Festival of Libraries Sunday Funday!
2025-06-08 12:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join us at Central Library for a special Sunday opening as we celebrate the final day of Festival of Libraries 2025. Expect special performances, music, exhibitions, craft sessions, and lots of fun for all ages!
Highlights include:
Out of this World! 2pm – 3.30pm

Join Wendy from Daresbury Laboratory and Dan Worsley, children’s author and performance storyteller as they embarks on an extra special, extraterrestrial storytelling journey. Dan will weave fact and fiction to prove that with a bit of imagination, anything really is possible. A guaranteed out-of-this-world storytelling experience!
Tickets are for Out of this World are free but limited and can be pre-booked here.
Storytime Fun with Simon the Storyteller 12.30pm-1.15pm and 2.30pm-3.15pm

Come and join Simon the Storyteller for fun interactive family story sessions. The sessions will include songs, games, parachute play and lots and lots of bubbles. These stories are great fun for all the family and will get everyone up on their feet singing and dancing.
Simon’s sessions will be at 12:30 and 2:30 and will last for 45 mins each. No booking required.
‘The Space’ presents a Virtual Reality experience!!

Wallace and Gromit Game
The Philharmonia’s Lark Ascending: A spellbinding 360 performance of Vaughan Williams’s piece, featuring Nicola Benedetti.
Berlin Blitz
Monoliths – exploring England’s Northern landscape

There’ll also be crafts galore, face painting fun, activities for all and time to relax in the magical children’s library.
Free. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Out of This World!
2025-06-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Performance Space
Have an interest in science? Enjoy getting creative with words?
Join Wendy from Daresbury Laboratory and Dan Worsley, children’s author and storyteller as they collaborate to create an extra-terrestrial event that mixes science fact and science fiction.
Prepare to believe the unbelievable as Dan takes you on an interplanetary journey using his mind-boggling storytelling skills. Alien adventures await as Dan weaves his story magic, models his writing and sets up a creative writing opportunity for the children to take on. Dan will then hand over his storytelling waistcoat to any budding storytellers willing to share their stories.
Wendy’s spectacular scientific knowledge will stretch your mind and transport you to another dimension without leaving the venue. Witness heat sensors in action, hear about incredible projects and see stunning images from space through visual and practical demonstrations. An out-of-this world visual experience!
TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND CAN BE PRE-BOOKED BELOW!

Mystery International Film Screening
2025-06-16 17:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
This event is for individuals aged 15 and over.
Welcome to the voting page for the fifth edition of Manchester Central Library’s International Film Club’s Mystery Screening series.
Event Details:
Monday 16th June.
• Doors open: 17:00
• Introduction to the film: 17:30
• Film starts: 17:40
• Entry: Pay what you can (recommended donation of £3)
• Popcorn: FREE!
• Drinks: Grab a coffee, tea, or soft drink from the fully stocked café!
At the Film Society, we aim to bring you the very best of global cinema— hoping to shine a light on underseen gems from around the world —enriching our collective film knowledge and experience, while also having a corker of a time. To make it even more exciting, each month you’ll have the chance to vote on 5 fantastic films, and the one with the most votes will be screened with the winner being revealed the day of the event.
This month’s contenders are:
Black Orpheus (1959, Brazil/France)

A reimagining of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice transposed to Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval. Orfeu, a trolley conductor, falls in love with Eurydice, a country girl fleeing danger. With an influential bossa nova soundtrack by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, it remains a significant cultural bridge, introducing global audiences to the allure of Brazilian music and cinema.
Tumbbad (2018, India)

Rahi Anil Barve’s early 20th century set folk horror follows Vinayak Rao’s quest for a hidden treasure in the cursed village of Tumbbad, a quest that turns into a dark fairytale about greed and power. Known extensive use of practical effects and animatronics. From conception to release it took 21 years for Barve’s film to see the light of day, a real labour of love.
The Cremator (1969, Czech Republic)

This dark comedy film – and I do mean dark – tinged with gothic horror follows Karel Kopfrkingl, a crematorium worker in 1930s Prague, who descends into madness influenced by encroaching fascist ideology and Tibetan Buddhism in a film that slyly comments on the slippery slope into totalitarianism and the transformation of the average person into somebody complicit in evil. The film is celebrated for its surreal style and chilling portrayal of Kopfrkingl’s transformation into a murderer.
The Housemaid (1960, South Korea)

Directed by Kim Ki-young, this domestic horror film tells the story of an upper-middle-class family whose lives are upended by a predatory housemaid. The film is a classic of Korean cinema, known for its intense psychological drama and social commentary. Influential and well-known in South Korea, being remade several times and often expanded and riffed on.
Electra, My Love (1974, Hungary)

Quite unlike anything else you’re likely to have seen, this film reinterprets the Greek myth of Electra in a mythical world where a tyrant faces rebellion. Known for its extremely long complex takes, with just twelve shots in its 70 minute run time, the film explores themes of revolution and renewal – all while being one of the most visually stunning films to ever see the light of day.
vote for your favourite here

Behind the Scenes Tour of Central Library
2025-06-19 18:00 - 19:30
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 – are answered on a tour of Manchester Central Library which will take you to all the areas not normally accessible to the general public and tell the story of this iconic building.
Tours last around 90 minutes and include the chance to see some of our rarest treasures and archives.
Places are strictly limited so please book early.
Please meet in the main entrance (Shakespeare Hall) of Central Library from 5.45pm. The tour starts at 6pm

Saturday Film Club: Refugee Week Special!
2025-06-21 13:00 - 16:00 | 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 Scent of Geranium by Naghmeh Farzaneh, a short animated film that gives voice to the fears, doubts, and complex range of emotions that immigrants face. Runtime: 5 mins. After that, we will be watching a family favourite (we won’t ruin the surprise for you)! Not really feeling a longer film? Join us for the themed crafts and the popcorn! All materials provided. Free entry, no booking required. Drop in from 1pm. Film screening starts at 1.30pm. Suitable for children up to 12 years old.
1pm-4pm: Discover a New Zine!
Calling all zine enthusiasts! Join Greater Manchester Youth Network for the launch of a new zine created by separated young refugees in Manchester. Free entry, no booking required. All welcome!
1pm-4pm: Get Artsy with Migrant Support
Do you speak more than one language? Do you enjoy chatting about your native language and culture with other people? Then we have planned your dream afternoon! Find out more about our new project with Migrant Support and Nottingham Trent University. Meet new people, share your language with them and make some amazing zines together. Free entry, all welcome!
Entry to all activities is free, drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online.

Full Volume Podcast - Episode 6: Kimberly Whittam
2025-06-23 - 2025-07-21 | https://push.fm/fl/actjsf7o-80012-96971
With Summer in full swing Full Volume: The Manchester Libraries Podcast returns for its spectacular sixth edition.
With more features than the complimentary newspapers in the BIPC, this month’s episode sees host Alan Lynch sitting down with acclaimed Manchester children’s author Kimberly Whittam. Kimberly’s new book ‘Quiet Storm’ has just been selected to be Manchester Libraries’ transition read 2025 – with 8,000 copies of the brilliant book gifted to local pupils to help them get ready for secondary school. Set in Manchester, ‘Quiet Storm’ tells the story of Storm who has never liked to stand out from the crowd, and is based in part on the author’s own experiences as a quiet and sometimes shy child. Find out more in the Full Volume interview.
From the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), representatives Louise Murphy and Ellis Quinn, come in for a chat about their fascinating new exhibition ‘Our Lives, Our Privacy’ which has been a popular success at Central Library in recent months. Alan takes a deep dive with the duo as they mark the 40th anniversary of the ICO with this exhibition, and reflect on key moments in history when people’s right to privacy or access to information has been affected – positively or negatively – and the role they have played in protecting our rights.
There’s a finely tuned feature with the New Horizons Choir, as choirmaster Tom and members of the group tell us about how they and Central Library have worked in perfect harmony over the years, plus the high notes you too could hit in life as part of their community choir.
Continuing our blockbuster ‘Branch Out’ two-part special, Alan is joined by chair of the Manchester Libraries Trust Brendan O’Shea; Head of Libraries, Galleries and Culture Neil MacInnes, and Sally, the current Manager of Chorlton Library, who all appear on the podcast to offer their perspectives on the freshly refurbished space.
Elsewhere, Alan and his trusty sidekick Gary Parkinson bring you all the best of What’s On across Manchester Libraries this month, including plugs for the Board Games Club at Central Library, a ‘Behind The Scenes Tour’, and the Age Friendly events at Moss Side Powerhouse and Gorton Hub. Plus, there’s a sneak preview for the highly anticipated “Oasis Week” at Central Library coming this July, which will feature exclusive live sets, quizzes, Q&As, and so much more.
‘Full Volume: The Manchester Libraries Podcast’ takes listeners behind the shelves of our city’s much-loved libraries. Presented by the Central Library’s own Alan Lynch, every month the podcast lifts the lid on a treasure trove of insider tips, exclusive interviews, book reviews, and much more.
Receiving rave reviews and overwhelming support from listeners, the podcast has so far featured special guests such as celebrated author Dame Jacqueline Wilson, plus Manchester City Council’s Head of Libraries, Galleries, and Culture Neil MacInnes OBE, Manchester City Council photographer Barrie Leach speaking about his exhibition ‘Our Town Hall: Portraits of a Workforce’, legendary Manchester artist and illustrator Stanley Chow, Manchester’s Lord Mayor, Councillor John Hacking, BBC broadcaster and esteemed newspaper columnist Emma Barnett, and more.
‘Episode 6: Kimberly Whittam’, the sixth episode of ‘Full Volume: The Manchester Libraries Podcast’ is on all major streaming services now.
Turn it up, and tune in to Episode 6 of Full Volume – now: https://push.fm/fl/actjsf7o-80012-96971

Watch out for Episode 7 in July…
https://open.spotify.com/episode/09hLTcx3FdMqpXR9ehtOkC?referral=labelaffiliate&utm_source=1110l9T4fAp&utm_medium=Indie_Routenote&utm_campaign=labelaffiliate

Word Central
2025-06-24 18:00 - 19:30 | 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 timeframe.
Performance slots are allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis from the stated booking time. If they are already filled you will be offered a place on the reserve list.
Our special guest Kim Moore is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and hosts a monthly reading series for Wordsworth Grasmere, as well as running regular writing workshops for young people and adults. She has won an Eric Gregory Award, the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize, and the Ledbury Poetry Competition. Her first full length collection, The Art of Falling (Seren 2015), won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and her second collection, All the Men I Never Married (Seren, 2021), won the Forward Prize for Best Collection. Kim has also been a judge for the Forward Prize and the National Poetry Competition, and her work has been translated into many languages as part of the Versopolis project.
Event host Tony Curry is a performance poet, playwright and workshop facilitator. Raised in Crawley by English and South African parents, he has lived and worked in Manchester for three decades, running literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing. His play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Manchester’s Contact Theatre, whilst his solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. Tony has recently toured his solo show Tall Tales for All Men, adapted from his collection Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short (Flapjack Press, 2012), at the Brighton Fringe and Chorlton Arts Festival.
@WordCentralMcr

Crime Central
2025-06-25 18:00 - 19:30 | 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 and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.
Meet your favourite authors!
With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.

Hannah Brine - Album Launch
2025-06-28 08:00 - 17:00 | 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 & change, of life & loss, all destined to be modern classics.
“That voice, just wonderful isn’t it” Dean Jackson, BBC Introducing Midlands
“The Brilliant Hannah Brine” Chris Baxter, BBC Radio Wiltshire
“I feel like I want to have Hannah by my side every night singing softly and then everything will be OK.” Geeta Pendse, BBC Radio Leicester
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

An Evening with V. E. Schwab
2025-06-28 19:00 - 20:30 | 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 a trio of enigmatic young women. Don’t miss the chance to hear from V.E. Schwab about this much-anticipated release, before an extended audience Q&A.
V.E. Schwab is the mega-selling author of over twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts trilogy, Gallant, The Fragile Threads of Power and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
The Ticket, Signed Book & Tote Bag bundle includes a pre-signed copy of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil and a tote bag for collection on the evening.
Please note that this event will not include a live book signing.

If you have any questions about this event or if you have access requests, please do let us know how we can support your visit by emailing events@waterstones.com.
Photo of V.E Schwab by Jenna Maurice.
Tickets – ‘Book Now’ below or book here

Lords and Ladies of Middleton Manor
2025-06-30 17:00 - 19:30 | 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 our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal
2025-07-01 19:00 - 20:00 | 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 that truly incomprehensible moment where the mere touch of a button suddenly turned £2,000 into £4,000 within three minutes on that cold December night in 2003.’
Jo Hamilton was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters prosecuted between 2000 and 2014 based on information from the Post Office’s faulty Horizon accounting system. She was told to put right a wrong she hadn’t committed and pushed to the very brink of her existence – remortgaging her house, borrowing from anyone she could in order to repay money that she hadn’t taken, and questioning her own sanity.
Immortalised in ITV smash hit drama, Mr Bates v The Post Office, this is Jo Hamilton’s extraordinary first-hand account of how she built a Post Office that was at the very heart of her community and lost it all through no fault of her own. For the first time, beyond the headlines and the corridors of the High Court and the UK’s political institutions, we will finally hear Jo’s full story and the human side of this scandal as well as the untold struggle she faced during the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern history. Ultimately, this is a story of hope and the strength of community and the ability of a few to fight back against the odds.
Tickets for this event are on a pay what you can basis. All tickets have the same access, the pricing is to make the event more accessible to people on all incomes.
Book tickets here or click the ‘Book Now’ button below

PRIVATE RITES: Julia Armfield in conversation with Jess White
2025-07-03 18:30 - 20:00 | 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 book:
It’s been raining for a long time now, for so long that the lands have reshaped themselves. Old places have been lost. Arcane rituals and religions have crept back into practice.
Sisters Isla, Irene and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their estranged father dies. A famous architect revered for making the new world navigable, he had long cut himself off from public life. They find themselves uncertain of how to grieve his passing when everything around them seems to be ending anyway.
As the sisters come together to clear the grand glass house that is the pinnacle of his legacy, they begin to sense that the magnetic influence of their father lives on through it. Something sinister seems to be unfolding, something related to their mother’s long-ago disappearance and the strangers who have always been unusually interested in their lives. Soon, it becomes clear that the sisters have been chosen for a very particular purpose, one with shattering implications for their family and their imperilled world.
About the author:
Julia Armfield is a fiction writer, living in London with her wife and cat.
Her work has been published in Granta, The White Review and Best British Short Stories 2019 and 2021. In 2019, she was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award. She was longlisted for the Deborah Rogers Award 2018, and won the White Review Short Story Prize 2018 and a Pushcart Prize in 2020. She is the author of salt slow, a collection of short stories, which was longlisted for the Polari Prize 2020 and the Edge Hill Prize 2020.
Her debut novel, Our Wives Under The Sea, was shortlisted for the Foyles Fiction Book of the Year Award 2022 and won the Polari Prize 2023. Her second novel, Private Rites, was longlisted for the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize in 2024.
Ticket sales will end on Thursday 3rd July at 5pm. If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of a book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.
Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.
Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow Blackwells on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.

Beyond the Fire – Remembering Oxford Mills
2025-07-12 11:00 - 13:30
‘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 award-winning artist & curator Hafsah Aneela Bashir for two short film screenings and the launch of her exhibition exploring the joys of connection and the impact of loss through the lens of the Oxford Mill 2019 fire in Ashton Under Lyne.
Through film and archive, Hafsah explores the histories of Thomas Mason an English textile manufacturer who built the historic mill in 1851 and Bashir Ahmed, a Pakistani textile manufacturer who operated from Oxford Mills until the 2019 fire – 168 years apart. How does a community honour the stories that make up people and place?
What happens when treasured possessions, secure environments, and a sense of self turn to ashes? What does rebuilding look like when the physical impact on the community is staggering, and the emotional aftermath, deeply felt?
11.30am-12.30pm – Film screening 1: The Great Fire Of Oxford Mills , a poetry film by Hafsah Aneela Bashir. Film screening 2: Beyond the Fire – Remembering Oxford Mills, a documentary featuring community members sharing their memories and connections to the old textile mill. Short Q&A
12.30-1pm – Refreshments and a chance to mingle and chat
1pm – Exhibition Launch in the Oculus Space
The exhibition will run from July – October 2025
About Hafsah Aneela Bashir – Hafsah Aneela Bashir is an award-winning writer, playwright, performer and producer. Winner of the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship 2019, she was a Supported Artist at the Royal Exchange Theatre, an Associate at Oldham Coliseum Theatre and is an Associate Artist with The Poetry Exchange. Her debut poetry collection The Celox And The Clot is published by Burning Eye Books. Passionate about creative health and wellbeing, she is founder of the Poetry Health Service providing poetry panaceas as a tool for connection and healing. She is co-director of Outside The Frame Arts, championing voices outside the mainstream, challenging gatekeepers of knowledge and increasing diverse representation within the arts. She served as a Board Trustee for Manchester City of Literature and is currently the Community Producer at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE & Education Trust.
Free event with refreshments provided. Please book through Ticket Tailor to confirm attendance.

'Oasis Week' rolls into Manchester Central Library
2025-07-14 - 2025-07-20
This Summer, OASIS, make their highly anticipated return to their hometown and Central Library are getting ready to Roll With It.
As the Gallagher brothers prepare to rock Heaton Park, right here in the city centre, Central Library will be paying tribute to the legendary Manchester band with seven days of FREE festivities in its own “Oasis Week”.
Aligning with Manchester City Council’s official MCR Live 25 celebrations taking place across the city this Summer, the library has its own Masterplan of Oasis-themed programming, packed with live performances from Rock’n’Roll Stars, Supersonic film screenings, Liam’n’Noel look-a-like competitions, a head-shrinking Big Oasis Quiz, and so much more.
With events taking place daily from Monday 14th July, the week will conclude with ‘Live Forever’ – a day of special Oasis-themed live sessions on Saturday 19th July. Beginning with a little Morning Glory from the MANCHESTER STRING QUARTET performing classical renditions of Oasis hits; the following afternoon of performances in the Henry Watson Music Library will offer reimaginations by the UKULELE ORCHESTRA, sumptuous reworkings by vocal harmony group CANTER SEMPER, before a rousing headline performance by top-tier tribute act: NOASIS. Having played big venues like London’s Alexandra Palace to major festivals like Y-Not, Noasis are ‘The Definitive Oasis Tribute Band’ and will be appearing in the Music Library for an intimate, stripped-back set especially for “Oasis Week”. Tickets will be pay-what-you-like and available Friday 20 June @ 10am.
Earlier in the week, fans will also be able to Slide Away into the sounds of the NEW HORIZONS CHOIR who will be offering their own innovative take on Oasis hits. A fun, welcoming, inclusive choir who meet for a sing every week in the Manchester Central Library, get ready to enjoy an hour of uplifting en-masse singing of some of your favourites on Wednesday 16th July. Speaking about their show, the choir say:
“We are very excited to be part of Oasis week and hope you enjoy singing along with these brilliant Mancunian songs!”
Plus, for those in the mood for a Talk Tonight, then on 15th July, expect to find esteemed Northern music journalist and frontman of the Membranes / Goldblade JOHN ROBB at Central Library in-conversation about his brand new book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’. ‘Live Forever…’ promises a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. John will be appearing in-person for a Q&A and book-signing event to mark its release.
Elsewhere, the Archives+ and Sound Archives team will be digging deep into the Piccadilly Radio and Key103 audio archives and resurfacing some vintage interviews with Noel Gallagher from their 90s peak. Available to hear on the Sound & Vision pods on the ground floor of Central Library, the Oasis sound clips will feature as part of a new Piccadilly Radio Exhibition also launching in July.
Throughout the week, there will also be a screening of an Oasis film favourite – as picked by you the fans – in Central Library’s Performance Space, a chance to test your knowledge in The Big Oasis Quiz (with some tasty prizes up for grabs), and show-off your swagger in our Liam’n’Noel Look-a-Like competition.
The full programme for “Oasis Week” at Central Library is as follows:

Mon 14th July – QUIZ: The Big Oasis Quiz – with Big Oasis Prizes up for grabs!
[6.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library]

Tues 15th July – TALK: John Robb In-Conversation about his Oasis book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’
[6.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library]

Wed 16th July – MUSIC: New Horizons Choir performing Oasis songs
[6.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library]

Thurs 17th July – FILM: Mystery Screening of an Oasis documentary – chosen by you! [6.30pm, Performance Space]

Friday 18th July: COMPETITION JUDGING: Liam’n’Noel Look-a-like Competition – are you a Gallagher doppelganger? [1.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library]

Sat 19th July – MUSIC: Live Forever – A Day of Oasis-themed Live Sessions. Featuring:

– Manchester String Quartet [11.00am – 12.00pm, Shakespeare Hall Balcony]
– Ukulele Orchestra [12.00pm – 12.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library]
– Canter Semper [1.00pm – 1.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library]
– Noasis (stripped-back set) [2.00pm – 2.45pm, Henry Watson Music Library]

If you were one of the many who missed-out on tickets to see Oasis on their Live 25 Tour, Don’t Look Back In Anger because there will be plenty to enjoy at Central Library during “Oasis Week” this July.
Everyone is welcome and best of all attendees won’t have to pay a penny for anything – yes, It’s Good To Be FREE.
Oasis Week is kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust and will take place at Manchester Central Library 14th-19th July 2025.

LGBTQ+ Film Night
2025-07-14 17:00 - 19:30 | 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 to help us choose what film to watch here, from the following choices:
Unicorns: The story of a queer South Asian nightclub performer living a double life, and a young, single father who works as a mechanic. When they meet, a search for identity is sparked.
Disclosure: An in-depth look at Hollywood’s depiction of transgender people and the impact of those stories on transgender lives and American culture.
Sweetheart: A socially awkward, environmentally conscious teenager named AJ is dragged to a coastal holiday park by her painfully boring family, where she becomes unexpectedly captivated by a chlorine smelling, sun-loving lifeguard named Isla.
Paris is Burning: New York City, 1980. In Harlem’s African American and Latinx drag-ball scene, rival houses compete in fierce contests for trophies. Meanwhile, legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women—including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, and Venus Xtravaganza—reveal the rules and traditions of the scene.
Vote for your favourite film till Sunday 13 July here
We will be bringing popcorn and Pic n’ Mix to keep your snack needs met whilst we all get cosy and enjoy the delights of the big screen!
Free – please drop in (film starts at 5:20pm on the dot)

Oasis Week: The Big Oasis Quiz
2025-07-14 18:00 - 19:30
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 prove you’re the ultimate Rock’n’Roll Star, show off your Oasis knowledge, and win fantastic prizes at our bonehead busting quiz…
Monday 14 JULY @ 6:00pm, at the Henry Watson Music Library.

******
“Oasis Week” at Central Library is brought to you with thanks to the Manchester Libraries Trust. Find the full programme here: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/oasis-week-rolls-into-manchester-central-library/
“Oasis Week” is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.

John Robb: 'Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis' - Oasis Week Q&A
2025-07-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
For those in the mood for a Talk Tonight, on 15th July, expect to find esteemed Northern music journalist and frontman of the Membranes / Goldblade JOHN ROBB in-conversation about his brand new book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ at Manchester Central Library.
Part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, John will be appearing in-person for an intimate talk and Q&A with local tour guide and Oasis expert Joe Feeley about the book in the Henry Watson Music Library.
‘Live Forever…’ promises a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. And John Robb was there every step of the way.
In this, the definitive book on Britain’s biggest band, he peels back the layers of Manchester’s best-known musical export, revealing a tale of ambition, ego, talent and a whole lot of attitude. From the estates of South Manchester to the dizzying heights of global stardom, Live Forever is a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. But it is also a portrait of Britain around the turn of the millennium and the cultural forces and places that shaped, and were shaped by, two cocksure upstarts from Burnage – from art to fashion, and from football to politics.
Playful, funny and irreverent, and drawing on dozens of interviews and first-hand stories, this book puts Oasis squarely in the pantheon of music royalty as the last great rock ’n’ roll stars.
The Q&A will be chaired by local tour guide Joe Feeley. Alongside his expert tours of Manchester city centre, Joe also leads the legendary Rock And Goal Tour and has recently launched the Wonderwalk Oasis Tour. A musician and guide with real Oasis pedigree, Joe grew up with the Gallaghers, was in school with Liam and Noel, and their families in Ireland also share history. His Wonderwalk tour offers a deep dive into Oasis’s roots and the wider Manchester music scene, and his personal connection to the band means he has insights and stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Joe and John will be chatting about ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ and more at Manchester Central Library on Tuesday 15 July.
Copies will be available at the event courtesy of Blackwells, and John will be available for signings after the event.
Tickets are free, but any donations to the library warmly welcomed.
Tickets available from 10AM on Friday 20 June:
John Robb: ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ Q&A Tickets, Tue, Jul 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite

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“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.
This event is part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
For more information, and to secure your tickets for some of the limited-capacity events of “Oasis Week” at Central Library head to: librarylive.co.uk

New Horizons Choir Sing... OASIS!
2025-07-16 18:00 - 19:00
Part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, join us for a sensational singalong with the NEW HORIZONS CHOIR.
Led by Tom Guest, the choir will be offering their own innovative take on Oasis hits with their stunning vocal talents.
A fun, welcoming, inclusive choir who meet for a sing every week in the Manchester Central Library, get ready to enjoy an hour of uplifting enmasse singing of some of your favourites on the evening of Wednesday 16th July.
Speaking about their upcoming show, the choir say: “We are very excited to be part of Oasis week and hope you enjoy singing along with these brilliant Mancunian songs!”
New Horizons is a fun, welcoming, inclusive choir who meet for a sing every week in the Manchester Central Library. They are an unauditioned choir, so everyone is welcome to come and enjoy an hour of uplifting singing and we have a repertoire of songs from 80s pop ballads through classics and showtunes to contemporary bangers. They are primarily a singing group for well-being, with the focus on enjoying the mental health benefits singing together can bring and they also give performances at Manchester Cathedral, Gorton Monastery and of course Manchester Central Library.
New Horizons Choir sings Oasis takes place at 6pm on Wednesday 16 July.
Free – just drop in!
******
“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.
This event is part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
For more information, and to secure your tickets for some of the limited-capacity events of “Oasis Week” at Central Library head to: librarylive.co.uk

Attica Locke
2025-07-16 19:00 - 20:15 | Performance Space
This is the best kind of thriller: as literate and thoughtful as it is fast-moving. Attica Locke has bags of style, and sings the blues on every page’ – Mick Herron (Slow Horses)
We’re thrilled to welcome American crime writer Attica Locke to Manchester Literature Festival for a rare UK event. In Guide Me Home, the latest of her gripping, politically charged crime novels, Texas Ranger Darren Matthews is in trouble: he might be about to stand trial in front of a Grand Jury; his difficult and destructive mother is back in his life, and a young Black woman from an all-white sorority appears to be missing, although her sorority sisters and her family deny she has disappeared. With his job, relationship and possibly his life on the line, Darren is forced to grapple with the realities of living in Trump’s America.
Attica Locke is an author, screenwriter and producer who was born in Houston, Texas. She is the author of six novels including Heaven, My Home, a Waterstones Thriller of the Month; Bluebird, Bluebird, winner of the CWA Steel Dagger; Pleasantville, longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, and Black Water Rising, shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Her screenwriting/producer credits include When They See Us, Empire, and the Emmy-nominated Little Fires Everywhere, for which she won an NAACP Image award for television writing.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. Supported by Library Live.
Image credit: Victoria Will
Tickets: Book here or click on the green ‘Book Now’ button below, or phone the box office on 0161 876 2015

Oasis Film Night - Vote for your favourite
2025-07-17 17:30 - 19:30
Mystery Screening of an Oasis documentary – chosen by you!
Part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, come along to our Oasis Film Night where you choose the title.
Many a great film has been made about the Gallagher brothers over the years, but which is the greatest of them all?
From ‘Familiar to Millions‘ to ‘Lord Don’t Slow Me Down’ to ‘Supersonic‘ and more, every Oasis film to date has been crammed with the razor sharp quips and rock’n’roll attitude that has cemented them as one of the world’s most legendary bands.
Presenting Oasis fans with the opportunity to vote on the night for their favourite and experience it on the big screen and soundsystem of our Performance Space, this special Oasis Week film night promises to be a one-off opportunity to revisit a classic with fellow fans.
Entry is Free.
Screening at the Central Library Performance Space, on Thursday 17th July @ 5.30pm.

******
“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.
This event is part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
For more information, and to secure your tickets for some of the limited-capacity events of “Oasis Week” at Central Library head to: librarylive.co.uk

'Live Forever' - A Day of Oasis Music - Live!
2025-07-19 11:00 - 15:00
“Oasis Week” at Central Library will conclude with ‘Live Forever’ – a day of special Oasis-themed live sessions on Saturday 19th July.
The day will begin with a little Morning Glory from the MANCHESTER STRING QUARTET performing classical renditions of Oasis hits in the Central Library Entrance (11am-12pm).

Then an early afternoon performance in the Henry Watson Music Library will offer unique reimaginations of the Gallaghers’s oeuvre by the Ukulele Orchestra: STRETFORD UKE (12-12.30pm).
There will also be sumptuous reworkings by Manchester vocal harmony group CANTER SEMPER; rest assured Wonderwall will never have sounded so good (1-1.30pm).
All before a rousing headline performance by top-tier tribute act: NOASIS. Having played big venues like London’s Alexandra Palace to major festivals like Y-Not, Noasis are ‘The Definitive Oasis Tribute Band’ and will be appearing in the Music Library for an intimate, stripped-back set especially for “Oasis Week” (2-2.45pm).
Noasis tickets are limited and pay-what-you-like – available now HERE.
All other shows are free – just drop in!
******
“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.
This event is part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
For more information, and to secure your tickets for some of the limited-capacity events of “Oasis Week” at Central Library head to: librarylive.co.uk

CHaOS Science Summer Roadshow
2025-07-19 11:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for an afternoon of science-based fun brought to you by CHaOS (Cambridge Hands-On Science)! All CHaOS events are run by friendly student volunteers from the University of Cambridge, bringing a selection of their favourite experiments from across the sciences for you and your family to get involved with! Fun, informative and great for all ages.
Free – please drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Noasis [Live!]
2025-07-19 13:30 - 15:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Didn’t get Oasis tickets? Then its time to ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’…
Appearing for a special stripped-back appearance, Central Library presents… NOASIS – live!
On the day that Oasis will be appearing at Heaton Park for the second weekend of their sold-out shows, Central Library is delighted to be offering something special for those who missed out.
Having played big venues like London’s Alexandra Palace to major festivals like Y-Not, Noasis are ‘The Definitive Oasis Tribute Band’. The headline act of Central Library’s “Oasis Week” festivities, this top-tier tribute act will be performing in the intimate setting of the Henry Watson Music Library.
Performing as a three-piece for the occasion, expect perfectly pared-back renditions of classics like “Live Forever”, “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, and many more.
With thanks to the support from the Manchester Libraries Trust, tickets will be pay-what-you-like and available Friday 20 June @ 10am.
All donations warmly welcomed.
Tickets: Noasis – Live! Tickets, Sat 19 Jul 2025 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

******
“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.

Mystery International Film Club Screening
2025-07-21 17:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
This event is for individuals aged 15 and over.

Welcome to the fifth edition of Manchester Central Library’s International Film Club’s Mystery Screening series.

Event Details:

Monday 21st July 2025 • Doors open: 17:00 • Introduction to the film: 17:30 • Film starts: 17:40

• Entry: Book you pay what you can tickets here (recommended donation of £3) • Popcorn: FREE! • Drinks: Grab a coffee, tea, or soft drink from the fully stocked café!

At the Film Society, we aim to bring you the very best of global cinema— hoping to shine a light on underseen gems from around the world —enriching our collective film knowledge and experience, while also having a corker of a time. To make it even more exciting, each month you’ll have the chance to vote on 5 fantastic films, and the one with the most votes will be screened with the winner being revealed the day of the event.

This month’s contenders are:

Neptune Frost (2021, Rwanda)

Quite unlike anything you will have seen before this Rwandan Afrofuturist musical epic in a which a band of “fourth dimensionally liberated” revolutionaries fight against The Authority to free mine workers from being exploited in a near future Burundi. High concept transgressive cinema executed with high quality, promising a glimpse at a brighter future for cinema as an artform free of market sensibilities and charged with telling totally unique stories.

West Indies (1979, Mauritania)

Birthed from four hundred years of colonial history, Med Hondo’s landmark musical comedy explosively dissects the roots and ramifications of slavery and displacement. Staged gorgeously on a to-scale recreation of a slave ship, Hondo plays with the form of cinema itself, drawing attention to its artificiality while he brings past and present together in an artistic redefining of what a movie musical can be.

The Girl With The Red Scarf (1978, Turkey)

A perfect example of the sumptuous romantic melodrama that can be found in the greatest Yeşilçamfilms from Turkey’s golden age of cinema, once a major powerhouse for film production this era is all but lost in discussion outside of Turkey and sadly so. This film sees a young man and woman fall in love and then face the trials of love and loss with incredibly dazzling drama.

Ali, Fear Eats the Soul (1974, Germany)

Emmi, an elderly German lady, meets and falls in love with Ali, a young Moroccan manual labourer in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s beautifully melancholic story of forbidden romance and the suffocating nature of societal norms. A thoughtful, empathetic look at the damages caused by anti-immigrant rhetoric. Stir (1980, Australia)

Based off true events, this Australian prison drama is a bleak look at a justice system pushed to its limits treated inmates with disdain and cruelty. We see the buildup to chaos and we see the aftermath of chaos as tensions rise between prisoners and officers in the harshest of conditions.

Watch the film trailers and vote for your favourite film here!!
We’ll notify you of the winning film the night before the screening.

Story Garden Paper Flowers!
2025-07-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us for a free interactive session inspired by the Summer Reading Challenge! Make wonderful paper flowers and find out how you can win prizes for reading. We’ll provide loads of colourful materials for you: just bring yourself!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – just drop in

ZooLab
2025-07-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Meet the Live Animals from ZooLab! Step into the wild garden of adventure and meet the amazing creatures from ZooLab! These real-life animal storytellers will take you on a journey through their own tales, full of slithers, scuttles, and surprises. Come face-to-face with nature’s most curious characters and discover the magic of their world!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – just drop in

LOVE STORIES etc FESTIVAL 2025
2025-07-25 11:00 - 2025-07-26 19:30 | Performance Space
Love Stories Etc… launched in 2024 with a one-day festival held at Manchester Central Library, with panels, workshops and book signings, aimed at encouraging romance readers to discover new authors.
For 2025, there will be events across two days, with an impressive mix of bestselling brand authors, emerging stars and debuts writing in the romance space, including Taylor Dior-Rumble, Beth O’Leary, Mike Gayle, Mhairi Macfarlane, Alexandra Potter, Suzan Holder, Sareeta Domingo, Laura Wood, Justin Myers, Lizzie Huxley-Jones and Jendella Benson confirmed to appear.
HERE ARE THE WORKSHOPS ON FRIDAY 25TH JULY.

We’re delighted to announce that after Claire’s workshop she will be available for mini Author Brand photo shoots. This includes a 25 minute brand shoot with Claire 10 edited digital images. Find out more information and pre-book here.

AND HERE ARE THE AUTHOR PANELS OVER THE WEEKEND.
THE FIRST TWO ARE ON THE FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER THE WORKSHOPS. THE REST ARE ALL ON SATURDAY 26TH JULY. ENJOY!!

THERE IS A RANGE OF TICKETS AVAILABLE.

FRIDAY 25TH TICKET
SATURDAY 26TH TICKET
FULL WEEKEND TICKET
VIP TICKET (BOTH DAYS + SATURDAY EVENING MEET AND MINGLE)

CONCESSIONARY TICKETS FOR STUDENTS, OVER 60’S, PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY OR ACCESS ISSUES, CITY COUNCIL STAFF AND PEOPLE ON A LOW INCOME.
CLICK ON THE ‘BOOK NOW’ LINK BELOW FOR FULL DETAILS

Story Garden Crafts!
2025-07-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Join us at Central Library for our school holidays arts and craft session! Make wonderful carnivorous plants and giant pompom flowers, and find out all about the Summer Reading Challenge! All materials provided. Suitable for all children. No need to book.
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Family Crafts for South Asian Heritage Month
2025-07-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us for a special family craft session dedicated to South Asian Heritage Month. We’ll provide all the materials and teach you how to make marionettes! All welcome.
Free – drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online
