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Cultural Calendar 2025

Creative Tourist

From anniversary festivals to world premiere performances, there’s a lot for the culturally curious to look forward to in 2025. To help you fill those new calendars, we’ve asked our editors to select their highlights from the events announced so far.

There’s a bit of everything here, from blockbuster theatre shows to family-friendly picks, world-class exhibitions, performances from internationally-acclaimed musicians, live literature showcases and cinematic treasures to delight the most discerning film buff.

Want more? You can keep up-to-the-minute with what’s happening across Manchester and the North with our specialist Cinema, Exhibitions, Theatre, Literature, Music, Family and Tours & Activities guides. You can also follow us on all the usual socials (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and subscribe to our mailing list to get this kind of thing in your inbox every Friday lunchtime.

Our top picks

Mary Poppins at the Palace Theatre

Mary Poppins at Manchester Opera House, Manchester, Until 17 May 2025, from £15.00 - Book now

A supercalifragilisticexpialidocious family treat awaits as the world’s most loved nanny flies over to Manchester in April 2025.

Find out more
Mary Poppins at the Palace Theatre
Mary Poppins. Image courtesy of Daniel Boud.

Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures at the Hepworth Wakefield

Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures at The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire, 17 May–27 October 2025, from £0.00 - Book now

The Hepworth Wakefield’s retrospective of artist Helen Chadwick’s work showcases a range of her sculptures, installations and photographs, charting her career and enduring contribution to contemporary art.

Find out more
Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Helen Chadwick with Piss Flowers from the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, Serpentine Gallery, 1994 Photo: Kippa Matthews © Kippa Matthews

Hamlet Hail to the Thief at Aviva Studios

Hamlet Hail to the Thief at Aviva Studios, Manchester, 27 April–18 May 2025, from £10.00 - Book now

Hamlet Hail to the Thief brings Shakespeare’s great tragedy and Radiohead’s seminal album together in an intoxicating blend of theatre, music, and movement.

Find out more
Hamlet Hail to the Thief: The cover of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief – which is a collage of colourful text blocks stacked on top of each other. The text has been replaced by words from Hamlet.
Factory International

manchester jazz festival 2025

Manchester Jazz Festival 2024, 16–25 May 2025, 0-£30 - Book now

Jazz lovers rejoice – manchester jazz festival is back with a bumper edition in 2025, as the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary festival.

Find out more
Rina Srabonian.
Rina Srabonian.

Dear England at The Lowry

Dear England at Lowry, Manchester, 29 May–29 June 2025 - Book now

Don’t miss James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning, big-hearted, ‘pitch-perfect’ celebration of football when it comes to Salford.

Find out more
This is England at The Lowry
Image courtesy of Marc Brenner.

Liverpool Biennial 2025 – BEDROCK

Liverpool Biennial 2023, 7 June–14 September 2025, free entry - Find Out More

Liverpool Biennial in 2025 is back for its 13th edition with 30 artists and collectives presenting work around the leading theme of ‘bedrock’.

Find out more
A grid of pink and cream waves laid on top of an orange gradient background. The text beneath the grid reads 'BEDROCK' alongside the LB2025 dates
LB2025 Visual Identity by Salt And Sister Studio

Manchester International Festival

Manchester International Festival 2025 at Aviva Studios, Manchester, 3–20 July 2025 - Book now

Manchester will once again become the world’s stage this summer, with Manchester International Festival filling venues and spaces across the city with some of the world’s most exciting creative talent.

Find out more
A Single Man at Aviva Studios (Manchester International Festival)
Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man at Aviva Studios. Image courtesy of Rick Guest.

Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet at The Lowry

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet at Lowry, Manchester, 15–19 July 2025, from £23.00 - Book now

An explosive new dance production heads to The Lowry, bringing a whole new dimension to The Who’s iconic rock album.

Find out more
Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet at The Lowry
Photo: Paris Fitzpatrick. Image courtesy of Johan Persson.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House 10 Year Anniversary

Elizabeth Gaskell's House 10 Year Anniversary at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Manchester and online, Until 4 October 2025, from £0.00 - Book now

Throughout 2025, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is celebrating its tenth anniversary, having first opened to the public a decade ago. From a close brush with dereliction to being awarded official accredited museum status in August 2024, it’s been an important decade in the almost 200-year history of the building, once home to North and South author Elizabeth Gaskell.

Find out more
Drawing Room with 10 year anniversary branding
Elizabeth Gaskell's House

Grimmfest 2025 at Odeon Great Northern

Grimmfest at Odeon Great Northern, Manchester, 9–12 October 2025, from £15.99 - Book now

Manchester’s foremost genre film festival continues to champion the best new horror cinema from around the world. Early ticket packages are on sale now but won’t last long.

Find out more

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at The Lowry

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Lowry, Manchester, 3 December 2025–11 January 2026, from £19 - Book now

Looking towards the end of 2025, we can’t wait to step through the magic wardrobe and into the snowy, wintry world of Narnia, where an incredible adventure awaits! 

Find out more
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at The Lowry
Photo courtesy of Brinkhoff Moegenburg

Litfest 2025 at various venues and online

Litfest Spring Festival at The Storey Creative Industries Centre, Lancashire and online, Until 15 May 2025, from £3.00 - Book now

Lancaster Literature Festival, or Litfest to its friends, is rolling out its 46th programme, having brought events to its audiences since 1978. For 2025, the main festival runs 7 to 17 March.

Find out more
Poet Malika Booker.
Poet Malika Booker.

Seasonal Guides

Kōdo Cocktail Art
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…
A street vendor standing behind a table selling arts and crafts.
May Bank Holiday 2025: Things to Do

Whether you’re a planner or prefer to play it by ear, we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you make the most of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Manchester International Festival 2025
Ones Not to Miss at MIF25

One-of-a-kind collaborations and world premiere performances, we bring you details of those ‘must-see’ shows at MIF25.
Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Collections in the North

Explore the best Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite collections in the North, a region rich in work from this period.
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.
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…

Destinations

Ego Death
Spotlight on

Hidden Bars in Manchester

Manchester's best secret, hidden and hard to find bars - here's our guide.

Take me there

Culture Guides

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.

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.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.

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.