A shrine to all that is well-designed and perfectly formed, Form Lifestyle Store is founded upon the values of independent, consumer conscious shopping, and the idea of owning fewer products but loving and valuing them for longer. The shop also runs a diverse programme of workshops led by local creatives, covering everything from Brush Lettering for Beginners to Japanese Kokedama.
Beat the Frog is a legendary amateur comedy night, taking place each and every Monday. Many famous names prove it’s the real deal.
free entry
Two brilliant Scottish artists come together for an intimate, audio-visual performance, melding meditative jazz, neo-classical and electronica.
from £16.50
An insanely committed seven-nights-a-week, Creatures of the Night Comedy Club opens its doors (20.30-22.30 typically, though please check) for evening after evening of side-splitting comedy.
from £5.00
Un-Convention is the ultimate independent music industry conference and showcase taking place at Band on the Wall in Manchester this November.
Hear directly from the people powering the music industry in both Manchester and the UK, as well as witnessing some of the North’s upcoming talent at Beyond the Music.
from £16.75
Mercurial NYC avant-rock vets Blonde Redhead play Manchester following the release of Sit Down for Dinner, their warmest, most welcoming record yet.
from £27.50
Bring your records for a spin at our Open Deck session this Saturday! If you’ve bought some new vinyl from a local record shop this week, just show your receipt at the bar to get yourself a free 9” pizza!
Every Monday night upstairs at Fierce Bar, The Comedy Vault hosts an outrageously funny open-mic night. Come and try your hand or just to watch and laugh.
free entry
The latest iteration of long-standing Malaysian restaurant Ning, Penang is a small tastefully-lit space with eye-catching purple floral decor, based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The original restaurant in the Bem Brasil chain. Expect barbecued meat from a traditional Brazilian grill.
This rock n’ roll greasy spoon on Stevenson Square in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is the place to be weekend mornings.
Soup Kitchen is a superb communal cafe by day and an excellent live music venue by night. The perfect choice for lunch or a great night out.
A pub with a 200 year-long history on Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the Castle Hotel has a musical past.
Comedy club in Manchester on the corner of Oldham Street and Great Ancoats. A popular stop on the stand up comedy circuit, Frog and Bucket has seen the likes of Peter Kay, Richard Herring and Johnny Vegas take to its stage.
Village Books on Oxford Street is a cultural utopia. Offering a selection of contemporary art, design, fashion and photography.
Head north on Oldham Street and you’ll come across Gullivers, a ‘no gimmicks and no pretensions’ pub and gig venue.
A quirky bar, paying homage to the unfortunately deceased Blockbusters video rental stores, with aptly named cocktails and a great atmosphere.
Manchester’s longest running specialist LGBTQIA+ bookshop, Queer Lit provides a much needed platform for Queer authors.
Ever-popular Caribbean food chain, now based in the Northern Quarter.
Hailed as something of a cry back ‘to the way the Northern Quarter used to be’, The Peer Hat is a great pub and music venue.
Gearing up for a sunny July? Take some eating-out tips from this month's guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
Make bread, throw axes, learn costume design and drink beer like you've never done before in this month's Tours and activities guide.
All-dayers make a strong showing in our latest music picks, from dance music marathons to vibrant showcases of South Asian artistry.
School year, complete! And as we say goodbye to what seems like a rather long summer term, we can look forward to the summer holidays, with lots of exciting activities...
This month we look at Indie Horror Summer, outdoor movies, and a brand new film festival in Sheffield.
Interactive circus, arts festivals and new writing, our guide features a show-stopping selection of theatre happening indoors and outside.
In between working out, then working through, your holiday reading pile this summer, find inspiration for your next bookish acquisitions from our selection of live events and exhibitions.
Virginia Woolf and lasers, environmental recovery through wildness and thoughts on motherhood - all this and more in our exhibition top picks!
Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.
