Laws of Your Game
2025-07-30 13:00 - 14:30 UTC | Lower Ground Floor
Join us for this exciting session brought to you by National Football Museum! Every great game needs rules, but who says we can’t rewrite them? In this workshop, you’re the rule-maker of football. What do your laws of the game look like? Maybe every goal gets a dance-off, everyone wears capes, or kindness on the pitch earns extra goals. In this workshop we’ll start positive conversations around inclusion and diversity. Who is currently left out of football? What rules could we write to include more people?
Suitable for families.
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

Come Meet the Wise Owls in the Story Garden!
2025-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
The Wise Owls are waiting! Join us in the Story Garden for a magical hour filled with Owl wisdom! Whether you’re curious or just love a good story, the Wise Owls are ready to welcome you with a hoot!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – 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

Paint and plant!
2025-08-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Performance Space
Are you a reader and gardener in the making?
Want to find out how you can get prizes for reading books?
Then this session is for you!
Decorate your very own terracotta pot, plant some seeds and find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge during this interactive session.
All materials provided.
Paint and plant! Friday 1 August 1-2pm @ Central Library Performance Space.
Free entry, just drop in!

Leo HC Single Launch
2025-08-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Leo HC is a 20 year old solo musician, creating alternative folk tracks to soothe the soul. Equipped, usually, with an acoustic guitar, his voice and lots of reverb, his music creates an introspective and melancholic atmosphere for all to listen and enjoy. His debut album was released on 8 November 2024. Leo is currently based in Sheffield for studies and is also a member of the Sheffield-based band Junk, but was born and raised in Greater Manchester.
He launches his new single, Climbing, with this event.
Free – just drop in

Film Friday
2025-08-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Does Friday afternoon and cinema sound like a good combo to you?
Then join us at Manchester Central Library for a free film screening with themed crafts!
We may even have popcorn!
Suitable for children up to 12 years old.
No need to book, drop in from 2pm.
Film screenings start at 2pm.

Responses: The Manchester College Students Exhibition
2025-08-26 08:00 - 2025-09-06 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design Students from The Manchester College have been developing a body of creative, exciting work inspired initially by a book from Manchester Central Library. Each exhibited board is an insight into personal research and subject matter, produced in traditional messy art school rooms where students become inspired and have tested the possibilities of ideas, research and practical production. This exhibition is in Manchester Central Library’s iconic Wolfson Reading Room on the first floor.
To see more exciting innovative work and research please follow the Instagram link: #foundationartanddesigntmc
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

ACTING UP!
2025-08-26 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00
ACTING UP! tells the story of 40 years of HIV activism in the region through archives, testimonies and films. The exhibition honours the memories of lives lost and continues the fight for a world free of HIV stigma and discrimination.
Visit the exhibition in the ground floor of Central Library from 2 April till 31 December 2025, with a special display in the first floor Reading Room until 31 May 2025.
Acting Up! is organised by George House Trust, a charity which provides support, advice, information and advocacy services to people living with HIV in Greater Manchester and the wider North West.
The exhibition is part of ‘40 years of HIV Activism in Greater Manchester’, a project marking 40 years of George House Trust and the broader regional response to HIV.
Free – please 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

Piccadilly Radio Archive: Nobody Did It Better!
2025-08-26 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | Ground Floor
Explore the history of independent radio in Manchester from the birth of Piccadilly Radio in 1974 through to Key 103’s 1990s heyday. This free exhibition tells the story of the DJs, programme makers and listeners through audio, photography and ephemera. Listen to clips from your favourite DJs, find out what it was like to work at the station and learn about how the station’s archive is being cared for and digitised by the Archives+ team. Over 750 Piccadilly Radio shows are now available to listen on Central Library’s Sound + Vision pods.
The project was made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players. It was supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
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

Punk: The Art of Rebellion
2025-08-26 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | First Floor Display Cases
A new exhibition explores how punk exploded from the streets of 1970s Britain – raw, loud, and unapologetic. Born of crisis, it raged against capitalism, racism, and conformity. Through music, fashion, protest, and art, punk gave voice to the voiceless, challenged gender roles, and still shapes culture today.
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

LGBT Foundation’s 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy Exhibition
2025-08-26 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room and Lower Ground Floor
2025 marks 50 years of queer hope and joy for LGBT Foundation—and the heart of the celebrations begins in the centre of Manchester.
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and proudly sponsored by Barefoot Wine, the 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy Exhibition at Manchester Central Library invites the public into a powerful, moving, and often joyful journey through the stories that shaped five decades of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester and beyond.
From never-before-seen archive materials and oral histories to community artefacts and campaign posters, the exhibition showcases the resilience, resistance, and creativity of LGBTQ+ people across generations. Whether you’re rediscovering the past or encountering it for the first time, this in-person exhibition places the lived experiences of queer people at the heart of the narrative.
The 50 Years of Queer Hope and Joy Exhibition is open to the public on the Lower Ground Floor at the entrance to City Library, and in the Wolfson Reading Room on the First Floor till 31 December 2025.
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

Laws of Your Game
2025-08-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us at Central Library for this exciting session brought to you by National Football Museum! Every great game needs rules, but who says we can’t rewrite them? In this workshop, you’re the rule-maker of football. What do your laws of the game look like? Maybe every goal gets a dance-off, everyone wears capes, or kindness on the pitch earns extra goals. In this workshop we’ll start positive conversations around inclusion and diversity. Who is currently left out of football? What rules could we write to include more people?
Suitable for families.
Free entry – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Art Time
2025-08-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Let your imagination run wild in this art session where anything can happen!
All materials provided, including canvas, children’s paint, and more: just bring yourself!
Suitable for ages 7+.
Free entry, no need to book!

Tuesday 26 August. 2.30-3.30pm. Lower Ground Floor.

An Evening with A.F. Steadman
2025-08-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Join us for what promises to be a brilliant Q&A event with internationally bestselling author A.F. Steadman to celebrate the release of Skandar and the Spirit War, the fifth and final book in the blockbuster Skandar series! Join us to hear all about the Skandar series and there will also be a Q&A so you can put your burning questions to the author herself!
The blockbuster hit series about bloodthirsty unicorns, epic sky battles and elemental magic was crowned Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year in 2022. The series has been translated into 47+ languages and a film produced by Sony Pictures is in the works.
Come and celebrate the publication of Skandar and the Spirit War, the highly anticipated fifth and final book in the Skandar series at this exclusive and unforgettable family event.
A.F. Steadman will be signing and dedicating copies of the Skandar series after the event, but due to time limitations A.F. Steadman will sign and dedicate one copy of Skandar and the Spirit War plus one other book per child. The book and ticket option includes a pre-signed copy of the hardback exclusive edition of Skandar and the Spirit War (RRP. £14.99) which will be available for collection at the event.
Please note that ticket holders 16 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket) in order to gain entry to the venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The venue reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 16 years of age and under.
The event may be filmed and photographed, as an attendee you consent to footage of you being used for promotional purposes.

Half and Half Scarves
2025-08-27 13:00 - 14:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us at Central Library for a collaborative and fun session led by the National Football Museum! Half & half scarves tell a story of rivalries, friendships, big matches, and personal connections. Now, it’s your turn to create one that represents you! Pick your colours and patterns, choosing a simple design that reflect two sides of your identity, maybe it’s your hometown and your new city, your club and your country, your football passion and beyond. Then, weave them together into a mini half & half scarf, just like the ones you see at the match.
Suitable for families.
Free entry – 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

Plant Your Story Garden!
2025-08-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Calling all budding gardeners (pun unintended) and readers!
Get potting at this fun interactive session for the whole family.
We’ll provide seeds, soil and pots, just bring yourself!
We’ll also help you sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge, so you can win some wonderful prizes.
What’s not to like?
Free, no need to book.
Thursday 28 August. 2-4pm. Lower Ground Floor.

Story Garden: A Garden Collage
2025-08-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Performance Space
To welcome bees and butterflies, we’ll start by planting beautiful, colourful flowers. But that’s not all—we’re going to get crafty too!
Using decorative paper and layers of soft tissue paper, we’ll create a giant blooming flower collage.
Each petal we add will remind us how important flowers are for pollination and how we can help protect our natural world.
So grab your glue sticks and let your imagination bloom—our garden is about to get a whole lot more magical!
Free entry, no need to book.
Friday 29 August. 1-2.30pm. Performance Space.

Film Friday
2025-08-29 14:30 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Does Friday afternoon and cinema sound like a good combo to you?
Then join us at Manchester Central Library for a free film screening with themed crafts!
We may even have popcorn!
Suitable for children up to 12 years old. No need to book, free to drop in from 2.30pm. Film screening starts at 2.30pm.
Friday 29 August. 2.30-4pm. Performance Space.

Wonderland Sunday Funday at Central Library!
2025-08-31 12:00 - 16:00
Not quite ready for the end of the holidays? Join us at Central Library for a special end-of-summer extravaganza brought to you by Z-Arts and Manchester Libraries!
*FULL PROGRAMME*
Yoga and movement sessions for children
Performance Space (Ground Floor)
Start times: 12pm, 1pm
Storytimes
Performance Space (Ground Floor)
Start times: 12.30pm, 1.30pm
Bessie’s Bees (Storytime)
Children’s Library (Lower Ground Floor)
Start time: 12pm
Wonderland family gig: Yemi Bolatiwa and her band
Performance Space (Ground Floor)
3-4pm
Face painting, crafts and carrot trail: THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON!
Why not dress up for the occasion? Costumes encouraged – whether you’re a mischievous Cheshire Cat or a dapper White Rabbit!
Bring your sense of wonder, a big smile, and your whole crew for a family-friendly adventure that’s sure to be madly memorable!
FREE ENTRY! JUST DROP IN

Japan Week
2025-09-04 10:30 - 2025-09-08 16:30 | Performance Space
Join us for Japan Week to learn more about leading Japanese destinations from EXPO 2025 in Osaka, as well as hidden gems that will inspire your next visit. You can also view incredible exhibitions and performances from Japanese artists and join workshops to give yourself a taste of traditional Japanese culture right here in Manchester.
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

Conversation Club
2025-09-11 13:00 - 14:30 | Ground Floor (Handling Tables)
Would you like to improve your English conversation skills? Join our friendly group, improve your English, and meet new friends. Suitable for adults.
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

From Page to Stage: 20 Years of Manchester Literature Festival
2025-09-12 08:00 - 2025-12-16 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room
Feast your eyes on two decades of literary magic with From Page to Stage, a photographic exhibition celebrating Manchester Literature Festival’s 20th anniversary. This intimate collection of photos charts the Festival’s journey from its early days to becoming one of the UK’s most distinctive literary events. Through striking images, we revisit the unforgettable moments and remarkable voices that have shaped the Festival – from award-winning novelists and poets, to leading songwriters and musicians, activists and change-makers.
Featuring brilliant photos of homegrown favourites Lemn Sissay, Jeanette Winterson, Jackie Kay and Simon Armitage alongside much loved cultural figures Johnny Marr, Guy Garvey, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Vivienne Westwood, these images tell a story of inspired ideas, playful conversations and communities brought together. From intimate readings to bold, genre-defying events, the exhibition captures the energy, diversity and creativity that defines Manchester Literature Festival.
Come and join us in celebrating 20 years of bringing literature to life.
Image copyright: Jon Parker Lee.
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

An Evening with Kathy Reichs
2025-09-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
​Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs for a rare visit to the UK to celebrate over 25 years of her bestselling series.
​Best known as the inspiration behind Fox Television’s longest-running scripted drama, Bones, Kathy will be in Manchester for a one-night-only. She’ll be discussing her career as an author and forensic anthropologist, how she crafts her smash-hit stories and what it takes to plot and pen a murder.
​Hosted by Sunday Times Best Seller, Clare Mackintosh, join us for an evening of stories.
​Every book + ticket comes with a copy of Fire & Bones, which Kathy will sign and dedicate on the day.
​
About the book: Fire & Bones

​It’s never easy working fire scenes.
Called to Washington, DC to analyse the victims of a mysterious arson attack, Tempe quickly finds her misgivings justified. The fire site is in Foggy Bottom, a neighbourhood with a colourful history, and as the pieces start falling into place, the property’s ownership becomes more and more suspicious.
Sensing a good story, Tempe teams up with a new ally, telejournalist Ivy Doyle. Delving into the past, the duo learns that back in the Thirties and Forties, the home was the hangout of a group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang. Though interesting, this fact seems irrelevant – until the son of one of the gang members is shot dead at his farm in Virginia.
When another Foggy Bottom Gang-linked property burns to the ground, claiming one more victim, what might have been a coincidence starts to look more like targeted attacks. As she and Ivy dig deeper, Tempe’s instincts point towards the obvious: somehow, her every move since coming to Washington has been anticipated in advance. And every path forward brings with it a lethal threat.
​About Kathy Reichs

​Kathy Reichs’s first novel, Déjà Dead, published in 1997, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was an international bestseller.
​To date, she has written twenty-four novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Kathy was also a producer of Fox Television’s longest-running scripted drama, Bones, which was based on her work and her novels. One of the very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Kathy lives in Charlotte.

Time Travellers Tea Room
2025-09-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Lwr Ground Floor – Manchester Histories Hub
Join Manchester Hstories for Time Travellers Tea Room, a monthly gathering where we explore the personal stories, memories and everyday objects that shape Manchester’s rich and diverse heritage.
These relaxed sessions are open to anyone with an interest in the past, whether you’re a lifelong Mancunian, new to the city, or simply curious about local history. Each session offers an opportunity to:

Share personal or family stories
Bring in objects and explore their histories
Learn how to use local archives
Connect with others and discover shared experiences
Contribute your ideas to future Manchester Histories projects

Come and meet new people, uncover old stories and celebrate the living histories of our city, all over tea, coffee and biscuits.
The sessions are free to attend and open to all. Capacity is limited to 15 participants, so booking is encouraged. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Free – booking required here

Central Library’s Big Language Celebration
2025-09-13 13:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Do you speak more than one language? Want to find out more about the languages spoken in Manchester? Then join us for an engaging exploration of our foreign language archives, where visitors can uncover stories, documents, and cultural treasures from Manchester’s amazingly diverse communities.
Performance Schedule
1.30pm Welcome by the Portuguese Consulate
1.45pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
2pm Portuguese poetry reading with Eugénia Azevedo and José Dias
2.15pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
2.30pm Greek poetry reading with Mandy Kotsopoulou, Iason Andreadakis, Doreta Boultouka and Spyros Pantos
2.45pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
3pm Prose and poetry reading in Hungarian with Dr Szilvi Naray and Zotmund Jakab
3.15pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
Free – please drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Children’s Voices and Archives for Community Action: the Marcus Rashford Mural Collection
2025-09-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Join us as we offer a rare glimpse into this significant collection, much of which is created by children. Read their messages, thoughts and feelings as they voice their inspiring stand, united against bullying and racism.
In 2021 following a missed EUFA penalty, a community-funded mural in Withington of local footballer Marcus Rashford was defaced with racist messages. The community responded with heartfelt messages of support for Marcus which snowballed into a collective demonstration of solidarity and a united stand against racism and online hate. Manchester Archives carefully collected these messages which now form an unique collection and has inspired the creation of an educational resource for children and communities. This will be centred on themes of community action, empathy and the power of the collective.
Free – please drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

An evening with Katherine Rundell
2025-09-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
We are delighted to welcome bestselling author Katherine Rundell to Manchester to celebrate the release of The Poisoned King!
The mesmerising follow-up to Rundell’s Waterstones Book of the Year 2023-winning Impossible Creatures finds Christopher embroiled in an elaborate rescue mission as he returns to the magical world of the Archipelago.
Katherine joins us at Manchester Central Library for a talk, audience Q&A and signing. Please note that Katherine will sign all books bought from Waterstones on the day of the event, but due to time restraints and to make sure that all readers have a chance to get their book signed, Katherine will only be able to sign one book brought from home
About The Poisoned King
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder.
Come with us now. There is justice to be done.

Return to the Archipelago – the secret place in our world where all the creatures of myth still live and thrive, for a rescue mission like no other. The Poisoned King is the second book in the epic Impossible Creatures fantasy series from bestselling author Katherine Rundell.
When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face, his heart leaps for joy. For months he’s dreamed of returning to the Archipelago. But he did not know it would involve a rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, or a plan to enter a dragon’s lair. Nor did he imagine it would involve a girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket and a ravenous hunger for justice…
About the author
KATHERINE RUNDELL is a multi-million-bestselling author whose novels for children have won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Costa Children’s Book Award, among many others. Impossible Creatures was Waterstones Book of the Year 2023, and in 2024 Katherine was named the British Book Awards Author of the Year and Impossible Creatures won the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where she works on Renaissance literature. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Very occasionally she goes climbing across the rooftops of Oxford, late at night.

Reading, Rhyming, Remembering: Children's education from the Past
2025-09-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Explore how children learned Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s, through images, storybooks, rhymes, and moral tales. A fun and nostalgic exhibition for schools and families—where learning met imagination!
Discover the storybook world of early childhood learning at Manchester Council’s Heritage Open Day. This special exhibition showcases a rich collection of children’s books published Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s with some older material from the previous centuries, offering a fascinating glimpse into how young minds were shaped through literature. From 17th-century spelling books and moral tales to 19th-century fairy stories and educational chapbooks, the display reveals how storytelling, rhyme, and repetition were central to teaching reading, values, and imagination. Visitors will encounter beautifully illustrated texts, religious tracts, nature guides, and playful primers that reflect the evolving techniques used in schools and homes. Whether it’s Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Aesop’s fables, or Victorian nursery rhymes, each book tells a tale of how children once learned to navigate the world. Ideal for families, educators, and literature lovers, this event invites you to explore the roots of children’s education and the enduring power of books to inspire, instruct, and delight.
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Saturday Spectacular: Lowry Takeover
2025-09-20 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Come join the Lowry at Central Library and get involved in some fantastic fun for all the family. Enjoy arts and crafts, interactive storytelling and engaging workshops. There will also be the chance to watch family classics on the big screen, and more!
Free – more info to follow
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Ghastly Stories for Gruesome Gremlins -EVENT CANCELLED
2025-09-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Children’s Library
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.AND WILL BE RESCEHDULED IN THE FUTURE
A Spooky & Silly Storytelling Show for 7+ told by Gav Cross. Gav does not believe in ghosts, has never seen a ghost, doesn’t think there are monsters under his bed. But he cannot get enough of the stories that give him the chill. Expect gasps and giggles and maybe even a chill down the back of the neck? Suitable for ages 7+
Free – just drop in.
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Libraries 175: Celebrating 175 years of the Public Libraries Act 1850
2025-09-22 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | First Floor
Pop in and view this fascinating exhibition at Central Library – Libraries 175: Celebrating 175 years of the Public Libraries Act 1850.
175 years ago the Public Libraries Act was passed, which allowed Local Authorities to raise taxes to fund free public libraries. The borough of Manchester was the first borough in the country to open a free public library under the new Public Libraries Act. Manchester Free Library opened on 6th September 1852 at Campfield.
Commenting on the exhibition, Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said:
‘Libraries are more than books and always have been. They play an important role at the heart of our communities, providing huge opportunities for learning and community engagement. The legacy of the Public Libraries Act reminds us that we need to keep investing in these vital spaces and adapting them to make them relevant for the communities they serve. Libraries have always been places of inspiration which is why they deserve our continued support.’
Neil MacInnes, OBE, Head of Service, Libraries, Galleries and Culture said:
‘Manchester has a proud history of investing in its libraries. We work hard to ensure they remain relevant to our communities, adapting and changing to the current needs and we will continue to look after and promote libraries for future generations. They are and will continue to be the heart and soul of learning, development and nourishment and long may they remain so.’
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
