What's on near Spectrum Studio
Join Craft Beer Tour Manchester for a journey through some of the cities best local breweries and artisanal beer serving bars. Discover the personality of Manchester’s beer through a diverse
From £45
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
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.
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
Smart, sharp and seriously funny, Creatures Comedy Festival brings stand-up stars, rising talent and Edinburgh previews to Manchester this July.
From £6.00
Join in the celebration of creative communities in the heart of Manchester with MCDC’s new exhibition ‘Connecting Spaces’.
Free entry
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
esea contemporary presents the first UK institutional solo show by Slavs and Tatars with ‘The Contest of the Fruits’.
Free entryWhere to go near Spectrum Studio
This café in Ancoats is locally famed for its lunchtime deals and sandwiches
Started by artisan baker Russell Goodwin, Companio Bakery sells freshly-baked bread from a small unit in Manchester’s Ancoats.
Blossom Street Social is a wonderful Ancoats bar, with a vast selection of wine.
A hip hop-inspired, non-traditional chip shop, now based in Ancoats.
Manchester’s only Michelin-starred restaurant.
Cocoa Cabana is a highly-rated chocolatiers based in Ancoats, serving up decadent artisan chocolates, cakes, sweet treats and cocktails.
Perfectly-formed, eye-catching small plates with a focus on environmentally-friendly practices.
Popular bakery in the Ancoats and New Islington area, specialising in sourdough bread and viennoiserie baked goods.
Cask in Ancoats opened in November 2018, it is the flashy sister bar to Cask on Liverpool Road.
Ancoats-based bar and restaurant, specialising in cocktails, British small plates, weekend brunch and Sunday roasts.
Flawd is a neighbourhood wine bar based in Ancoats, from the team behind the wonderful Higher Ground dining experience.
Judy’s Affordable Vintage Furniture Fair, Leeds is the famed fair’s take on a more niche line of product.
Manchester District Guides
Culture Guides
Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.
The sun is shining in the North, so use our guide to get out there and eat, drink and be merry in it.
Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.
July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.
From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.
Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.
Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.
This month's guide is truly eclectic - from free family festivals, to food events, circus school and more!