What's on

Conserving Our Town Hall’s heritage: Pulling out all the stops – restoring the Town Hall organ

Performance Space

AFTERNOON SESSION 1PM EVENING SESSION 5.30PM Manchester Town Hall has been closed since January 2018 for an extensive restoration programme that will repair and upgrade the building to modern standards. The work will include the conservation of many heritage features. Our series of Heritage Lectures aims to shine a light on some of the fascinating […]

Let’s Read Music 2 – Music Theory

Henry Watson Music Library

Would you like to understand the structure and meaning behind a musical composition and boost your music performance? Do yo want to boost your music performance? Get to know music theory - it tells you how music works. Just bring a pencil and paper. Each session starts at 3pm: Modes - 16 Nov Inversions and […]

Thurston Moore in Conversation

Performance Space

‘This is history—scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable.’ – Colson Whitehead One of the founding members of alternative rock band Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore’s memoir Sonic Life is fuelled by his passion for music and art. It takes us from Thurston’s teen years as a music obsessive in small-town Connecticut, to New York’s East Village in […]

£14

Mika Karhumaa: Unlocking the Secrets of Modern Music Business Management

Henry Watson Music Library

Unlocking the Secrets of Modern Music Business Management Join us for an engaging exploration of the cutting-edge strategies and principles that drive success in the contemporary music industry.Overview:In this dynamic lecture, we delve into the fascinating world of modern music business management. Discover the innovative concepts and techniques that are reshaping the music industry and […]

Doon Mackichan in Conversation

Performance Space

British actor, comedian and writer Doon Mackichan joins us to launch her memoir, My Lady Parts: A Life Fighting Stereotypes. Through the roles she’s played on TV, in the theatre and in life, Doon examines the stories we are telling in a culture that profoundly diminishes our power as women. Reflecting on 40 years in showbusiness, […]

£12

Delia Derbyshire Day

23 November 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who and its hugely influential theme tune, realised by electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire. Join us for an afternoon of activity to celebrate the heritage of this iconic piece of music. Whether you are a fan of Doctor Who, electronic music, love the history of TV […]

Crime Central with Louise Swanson, Jose Carlos Somoza & Simon Michael!

Performance Space

Manchester Libraries, Blackwells Books and Instituto Cevantes present A Cracking Crime Central Christmas Special!! Rob Parker welcomes Louise Swanson, Simon Michael and Jose Carlos Somoza! 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! […]

£2 – £8

Naomi Alderman in Conversation

Performance Space

The future is coming. The Future is here. When Martha Einkorn fled her father’s isolated compound in Oregon, she never expected to find herself working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything. Across the world, in a mall in Singapore, Lai Zhen, an internet-famous survivalist, flees from an assassin. Martha and Zhen’s worlds are […]

£12

Medicine Unboxed – Lifting the Lid on Medical Innovation

Performance Space

Medicine Unboxed - Lifting the lid on medical innovation Doctors, artists, scammers - discover the people who have shaped the medical field and how this has impacted people’s lives. Forget about unboxing an advent calendar, join us for this one day pop up exhibition that unpacks objects and history from the beginnings of ‘modern’ medicine […]

Christmas with Elvis!

Performance Space

Join us for a Rock 'n' Rolling Christmas Celebration with Manc Elvis and his Magical Band. Manchester’s premier Elvis tribute act present an evening packed with greatest hits and Christmas classics to get you up and dancing all night! Including... That's Alright Mama, Merry Christmas Baby, Jailhouse Rock, Santa Bring My Baby (Back to Me), […]

£6

Day of Music

Henry Watson Music Library

A day of varied musical performances from local artists, including a choir, a soprano, a solo clarinettist and a dancing new wave legend.

Empire Windrush: In Conversation Event

Performance Space

Join editor, Onyekachi Wambu, ‘In Conversation’ on the topic of his recently-published, ground-breaking anthology,  ‘Empire Windrush’, presenting some of the best and most significant writing - poetry, fiction, journalism, essays and memoir - of the Black experience in Britain. Onyekachi Wambu is a Nigerian-British journalist and writer. He has directed television documentaries for the BBC, […]