Royal Exchange Theatre

Creative Tourist
Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Lee Baxter.

The Royal Exchange is a former trading hall that became a theatre back in 1973. It was severely damaged by the 1996 IRA bomb that ripped the heart out of Manchester’s city centre, underwent a £32m redevelopment and reopened two years later with its seven-sided glass and steel theatre-in-the-round fully updated too.

This innovative performance space squats inside the Victorian Great Hall, a little like an alien interloper, making the Royal Exchange one of the most unique and celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics. It also houses a public lounge, a family-friendly space with books to read and games to play, and  The Rivals Bar & Café, the perfect perch for pre and post-show refreshments.

St Ann’s SquareManchesterM2 7DH View map
Telephone: 0161 833 9833 Visit Now

Accessibility

Disabled access

Admission Charges

Free / see specific performances for prices

Commercial and Hire Services

Function rooms available, costume hire

Services and Facilities

performances, exhibitions, events, tours, shop, bars, café, restaurant

Opening Hours

  • Monday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Tuesday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Wednesday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Thursday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Friday9:30am - 7:30pm
  • Saturday11:00am - 7:30pm
  • Sunday11:00am - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on at Royal Exchange Theatre

What's on near Royal Exchange Theatre

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 Royal Exchange Theatre

Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Blackpool
Museum
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

Located at Blackpool Pleasure Beach resort, this museum of oddities is the perfect place for families to discover the strange, the unusual and the extraordinary.

Image courtesy of Saoko Cocktail Bar.
Blackpool
Restaurant
Saoko Cocktail Club

This cocktail bar may be the new kid on the Blackpool block, but it’s already renowned for its excellent service and imaginative drinks that offer an ‘experience and a story’.

Little Black Pug by Ian Jones.
Blackpool
Restaurant
Little Black Pug

Head to Balckpool’s Little Black Pug for an historic, laid-back, family-friendly pub with a huge malt whiskey collection.

Ian Jones.
Blackpool
Shop
Aunty Social

Both a lifestyle store and a community arts hub, Aunty Social showcases the very best of Blackpool’s creative community. A great spot to pick up lovingly-made gifts.

Exterior of fish and chip shop
Blackpool
Restaurant
Harrowside Fish & Chips

Winner of the Good Food Award’s coveted Chippy of the Year award on multiple occasions, Harrowside is a great choice for fish and chips in Blackpool.

Ladies eating Fish and Chips
Blackpool
Restaurant
C Fresh

C Fresh is an old school, decidedly affordable chippy near Blackpool prom, consistently busy with locals – a sure-fire sign it’s doing something right.

Twisted
Blackpool
Restaurant
Twisted Indian Street Food

Blackpool’s number one Indian restaurant, Twisted Indian packs a flavour punch and isn’t afraid to mix the traditional with the modern. Their motto? ‘Being normal is boring.’

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.