What's on near The Grub and Grog Shop
A choir that’s played nightclubs and toured with Gary Numan mixes festive singalongs with new carols by candlelight.
From £10.00
The Manchester charity orchestra behind tributes to Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder brings its music-for-everyone ethos to The Social.
Free entry
Twice winners of the RNCM’s top brass prize, this young quartet brings a set of seasonal brass fresh from the Lucerne Festival.
Free entry
A North West jazz quartet featuring guitarist John Bailey reimagines David Bowie’s catalogue in a free evening show.
Free entry
Coached by members of the Elias, Chilingirian and Talich quartets, this RNCM-formed string quartet brings genre-hopping versatility to Festive Live.
Free entry
Named RNCM Chamber Ensemble of the Year in 2026, saxophone quartet Fractal brings contemporary, energetic repertoire in this free set.
Free entry
Four final-year RNCM musicians bring improvised jazz on piano, saxophone, bass and drums to a free set at Aviva Studios.
Free entry
Prize-winning Manchester ensemble the Akiko Saxophone Quartet plays a free set spanning classical, jazz and contemporary works at Aviva Studios.
Free entryWhere to go near The Grub and Grog Shop
Northcote’s luxury hotel perfectly matches its Michelin-star restaurant, nestled in the Ribble Valley hills on the edge of the Forest of Bowland.
Medlock Square is a new £300m entertainment complex betwixt the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live, with Zadie’s, Little Beast, a hotel, market hall and more.
Italo-Japanese plates and razzle-dazzle glamour at Medlock Square. Featuring live acts, a space-age bar and a bird’s-eye view onto the Manchester City pitch.
Grafton Arms has undergone an impressive revamp. The Eagle Inn team have turned this traditional pub into a standout live venue and drinking destination.
Honest Crust’s Richard Carver and Rainy Heart’s Dan Hope join forces at Proloco, a music-led Ancoats restaurant serving 18-inch pizzas and seasonal plates.
GiGi is a lavish Italian restaurant just off Deansgate, with 1950s décor and a menu that sticks to the classics.
Pentonbridge Inn is a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in north Cumbria. Eight courses of bunkum-free fine dining from head chef Chris Archer.
Dahlia Stereo is a Latin American-inspired open-fire kitchen and bar off the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square, with a pitch perfect soundsystem.
Manchester’s new 509-bed Fusion Students building on Deansgate opens for 2026/27 with roof terraces, a gym and karaoke booth included.
Manchester has a glut of taprooms, and Balance Brewing’s is far and away the best. Drinks, decor, service – all a cut above.
A Georgian front room in Rusholme houses Moon Grove, an independent gallery with an unusually ambitious international programme.
Culture Guides
It’s a good season for contemporary art fans in Manchester, with many of our favourite small galleries launching something big.
The nights are drawing in. Theatre across the North is refusing to play it safe. November brings experimental performance, queer comedy and plenty of surprises.
Grubby dance music meets high-gloss hyperpop and wildly ambitious opera in our latest music guide.
It's autumn and time to get scheduling those hearty meals. Here's the October guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
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.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...