What's on

Manchester Literature Festival presents Hannah Ritchie

Performance Space

Join us for an energising and empowering evening with bestselling author and data scientist Hannah Ritchie, one of the most refreshing new voices in the climate conversation.   In her surprisingly hopeful new book, Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers, she answers big climate questions with clarity […]

Get Online Week

Get Online Week is coming to Central Library! Join us for an afternoon packed with digital discovery, hands-on help, and exciting tech experiences — all part of Good Things Foundation’s annual campaign to help everyone unlock the benefits of being online. Activities include: Ground Floor: Digital Marketplace Explore a buzzing hub of stalls offering free advice, […]

Manchester Literature Festival presents WritersMosaic: Mona Arshi, Karen McCarthy Woolf & Roger Robinson

Performance Space

Nature writing has seen a powerful resurgence in recent years, but we must ask—whose voices are being heard? And who is being welcomed into the landscape?  In this thoughtful reading and conversation, John Siddique of WritersMosaic hosts acclaimed poets and co-editors Mona Arshi and Karen McCarthy Woolf and T.S. Eliot Prize-winner Roger Robinson. Together, they […]

Manchester Literature Festival presents Creative Connection

Performance Space

A brilliant celebration of creativity and inclusion bringing disabled and non-disabled students from Manchester and Salford together to create, build connection and celebrate the songs they have developed with professional musicians over the week. Come and join us for this joyous day presented in partnership with Create.  Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by […]

Manchester Literature Festival presents John Murray Proof Party

Performance Space

DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES LIV LITTLE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT. You’re invited to our first proof party with John Murray Press and Dialogue Books!   Be among the first to hear from three exciting new voices as they give us an exclusive sneak peek into their 2026 novels and writing. Then […]

Make Cress Heads for Green Libraries Week!

Lower Ground Floor

Come and celebrate Green Libraries Week with us at Central Library. Pick up free seeds from our seed library and get creative making your very own cress head to take home. A perfect blend of gardening and crafting! Suitable for families. Free – just drop in Please consider making a donation if you can online or at […]

Stories and songs for Green Libraries Week!

Henry Watson Music Library

Calling all little groovers! Show us some moves at this fun and interactive music and dance session in the music library on the first floor of Central Library. We’ll bring the music, so get ready to hit the dancefloor! Suitable for children under 4. Free – just drop in Please consider making a donation if […]

An Evening with TJ Klune

Performance Space

Queer Lit and Manchester Libraries present a truly special evening as we welcome T.J. Klune – the international bestselling author and legend in queer literature – for an intimate conversation at Manchester Central Library. Expect: Thoughtful discussion about his iconic books Book signing opportunities Meet & greet and photo ops A warm, welcoming space to celebrate queer […]

Festival of Social Science Day

Performance Space

Join us at Central Library for a day of free activities and events celebrating The Festival of Social Science - an annual celebration of research and knowledge about humans and society and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. The festival is an opportunity for anyone to explore topics relating to social science, from health and […]

Your Voice, Your Education: Shaping Inclusive Educational Resource

Ground Floor

Are you 12-18 years old and passionate about inclusive, creative learning that centres the voices, histories, experiences and activism of global majority communities across Greater Manchester? Join the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust for an interactive creative workshop to discuss what inclusive education should look like and contribute to a youth-led set of recommendations that […]

Recurring

LEGO Club

City Library

Do you love Lego? So do we! Drop in, pick your favourite bricks and build anything that takes your fancy. From castles to spaceships, the possibilities are endless! No need to book in advance. First come first served. Suitable for ages 4 and above. Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support […]

Hispanic Film Club: La libreria (The Bookshop)

Performance Space

Manchester Central Library and the Instituto Cervantes of Manchester proudly present the Hispanic Film Club. Join us for this month's film, La libreria (The Bookshop). 'Based on Penelope Fitzgerald´s novel of the same name; The Bookshop is set in 1959, Florence Green, a free spirited widow, puts grief behind her and risks everything to open up a […]