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
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!
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
There’s no better place in the country to find and buy examples of music-oriented illustration and photography than the Richard Goodall Gallery
The sister store to NOTE’s original Tib Street branch, here you’ll find footware, clothes and brands inspired by the skateboard scene. If it’s a new board you’re after, head to Tib Street.
Highly-rated bar based in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, seconds away from Common.
57 Thomas Street is the third outlet belonging to Manchester’s best-known microbrewery, Marble Beers. Unlike the lavish decoration of the Grade II-listed Marble Arch (which also doubles up as a brewery) or the traditional pub layout of the Marble Beer House in Chorlton, this tiny Thomas Street digs has room for just two things: beer and food.
This small shop has a well-curated range of stock that focuses on vintage homeware and gifts. From Japanese hemp socks to botanical paperweights and HAWS plant misters, each object is beautiful, practical and well made.
Essentially three bars under one roof, Cane & Grain encompasses a rib joint and tap room, hidden speakeasy, and Tiki-themed Liar’s Lounge.
Home Sweet Home in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is a cafe and milk bar that does a mean line in cake, puddings and all things sweet – but its savoury menu isn’t half bad either.
A pop-up chocolate shop we hope will never pop off.
The Smithfield Social is a charming Northern Quarter destination owned by local lad Liam Fray of Courteeners fame, offering brunch, lunch and a wide selection of hot, cold and alcoholic drinks.
Late night Northern Quarter bar
Northern Quarter stalwart Common Bar in Manchester serves excellent pub food, fine cocktails and decent coffee. It’s a firm Creative Tourist team favourite.
Boutique charity shop in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
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.
