What's on

Saturday Film Club: Refugee Week Special!

Performance Space

Join us at Manchester Central Library for a fantastic afternoon for the whole family dedicated to Refugee Week 2025. Watch a family favourite on the big screen and join themed craft sessions. Free entry, just drop in! Check out our full programme below: 1pm-4pm: Film Screening with Crafts Join us for a screening of The […]

Word Central

Performance Space

Word Central Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word. Presented by Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries. Hosted by Tony Curry with special guest Kim Moore. Book your open mic slot from noon on Tuesday 10th June via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk. N.B. Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer – it is essential that you stay within this […]

Crime Central

Performance Space

CRIME CENTRAL RETURNS 25 JUNE 2025 With the brilliant Rachel Wolf, H Critchlow and Antony Johnston! Bringing the best from all over! Featuring the best and brightest crime writing talent both locally and from around the country - the big names are all coming to Manchester! Go behind the scenes! Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent […]

Hannah Brine – Album Launch

Henry Watson Music Library

Singer songwriter Hannah Brine launches her debut album Blue Sky Now with a live gig at the Manchester Central Library. Inspired by the Great American Songbook, with a voice & song writing style likened to Carole King, Norah Jones and Rumer, Hannah writes & performs lush ballads & lively jazz anthems, telling tales of growth […]

An Evening with V. E. Schwab

Performance Space

We are hugely excited to welcome bestselling author V.E. Schwab to Manchester Central Library as we celebrate the publication of her new genre-defying, unforgettable novel Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. From the author of the incredible standalone novel The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue comes a spellbinding queer love story following the desires and dreams of […]

Lords and Ladies of Middleton Manor

Performance Space

Join us for an evening exploring the fascinating Assheton family of Middleton. Meet a medieval Middleton Bowman and discover everyday life through close-up encounters with  original historic documents from the Assheton collection. Free event with refreshments. Free – just drop in Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of […]

Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal

Performance Space

Blink Publishing and Manchester Libraries present an evening with Jo Hamilton at Central Library. 'My first big discrepancy came in the shape of a £2,000 shortfall that just made no sense at all. Of all the things that kept me awake once in the thick of the nightmare that unfolded, it was being stuck in […]

PRIVATE RITES: Julia Armfield in conversation with Jess White

Performance Space

We're are thrilled to welcome Julia Armfield back to Manchester for the paperback publication of Private Rites, an uneasy, water-logged tale of family, queer love and faith at the end of the world. Julia will be in conversation with Jess White. Tickets are £4. Admission is free when purchasing a copy the book. About the […]

Beyond the Fire – Remembering Oxford Mills

‘At the height of the inferno, around 75 firefighters tackled the blaze.’ MEN, 7 Aug 2019 What happens to collective memory, history and place when a devastating fire blazes through the heart of a community building rendering everything to ashes? How does one find strength to carry on when all that is familiar vanishes? Join […]

LGBTQ+ Film Night

Performance Space

The LGBTQIA+ Staff Network are back for another cosy night in at Central Library to watch queer films with our friends, and we’re inviting you! We all love a good movie night, but nothing beats watching a film with your pals. So join us on Monday 14 July -  everyone is welcome! We want you […]

Oasis Week: The Big Oasis Quiz

Manchester Central Library presents... The Big Oasis Quiz. This July, the big Central Library Quiz returns for a one-off “Oasis Week” special. Do you know... Your Alan McGee, from your Alan White? Your “Hindu Times”, from your ‘Heathen Chemistry’? Your Beady Eye, from your High Flying Birds? Definitely? Or, just Maybeeee? Then it's time to […]