floor of Great Northern is Paradise Skate World, an intergalactic realm of quad skating and cosmically themed cocktails.
The Lion’s Den is a superb bar and event space in the Great Northern, hosting regular live music and comedy events.
Bar Hutte is a charming ski village-style experience based at the Great Northern on Deansgate, including karaoke huts, live music and superb drinks.
Based at Great Northern’s thriving plaza, The Mews Bar and Charcuterie is a stylish place for drinks and high-quality food boards, from the team behind the excellent Northern Quarter cocktail
A casino in Manchester city centre with several restaurants and bars. Open 24-hours.
Suki Suki is a great-looking restaurant and bar, serving up great quality Pan-Asian food on Deansgate.
This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.
Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.
From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.
Spring is coming, at some point. As for now, it’s cold and grim so take our advice and shelter in a nice warm restaurant, pub or bar.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.
