What's on

Out in the World – Exhibition & Closing Event Invite

First Floor

The Consulate General of Ireland, Manchester, is delighted to present Out In The World, an exhibition highlighting 12 stories from the vast yet largely untold history of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ diaspora. Across the generations, Irish LGBTQ+ people have emigrated and found opportunities to live and love abroad. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in partnership with the Irish Department […]

Probably the Hardest Music Quiz in the World!

Chief Librarian's Office

40 horribly hard music questions. Get them all right and win the Super-Duper Mega Mystery Prize! Play on your own or as part of a team (max 4 members per team). No need to book, everyone welcome. FREE ENTRY. For more info please message your quiz host: alan.lynch@manchester.gov.uk

Chinese New Year Celebration

Ground Floor

Bowen Education will provide dance and musical entertainment at 2pm followed by traditional Chinese crafts. Suitable for families. This event is free, but please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme if you can, online, or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Sunday Funday – Chinese New Year

Join us for a spectacular Chinese New Year celebration of the Year of the Dragon. We will have amazing crafts, performances, workshops amongst other exciting activities. Suitable for families. This event is free, but please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme if you can, online, or at one of our cash […]

So the Chinese do do Sci-Fi!

Performance Space

Join us for a Confucius Institute talk about Chinese Sci-fi showing the breadth and depth of the genre. Presented by Xueting C. Ni. Free - booking required

Book Launch: PITY by Andrew McMillan

Performance Space

Blackwell's Bookshop and Manchester Libraries are excited to host the Manchester launch of award-winning poet Andrew McMillan's PITY - his stunning debut novel which explores community, masculinity and post-industrialisation in Northern England. Doors: 6.00, starts: 6.30 Tickets are £5.00 or free when ordering a copy of the book. PITY will also be available to purchase on the night […]

French Film Club: En Corps

Performance Space

Join us for a new series of French films organised in partnership with Alliance Française de Manchester and discover the best of Francophone and French cinema. This month’s film, ‘En corps’, is a lively comedy-drama directed by Cédric Klapisch, which combines cinema with dance and tells the life-affirming story of a recovery from injury. Screening is in French […]

International Mother Language Day

Performance Space

During the half-term holidays, why not bring the family along to this multicultural celebration of language with our local community groups and specialist schools. Join us for dance, music, language games, traditional costumes and traditional crafts. Free - just drop in - please consider making a donation to support our cultural programme if you can, […]

Reading Rascals

Lwr Ground Floor - Manchester Histories Hub

Reading Rascals is our very own monthly reading book club for children aged 7-12. Come and join us! For more information and to book, email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Book Launch: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Performance Space

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT. Waterstones Manchester Arndale and Manchester Libraries are thrilled to present an evening with bestselling author Tessa Bailey as we celebrate the publication of Fangirl Down. The romcom queen and author of Secretly Yours and It Happened One Summer hits a hole-in-one with this sizzling story of a grumpy golfer and his devoted fangirl […]

Creative Café – Heritage and Wellbeing

Performance Space

The importance of creative health is receiving critical and political attention, particularly locally, with Greater Manchester committed to becoming the first creative health city region . Research demonstrates the social and economic value of using creativity, arts, and heritage to enrich people’s lives. Whilst the recording and quantifying of these benefits is relatively recent, practitioners […]

Low Carbon Chinatown Talk

Performance Space

Join Manchester Confucius Institute's public talk to hear Singaporean artist and designer Ling Ta share some of her latest environmental projects that combine data science, Chinese food culture, technology, and community participation. Find out about the various ways we can all respond to the climate crisis. Free – booking advised