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5 events,
Manchester Town Hall closed in January 2018 and work then began on a labour of love: a once-in-a-lifetime chance to repair, protect and update this architectural masterpiece for future generations. The Great Hall is the Town Hall’s centrepiece. It includes a huge variety of conservation and restoration projects and is a great example of the work we’re doing throughout […] 
This exhibition from Polonia Northern England uncovers the remarkable history of a Polish community (Polonia) deported and displaced during WWII. Through photographs, letters, and personal documents, it showcases experiences of forced deportation, war crimes, refuge, and significant contributions to Britain's freedom. The exhibition also explores post-war resettlement in exile in Northern England and community efforts […] 
A major new exhibition at Manchester Central Library explores the process of Cultural Masterplanning and how creative interventions in urban spaces undergoing redevelopment can reconnect fragmented places with their past and allow us to look to a dynamic shared future. These playful interactions change how transformation feels and help us involved and that change is happening with us, […] 
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** PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBC ALL TICKETS REMAIN VALID FOR THE NEW DATE OR REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE AND OUR STAFF WILL BE IN TOUCH** Acclaimed author Keith Kahn-Harris will be coming to the Henry Watson Music Library to discuss his new book 'The Beautiful Death of […]
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One of the most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction Tayari Jones discusses her highly anticipated new novel Kin. Born days apart, Vernice and Annie share loss and friendship. Growing up in segregated America, their paths diverge, until danger forces Vernice to risk everything. An exploration of love, loyalty and motherhood, powerful. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester […] |
4 events,
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One of the most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction Tayari Jones discusses her highly anticipated new novel Kin. Born days apart, Vernice and Annie share loss and friendship. Growing up in segregated America, their paths diverge, until danger forces Vernice to risk everything. An exploration of love, loyalty and motherhood, powerful. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester […] |
7 events,
Manchester Histories Festival returns for its 10th edition, bringing people together in and around Central Library to explore the theme of Civic Pride. Expect stories, creativity, conversation and community collaboration, celebrating Greater Manchester’s past, present and future. Join us on Saturday 6 June for the Celebration Day, including the Histories & Heritage Marketplace in Rates […] 
Manchester Archives+ presents archive material, photographs and film footage from the Archives+ collections to remember the day when time stood still for the city. This exhibition captures Manchester's drive to recover and rebuild, aided by the extraordinary wave of support from people, communities and institutions across the region and the world. Free – just drop […] 
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Recurring
Would you like to improve your English conversation skills? Join our friendly group to practice your English and meet new friends. Suitable for adults. 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 
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YardYard present the second instalment of their Pendulum世界术 series in Henry Watson Music Library on Thursday 4 June. Explore machine learning music tools in a special 2 hour session that will include a computer music workshop and interactive jam, followed by a live performance from rising talent: Nefo. In the workshop, together we will look […] |
6 events,
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Join our new friendly group and spend a cosy afternoon meeting new people and learning a new skill! Have a go at knitting, cross-stitch and hand embroidery in a relaxed environment. All materials provided, just bring yourself. All levels welcome. Pay what you feel. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme […] |
6 events,
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Join us for this relaxing session led by Psychologist Özlem Bakan Yavaş. We will be reading stories and learning about feelings in a comfortable and safe environment. We will finish each session with a calming and mindful craft. Suitable for children aged 4+. Book your free spot via Eventbrite here or click 'Book Now' below. […] |
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7 events,
Come along to Talk English Circles at Manchester Central Library to practise speaking English and meet other people. Learn English, build skills and step into ESOL with this programme funded by Economic Activity Trailblazer and Manchester Adult Education. Open to all levels. Book your free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986065030971?aff=oddtdtcreator Free – just drop in. Please make […]
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Join us this June for something a little different at the Henry Watson Music Library — a relaxed, beginner-friendly ukulele workshop. Led by tutor Jim Wallace, this Ukulele Lesson is all about confidence, connection, and enjoying music together in a welcoming setting. For 25 years, Jim has been bringing his passionate music teaching experiences to […] |
5 events,
Join us for this celebration of Greater Manchester’s 133 libraries. The award-winning festival, supported by Arts Council England, features a vibrant programme that highlights the library network’s full offer, across wellbeing, culture and creativity, digital and information and reading. The full programme for the Festival of Libraries 2025, including event and activities at Central Library, […] |
8 events,
Join us for an interactive activity connecting Manchester residents to skills, opportunities and each other. Discover skills you can learn, share knowledge and shape your future in this fun and engaging workshop. Find out more at https://rise.mmu.ac.uk Free – just drop in Please consider making a donation here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes […]
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This June, Manchester Central Library hosts the showcase for SNE Studios Storytelling & Moving Image pilot – a programme delivered in partnership with St Peter’s RC High School and Manchester City of Literature. Over eight weeks, students from St Peter’s have worked alongside professional creatives to understand the power of storytelling and narrative voice, get […]
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Join Trafford and Stockport College Group for Summer Roadshow. Take part in hands-on, interactive workshops where you can create your own floral buttonhole and jewellery, design a personalised craft box and discover new opportunities at our Gateway to Lifelong Learning information session. Come along, try something new, and leave with a renewed passion for learning. […] |
7 events,
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Join Trafford and Stockport College Group for Summer Roadshow. Take part in hands-on, interactive workshops where you can create your own floral buttonhole and jewellery, design a personalised craft box and discover new opportunities at our Gateway to Lifelong Learning information session. Come along, try something new, and leave with a renewed passion for learning. […]
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On June 12th, the photo-documentary exhibition, ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’, is at the centre of an extraordinary event being staged at Manchester Central Library as part of Manchester’s Festival of Libraries. Produced by internationally acclaimed photographer, Nick Sidle, covering the period 2000-1, in the aftermath of the 1999 Kosova war, the exhibition tells an uplifting […] |
11 events,
Join us for an interactive activity connecting Manchester residents to skills, opportunities and each other. Discover skills you can learn, share knowledge and shape your future in this fun and engaging workshop. Find out more at https://rise.mmu.ac.uk Free – just drop in Please consider making a donation here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes […]
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Hola! Come and join María at the Spanish Story Time monthly sessions, where you can listen to a story in Spanish and learn phrases and vocabulary, whilst having fun. We end each session making a simple craft related to the story. Suitable for children aged 4-7 Free - just drop in. Please consider making a […]
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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 […] |
8 events,
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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 […]
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THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT 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 […]
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The Henry Watson Music Library invites you to experience ‘Live In The Library’, a brand new showcase event in collaboration with the Access Creative College. As one of the city’s most respected music institutions, Access Creative College will be taking over the music library with a series of special live performances from its current crop […] |
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7 events,
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THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT 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 […]
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The Henry Watson Music Library invites you to experience ‘Live In The Library’, a brand new showcase event in collaboration with the Access Creative College. As one of the city’s most respected music institutions, Access Creative College will be taking over the music library with a series of special live performances from its current crop […]
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On Monday 15 June, rising North-west star AnaKi will launch her latest single with an intimate live show and listening party at the Henry Watson Music Library. AnaKi isa Manchester based singer-songwriter, who blends her faith with honest lyrics to bring people to a posture of introspection. The new single she will be premiering, "Lord […] |
6 events,
Come along to Talk English Circles at Manchester Central Library to practise speaking English and meet other people. Learn English, build skills and step into ESOL with this programme funded by Economic Activity Trailblazer and Manchester Adult Education. Open to all levels. Book your free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986065030971?aff=oddtdtcreator Free – just drop in. Please make […]
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The Henry Watson Music Library invites you to experience ‘Live In The Library’, a brand new showcase event in collaboration with the Access Creative College. As one of the city’s most respected music institutions, Access Creative College will be taking over the music library with a series of special live performances from its current crop […] |
6 events,
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The Henry Watson Music Library invites you to experience ‘Live In The Library’, a brand new showcase event in collaboration with the Access Creative College. As one of the city’s most respected music institutions, Access Creative College will be taking over the music library with a series of special live performances from its current crop […] 
Brought to you by Manchester Literature Festival, Little Reads is a fun, interactive workshop using drama, dance, songs, play and craft to explore children’s picture books. Most suitable for children aged 2 - 6, but all family members are welcome. Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural […] |
6 events,
Featured
Recurring
Would you like to improve your English conversation skills? Join our friendly group to practice your English and meet new friends. Suitable for adults. 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
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Jazz quartet to perform a special lunchtime set at the Henry Watson Music Library this June. Woodshed Collective is unified by a shared passion for performing and composing jazz in its many forms. The band takes its inspiration from traditional artists such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley, aiming to develop their own sound based […] |
11 events,
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Join us in Central Library’s Children Library to hear stories and sing songs in Arabic and English. Learn new words and make new friends! Suitable for children aged 4-7. Free – just drop in. Free - drop in Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or […] 
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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, […]
Brought to you by Manchester Literature Festival, Little Reads is a fun, interactive workshop using drama, dance, songs, play and craft to explore children’s picture books. Most suitable for children aged 2 - 6, but all family members are welcome. Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural […] |
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5 events,
Come along to Talk English Circles at Manchester Central Library to practise speaking English and meet other people. Learn English, build skills and step into ESOL with this programme funded by Economic Activity Trailblazer and Manchester Adult Education. Open to all levels. Book your free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986065030971?aff=oddtdtcreator Free – just drop in. Please make […] |
5 events,
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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 […] |
6 events,
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‘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 […]
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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 […] |
6 events,
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Our monthly morning sessions are interactive and fun, involving a blend of themed stories, rhymes, and a final craft activity. Learn new phrases whilst gesturing, chanting, and singing. We can’t wait to meet you! Suitable for children aged 4–7. Free - drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at […]
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Join our Mandarin Storytime. We will share the stories in Mandarin, then English. Have fun and learn new words! Suitable for children aged 4–7. 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 |
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5 events,
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Monday 29th June, 6.00pm – 7.15pm. Doors open 5.40pm and free entry. “It takes insight and empathy to have unpatronising sympathy.” Let the Quiet Ones Rise: Poems About Standing Up and Standing Out is a collection of instinctual poetry from the deepest part of a neurodivergent heart, and considers the sadness of being alone, but also […] |
5 events,
Come along to Talk English Circles at Manchester Central Library to practise speaking English and meet other people. Learn English, build skills and step into ESOL with this programme funded by Economic Activity Trailblazer and Manchester Adult Education. Open to all levels. Book your free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986065030971?aff=oddtdtcreator Free – just drop in. Please make […] |
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.
