Manchester After Hours 2018

Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
Naomi Kashiwagi at John Rylands Library for Manchester After Hours by Ben Williams
Naomi Kashiwagi at John Rylands Library for Manchester After Hours 2017 by Ben Williams

17 May 2018 Entrance is free

Part of UK-wide Museums at Night festival for the culturally curious, Manchester After Hours has brought thousands of post-5pm experience seekers to the city over the years, attracted by its ever-changing roster of unusual events and out of the ordinary collaborations. Though this fifth edition features a slightly more compact programme as organisers pause to consider how to grow even bigger and better going forwards, we think it’s safe to say that you’ll be just as hard pushed as ever to squeeze such an inspired selection of happenings into one night. Our tip: swap office shoes for comfy trainers.

17 May 2018 Entrance is free

Where to go near Manchester After Hours 2018

Wellington Place
Leeds
Event venue
Wellington Place

Wellington Place is a brand new business park in Leeds, with multi-use spaces and a varied programme of events from street food to art shows.

Tropical World

Enjoy an incredible journey through rainforest, mangroves and desert – in Leeds!

Carden Park
Cheshire
Hotel
Carden Park

Huge luxury estate, featuring high-end restaurant, beautiful rooms, a fully-packed spa and much more.

We sell comics, graphic novels, manga, role playing games, board games, collectible card games, merchandise, apparel and much more besides!
Leeds
Shop
Travelling Man Leeds

A quirky little shop for comics, graphic novels, role-playing and board games, with frequent in-store events.

Further North
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Further North

Kind of like your front room, but with better beers and no television, Further North was one of the first microbars to open in Leeds and remains a staple today.

What's on: Festivals

Now Northwich: Three aerialists fly around a metal tower in the dark as oversized pink conetti flutters around them
FamiliesCheshire
Now Northwich 2025

With performances from Company Chameleon, Global Grooves, Tea Club and Sole Rebel, Northwich’s free international dance and street arts festival is back for 2025.

free entry

Culture Guides

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.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

image shows pinned butterflies and pretty paper with frames
Tours and Activities in the North

Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.

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 sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

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.