Saan1 is an independent art and community space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, showcasing work by artists from Manchester’s Hong Kong community as well as pop-up exhibitions and other events.
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
Join in the celebration of creative communities in the heart of Manchester with MCDC’s new exhibition ‘Connecting Spaces’.
Free entry
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
Get hands on with the decks in this funk and soul superstar DJ workshop from BBC Radio 6’s Ailsa.
Free entry
All instruments, all abilities are welcome to join a band every week at Altogether Otherwise as part of their Singing and Dancing programme.
Free entry
Band on the Wall bring people together to make, as well as watch, music. Join them to learn folk tunes from all over the world.
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
Join an access-all-areas guided tour of Chetham’s Library and the surrounding school – among the most venerable buildings in the North West.
From £20.00
The northern quarter’s Frog Flowers is part florists, part artist’s studio – and is one Manchester shop that ticks all the boutique boxes.
A pop-up chocolate shop we hope will never pop off.
Named after Manchester’s one time publisher, radical and mayor Abel Heywood, this Hynes-owned pub and hotel is somewhat more conventionally polished than its namesake.
The neo-Romanesque arches of this former wholesale food market still stand as a reminder to the Northern Quarter’s mercantile past.
A music-led bar and creative hub in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
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.
Highly-rated bar based in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, seconds away from Common.
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.
Essentially three bars under one roof, Cane & Grain encompasses a rib joint and tap room, hidden speakeasy, and Tiki-themed Liar’s Lounge.
With booths, long bench tables and wooden tables with British school-like chairs. Being able to flow seamlessly from day to night, makes it one of the top bars for any occasion.
There’s no better place in the country to find and buy examples of music-oriented illustration and photography than the Richard Goodall Gallery
Manchester’s newest destination for denimheads, Rivet and Hide stocks a collection of quality, Americana-inspired men’s casual wear and raw selvedge denim – including prized Japanese brands like Momotaro, The Flat Head, and Pure Blue Japan.
The sun is shining in the North, so use our guide to get out there and eat, drink and be merry in it.
Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.
This month's guide is truly eclectic - from free family festivals, to food events, circus school and more!
From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.
Outdoor cinema announcements, a major retrospective at HOME, and the best of indie cinema.
Experimental performance, thought-provoking new writing and our picks of Manchester International Festival - here’s what’s taking centre stage this summer.
From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.
Books, beer and burlesque. Dive into a glorious tangle of joyful happenings.
