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July

Creative Tourist

July sees the cultural calendar heat up with Manchester International Festival in full swing as we enter summer proper. We round up our most unmissable events from that festival below, alongside a wealth of other cultural highlights from across the North, including lots of exhibitions a bunch of great theatre.

With the big school holiday approaching, get ahead of the game and plot out some interesting things to do with kids, if you have them. If you don’t, why not make the most of that fact by letting loose at one of the North’s many excellent festivals. You’ll find a lot of them below!

Seasonal Guides

Easter Holidays in Manchester and the North
Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in Manchester and the North

Read our top ideas for things to do over Easter Bank Holiday weekend in Manchester and the North, with or without chocolate…
Easter Holidays in Manchester and the North
Things to do over the Easter Holidays

Looking for things to do with the family over the Easter school holidays? We’ve got you covered.
Mother's Day in Manchester and the North
Mother’s Day in Manchester and the North

From bespoke bouquet workshops and poetry royalty to slap-up Sunday roasts and gin tastings, check out our guide of things to do with your mum this Mother’s Day.
Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Cultural Calendar 2025

Our editors’ biannually updated list of some of the best-looking arts and cultural events in Manchester and the North in 2025.
Contemporary Dance at The Lowry
Alcohol-free things to do in the North

So you’re off the booze and you’re wondering what there is to do in Manchester that doesn’t involve drinking…
Valentine’s Day

Don’t leave Valentine’s Day to the last minute. You’ll find plenty in our guide, from top restaurants to outside-the-box activities.
Chinese New Year in Manchester
Chinese New Year in Manchester

Colourful cultural adventures abound as Manchester rings in the Lunar New Year. Here’s our round-up of what’s on.

Destinations

Mother's Day in Manchester and the North
Spotlight on

Mother's Day in Manchester and the North

From bespoke bouquet workshops and poetry royalty to slap-up Sunday roasts and gin tastings, check out our guide of things to do with your mum this Mother's Day.

Take me there

Culture Guides

the artist
Music in the North

The outsiders, the oddities and the outrageous – we’re keeping it weird with a hot new batch of underground gigs about to hit Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.

A woman with black curly hair sings on stage in front of a red curtain
Cinema in the North

David Lynch, International Women's Day and Manchester Film Festival are amongst our cinematic highlights this March.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

DaDaFest’s 40th anniversary line-up, contemporary reimaginings and outlandish fringe, check out our top theatre picks for spring onwards.

A large sphere floats in a dark room with an ornate wall pattern, flanked by two arched windows and a checkered floor.
Exhibitions in the North

From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.

Poet Imtiaz Dharker. Photo by Ayesha Dharker
Literature Events in the North

It's like the Woolies pick'n'mix counter this month in live literature land – so much choice, we're not sure where to start digging in.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.