It may look like a very traditional pub; complete with dart board, bar billiards, skittles and even a piano in the corner – but The Smithfield Tavern is much more than that. Welcoming staff, dog-friendly and obviously an excellent changing selection of beers from the likes of Blackjack Brewery, Runaway, Track and loads more… you will instantly feel at home here.
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.
Rock-informed, techno-adjacent musical collagists Moin perform at Band on the Wall this spring.
from £16.50
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
Try your hand at stand up comedy with an eight week intensive course with Dave Williams in the Frog and Bucket’s School of Comedy.
from £300.00
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
Dance a Céilí with Altogether Otherwise as part of their singing and dancing months in May and June.
free entry
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 is one of Manchester’s most legendary live music venues, the place where Joy Division, The Buzzcocks and Oasis got their first breaks.
The Rose & Monkey Hotel is one of the Northern Quarter’s best music-led bars, with a truly impressive beer garden. Our new favourite Manchester pub.
Excellent Mexican cuisine based in Mackie Mayor in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The Northern Quarter’s self-styled ‘happiest place in Manchester’, based at the old Bluu site.
Stylish modern bar serving sophisticated cocktails in the Northern Quarter.
Pull Up is a bustling Caribbean restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The Firehouse serves up quality food and drink at its new Wednesday evening supper club.
A Grade II listed market building in the Northern Quarter, Mackie Mayor is a key fixture in the ever-growing Northern Quarter food and drink scene.
Noi Quattro is an independent pizzeria at the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
No-frills bar on Manchester’s Swan Street. A wide selection of beers and ciders mixed with a great jukebox make this an ideal pre-Band on The Wall drinking spot.
New Orleans reaches Manchester with this dedicated jazz club in the Northern Quarter – a reliable choice for a good night out.
Electronic music features heavily in our latest round-up of gig highlights across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month
Spring is here and the North is buzzing with must-visit new restaurants and bars.
Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.
We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.
Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.
Crocodile-themed Easter egg hunts, sense-sational museum trips and more this Easter!
If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.
