Performance Space

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  • People as Infrastructure: The Architectural Wisdom of Informality

    Performance Space

    Join us for Manchester Confucius Institute's first public talk of the year, launching our anniversary exhibition, Building China: People’s Infrastructure. Explore the spontaneous and ingenious adaptations found in China’s urban marketplaces, where everyday materials become functional art. This talk delves into the world of informal architectural practices that thrive without formal design processes, reflecting a […]

  • Family Film Club

    Performance Space

    Enjoy a special edition of the Central Library’s legendary Family Film Club! Bring the family for an afternoon of themed crafts and a family classic on the library’s huge screen. Screenings start at 1.30pm – drop in from 1pm. Most suitable for under 12s. Free - drop in Please make a donation to support our […]

  • BIG BOOK QUIZ!

    Performance Space

    Celebrate World Book Night with us! It's World Book Night, so how could you miss the ultimate book quiz at Central Library. Join us for an evening celebrating your love of reading with quizzes, party games, prizes and the odd surprise challenge! Our cafe will also be open serving snacks, cakes and a range of […]

  • Attila the Stockbroker: Fiery Words for Hellish Times

    Performance Space

    Punk poet, latterly dub poet, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Attila the Stockbroker exploded into public consciousness in 1982-3 via two John Peel sessions and a Melody Maker front cover, and is now celebrating 45 years earning a living doing what he loves. Fiery Words for Hellish Times is his most topical and incendiary publication yet. As […]

  • People’s Infrastructure: Everyday Life in Changing China

    Performance Space

    Join us for Manchester Confucius Institute's second public talk linked to our 20th anniversary exhibition , Building China: People’s Infrastructure This talk moves from the visual culture of the 1950s and the institutional landscapes of the 1970s to contemporary studies of markets, parks, sidewalks, and sites of urban redevelopment. Across these moments, infrastructure is approached […]

  • ‘Malc’s Boy’. Shaun Wilson in conversation with Tony Walsh.

    Performance Space

    Hailed by David Keenan as “fierce, funny, poignant and real", Malc’s Boy is being tipped as one of the most exciting debuts of 2026! Brutal, beautiful, and darkly funny – a groundbreaking portrait of fathers, sons, and northern masculinity. Malc’s Boy charts a son’s struggle and friendship with his father amidst a legacy of toxic […]

  • Manchester Literature Festival presents Tayari Jones

    Performance Space

    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 […]

  • Manchester Literature Festival presents Natalie Haynes

    Performance Space

    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 course of her and her family’s […]

  • LOVE STORIES etc Festival

    Performance Space

    #LoveStoriesEtc romance festival is returning for a third year to Manchester Central Library on 17th and 18th July 2026 for two packed days of exciting author panels, industry expert led workshops, and creative sessions! The schedule for Friday 17th July includes... 'How to Boss Booktok’ with Ash Jayy from The Picture of Romance ‘What Can […]

    Get Tickets £25.00 – £35.00 39 tickets left