Rescued from dereliction by the Northern Ballet School in 1990, The Dancehouse was restored to its 1930s Art Deco glory and reopened in 1994 as a theatre and dance studio. The 35, 000 square foot venue stages cabaret acts, comedy shows, talks and cinema screenings as well as functioning as a ballet training institution.
Sorry return to Manchester with a new album that finally captures the full strangeness and clarity of a band who’ve spent years ducking easy categorisation.
From £23.25
This Christmas, A Christmas Carol gets a spine-tingling makeover at HOME Manchester. See The Book of Darkness & Light and their ghostly adaption.
HOME’s Christmas show Freaky Friday makes its UK stage premiere. A funny, heartfelt Disney musical offering a body-swappingly brilliant alternative to panto.
From £27.70
HOME presents ‘Roots in the Sky’, a group exhibition and curatorial project by British-Nigerian artist Tunji Adeniyi-Jones.
New Queers Eve takes over all three floors of The Deaf Institute, turning the building into Dandy’s end-of-year playground.
From £5.00
Experience Jonathan Demme’s multi-Oscar-winning thriller with iconic score performed live by the Hallé orchestra.
From £34.50
The Hallé invites audiences to a year of classical masterpieces, world premieres and appearances by some electrifying artists and composers.
From £17
The Hallé has a bumper Christmas season in store, decking the (Bridgewater) hall with festive pop, cinematic magic and roaring-twenties glamour.
From £18.50
Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, full of the city’s best food and drink, led by an effortlessly engaging host.
Friendly pub under a railway arch serving vegetarian and vegan pub food, as well as hosting regular live music.
Refined steakhouse with smart, low-lit decor, boasting some of the finest cuts of meat in the city.
Independent Leeds-based brewery North has opened its first Manchester taproom, in Oxford Road’s Circle Square neighbourhood.
The apple in Now Wave’s eye, YES boasts four floors of live music and DJs, and offers food via two outlets. It also has a huge outdoor roof terrace!
Bakchich does excellent, reasonably priced Lebanese food – including sharwarma, pickles, meshawi grills and baklawa – in a beautifully tiled, high-ceilinged space.
Beer, cocktails and Asian street food at one of Manchester’s friendliest bars.
Manchester has more than one top-tier Indian restaurant, but Zouk is right up there with the best, and counts Drake as a fan.
Gorilla is a good choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. From a hearty full English to meaty burgers via good vegan and veggie options. It also hosts some of the
Panchos Burritos is a Mexican street food vendor in the Arndale Market.
Long-established Manchester bar and nightclub, Joshua Brooks is just off student hotspot Oxford Road. Open until 4am on the weekends with regular DJ-led club nights.
A bar and 10-pin bowling alley combined, Dog Bowl is a neon-lit venue that serves up cocktails and Tex-Mex food to go with your time on the lanes.
Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.
Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.
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.
Manchester’s family‑friendly scene is buzzing this season with storytelling, theatre, and hands‑on fun for all ages.
In galleries around the North this autumn, you'll find tactile sculptures, Treasures with a capital 'T' and plant magic.
Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
