Dating back to 1865 when it opened as one of four exchange halls in the country, The Exchange is an iconic Blackburn venue currently undergoing a restoration project that will see it become a multicultural ‘Hub on the High Street’.
World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker is celebrating all things wonderful in his critically acclaimed show Wonderful 2.0, brought to The Crescent by regular York spoken word promoter Say Owt.
From £13.20
GASP! Horror Film Festival returns with three days of screenings dedicated to championing diversity in genre cinema.
From £5.00
Verbose is one of Manchester’s longest-running spoken word events, and welcomes Tom Sastry and Molly Naylor for June.
Free entry
Runaway Brewery Tour & Tasting is a chance to enjoy one of Stockport’s breweries in the flesh and, of course, sample the end product.
From £18.00
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
Transforming Cathedral Gardens into Little Italy, Festa Italiana Manchester is back for the eighth year in a row.
Free entry
Dance, drag and surreal cabaret collide as Lowry Associate Artists, Thick & Tight return to Salford with a bold new take on nature.
From £16.00
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery houses a rich and fascinating collection covering fine art, decorative art, Egyptology, coins, manuscripts, natural history, social history and South Asia.
Blackburn’s original, Italian renaissance style town hall was completed in 1856.
Blackburn’s home of live music, Electric Church Club hosts artists from the whole of the UK.
One of the North West of England’s best known and loved entertainment venues the historic King George’s Hall in Blackburn was built in the classical style from stone quarried at Butler’s Delph in Pleasington.
Established in 2016, Prism Contemporary is an independent gallery run by artists, curators and producers.
This quality bistro offers fine dining at fabulous prices. One of the leading training restaurants, Scholars Restaurant is run by both industry professionals and fantastic Blackburn College students.
Serving award winning coffees and a great choice of loose teas, cold drinks and takeaway delights including toasted fruit teacakes, crumpets and toast all of which you can order online through its click and collect service.
This is dessert heaven served in the most amazing surroundings. A beautiful destination for all manner of sweet treats and the added bonus of a click and collect service. Vanilla Milk cake, Mintberry Mojito or test yourself with a Lick Your Lips – Fudge Brownies, Belgian Milk Chocolate, with Milk Chocolate Curls and Strawberries.
A long term favourite for skate brands and streetwear with a mini skate ramp in the basement.
Blackburn Cathedral is one of England’s newest Cathedrals, yet it is one of the country’s oldest places of Christian worship.
The Bureau is an artist led arts and community centre, providing a versatile and inclusive space for theatre, music, cultural events and community participation.
Blackburn is synonymous with a great curry and Thira offers exactly that. With a discount available for click and collect, you can call and pre-order from a wide menu of home dining options. Starters include Grilled King Fish , boneless diced lamb sauteed with crushed ginger and shallots or a deep dish of mussels marinated with Kerala spices and deep fried.
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.
