Get ready to move and honor the powerful women who came before us with a dance experience full of soul and stories. Dance has long brought people together and is a key part of the Baganda People of Uganda. This workshop explores how dance can challenge authoritarian rule, focusing on how Baganda dances strengthen community […]
Come along to the Henry Watson Music Library for some exceptional choral music from: Choirs Manchester. Choirs Manchester are a collective of choirs running in Chorlton and Withington. They are all about singing to feel good and love nothing more than performing their original arrangements of current and classic tunes. They have performed yearly at the […]
Join us for a special Sunday opening as we celebrate the final day of Festival of Libraries 2026. Expect special performances, music, exhibitions, craft sessions, and lots of fun for all ages! Free entry - please drop in (face painting: £2 per child) Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at […]
Bestselling author and broadcaster Natalie Haynes returns to Manchester Literature Festival to discuss her powerful new novel No Friend to This House - an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea. Based on Euripides’ classic tragedy, No Friend to This House explores love, vengeance, power and survival, as Medea faces an impossible choice that will change the course of her and her family’s […]
Join us for a special day of events celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Experience a community Persian Calligraphy taster session led by Iranian artist Sareh Moradi, join storytime sessions, and much more. Programme Persian Calligraphy workshop 11am-1pm Lower Ground Floor We are hosting a community Persian Calligraphy taster […]
In celebration of Make Music Day 2026, the Greater Manchester Voices choir will be performing a very special set in the Henry Watson Music Library. The Greater Manchester Voices is a lively community choir based in South Manchester, built on three simple foundations: Singing, Smiling and Socialising. Founded by Musical Director Ollie Mills in 2011, […]
Join us for an interactive session celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival with Chinese Music Classroom at Chetham’s School of Music. Learn about this traditional Chinese holiday by making your own mugwort sachet and designing your own kite during this fun and engaging workshop. Suitable for children. Free - please drop in Please make a donation […]
Crime Central is the monthly crime and thriller fiction event at Manchester Central Library. AUTHORS APPEARING IN JUNE ARE LIZZY BARBER, LIV MATTHEWS AND CHARLOTTE DUCKWORTH! 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 […]
‘It’s Time The Tale Were Told – A People’s History of The Smiths’ is the story of one of the UK’s most influential indie bands and Manchester’s greatest musical exports. Featuring the words of over 500 fans of the band, this joyous new book has been collated by author and journalist Iain Key, plus publisher […]
What do George V, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bernard Bresslaw have in common? Which musician was once thrown out of the Language and Literature Library? What would you find now in the space where Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren – amongst many others – played their first roles? All these questions – and many more […]
This July, the Henry Watson Music Library will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Sex Pistols’ iconic 1976 gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. A definitive milestone in the city’s musical history, Sex Pistols’ first appearance in Manchester has since become the stuff of rock legend. Named “the most important gig of all time” […]
#LoveStoriesEtc romance festival is returning for a third year to Manchester Central Library on 17th and 18th July 2026 for two packed days of exciting author panels, industry expert led workshops, and creative sessions! The schedule for Friday 17th July includes... 'How to Boss Booktok’ with Ash Jayy from The Picture of Romance ‘What Can […]
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
