What's on near Middlewood Locks
Swap the big auditoriums for pubs, studios and unexpected spaces as Greater Manchester Fringe Festival celebrates 15 years this July.
From £5.00
In the centenary year of the 1926 General Strike, People’s History Museum traces a century of industrial action and collective resistance.
Free entry
Nancy Collantine’s paintings begin as drawings of Northern landscapes, then move away from the view itself, toward gesture, layers and chance.
Free entry
This world-premiere exhibition offers a hands-on journey through the Solar System, making complex science tangible, playful and participatory.
From £10.00
Prepare for lift-off this summer at the Science and Industry Museum with a line-up of free, out-of-this-world family fun.
Free entry
From Mario to Sonic and Pong to Fortnite, play your way through five decades of the best video games. Fun and educational. Win-win.
From £18.00
In 1830, the world’s first fully operational, steam-powered passenger railway opened between Liverpool and Manchester. Take a closer look at this breakthrough moment.
From £20.00
Just announced – Rambert brings Russell T Davies’ acclaimed drama It’s a Sin to the stage, premiering at Aviva Studios before a major UK tour.
From £10.00Where to go near Middlewood Locks
Caustic Coastal is a gallery, artist studios and independent art label based in Salford, working as a curatorial platform for artists.
A former cotton spinning mill, Islington Mill in Manchester now houses artists’ studios, galleries, a recording studio, a nightclub, cafe and B&B.
Part of Salford Makers, 7 Spot is a 360 square foot ceramics studio offering classes and workshops as well as studio space for members.
Salford Makers are a collective of artists, designers, educators and makers based at Islington Mill in Salford.
Taste the ultimate in authentic Italian cuisine at Vero Moderno.
A great little cafe where you’ll find good food and excellent Jazz.
Small, perfectly formed, the newly-reopened New Oxford packs a real-ale punch.
This warehouse located behind Islington Mill is being brought into creative use by Manchester’s underground music scene.
This Chapel Street gallery and tea room hosts 8-12 week long exhibitions giving emerging artists a chance to showcase their work.
One of Salford’s finest churches and also, unusually, a live music venue
Factory Square is a huge beer garden, on the banks of the River Irwell, with top-quality drinks and street food selections.
This old school pub not only offers a great selection of drinks and food, but also live music nights and a lively atmosphere.
Manchester District Guides
Culture Guides
From local painting to folklore on film, sound art to installation on the Caribbean diaspora – this month's guide covers the full spectrum.
It's heatwave time, so set your small talk phasers to 'weather' and get out there and grab some cold drinks and delicious food.
Discover the summer's most rewarding theatre in libraries, pubs, Fringe venues and unexpected spaces across the North.
From post-industrial romance to experimental country, here's a hot new batch of weird gigs in small venues.
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.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.