Aviva Studios

Johnny James, Managing Editor
Factory International
Factory International. Image courtesy of OMA.

Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, is a landmark new cultural space in the heart of Manchester, reshaping the city’s cultural output as it projects to attract 850,000 visitors a year and bring in £1.1bn to the economy over a decade.

Designed by the world-famous Rotterdam-based practice OMA (originally the Office for Metropolitan Architecture), the 7,000-capacity Aviva Studios can be found on the site of the old Granada TV studios, where it hosts theatre, concerts and exhibitions from major national and international names.

Boasting “one of Europe’s most ambitious and adventurous year-round creative programmes”, the venue houses a vast, hangar-like space called the Warehouse (which opened with the Yayoi Kusama exhibition You, Me and the Balloons), with a standing capacity of 5,000, plus a 1,600-seat theatre dubbed the Hall. Both are ultra-flexible, configurable spaces, and can be made to work together or separately, enabling artists to develop and create large-scale work of invention and ambition, of a kind not seen anywhere else in the world.

You, Me and the Balloons
Yayoi Kusama and Dots Obsession, 1996-2011 Installation (Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo). Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Victoria Miro and David Zwirner.

The venue opened its doors to audiences of the hugely successful Manchester International Festival 2023 (the venue will be the biennial festival’s home going forwards), and has gone on to host major dance-theatre spectacles like Danny Boyle’s Free Your Mind and the eye-popping The Accountants, as well as ambitious residencies from artists like David Hoyle. All this besides a host of incredible gigs and concerts, including in-the-round performances by Sampha and an interactive symphony by Huang Ruo.

Free Your Mind at Factory International.
Free Your Mind at Factory International. Image courtesy of North Design.

Alongside its artistic programming, Aviva Studios is a training centre for people in pursuit of careers in the creative industry. Delivered by Manchester International Festival, the Factory Academy offer local residents the opportunity to gain expertise working alongside world-leading creatives, with apprenticeships for budding producers, technicians, and arts marketeers. There are also opportunities for local artists to develop and grow, with the venue actively working with communities and involving them as artistic collaborators in participatory projects and productions.

Located in the St John’s neighbourhood next to the River Irwell, Aviva Studios is at the heart of a burgeoning city centre hub for culture, creativity and digital innovation, and making a major contribution to the ongoing regeneration of this part of the city centre.

Water StreetManchesterM3 3JQ View map
Visit Now

What's on at Aviva Studios

All of this Unreal Time at Aviva Studios: Film still with Cillian Murphy sitting alone in a cafe.
CinemaCity Centre
All of this Unreal Time at Aviva Studios

Happening as part of Factory International’s Weekend of Film and Music is Max Porter and Aoife McArdle’s All of This Unreal Time, starring Cillian Murphy.

from £25.00

What's on near Aviva Studios

Until
ActivityLiverpool
Old Dock Tours, Liverpool

The Old Dock tour is a treat for younger and older visitors alike, fans of Liverpool’s maritime past, and anybody curious about local history.

£8.50 with concessions
Until
ComedyManchester
Creatures of the Night Comedy Club

An insanely committed seven-nights-a-week, Creatures of the Night Comedy Club opens its doors (20.30-22.30 typically, though please check) for evening after evening of side-splitting comedy.

from £5.00
Until
ComedyManchester
The Comedy Vault

Every Monday night upstairs at Fierce Bar, The Comedy Vault hosts an outrageously funny open-mic night. Come and try your hand or just to watch and laugh.

free entry
Until
ComedyManchester
Comedy Balloon

Every Wednesday at Ape & Apple, Manchester’s official underground comedy club, Comedy Balloon’s friendly and warm comedy night takes place.

free entry

Where to go near Aviva Studios

Traditional green and beige tram in blackpool
Blackpool
Tourist Attraction
Heritage Tram Tours

Embark on a unique and educational journey along the famous Blackpool Tramway, on board the best of the iconic Heritage Trams.

Blackpool
Tourist Attraction
Sandcastle Waterpark

Bring the whole family together for a day of fun, thrills and exciting aquatic adventures at Sandcastle Waterpark.

© Merlin Entertainments 2024
Blackpool
Tourist Attraction
Blackpool Tower Eye

Experience one of the country’s most well-known landmarks in a whole new way. Brave the glass SkyWalk, head to the 4D cinema, or soak up the views at Bar 380.

Blackpool Tower Circus
Blackpool
Tourist Attraction
The Blackpool Tower Circus

Visit the oldest permanent circus in the world, showcasing some truly jaw-dropping stunts from contortionists, acrobats and trapeze acts.

Pendle witch scaring visitors at Blackpool Dungeons
Blackpool
Tourist Attraction
The Blackpool Tower Dungeon

With interactive shows and an impressive drop ride, you’re guaranteed thrills, screams and entertainment at The Blackpool Tower Dungeon.

activity 1
Event venue
Frankie’s Paint-It Pottery

Frankie’s Paint-It Pottery is a friendly place to relax and exercise your creative muscles by having a go at pottery painting.

hotel 4
City Centre
Hotel
Shankly Hotel

A glamorous tribute to Bill Shankly in hotel form, where else will you find a place where luxury meets fun in such style?

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Alongside experimental performance, new writing and free arts festivals, we take a look at some of the Christmas shows happening in the North.