Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

The Vale

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
The Vale Reopening Programme
Image courtesy of C Dyson/ The Vale.

The Vale in Mossley has recently undergone a huge £1 million transformation to become a new state-of-the-art cultural centre, which now hosts a well-curated live programme of music, dance, cinema, theatre and visual arts.

A new state-of-the-art cultural centre.

Visitors to the former textile mill will discover a brand-new visual arts space and community workshop, performance space and arts studio. A vibrant hub for carnival arts, The Vale is also the proud home to the Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence and two of the North West’s leading carnival arts companies Global Grooves and Cabasa CIC.

The venue threw open its doors and welcomed audiences back into the building in 2021, re-launching with a lively carnival-inspired live programme.The venue will throw open its doors and welcome audiences back into the building with a jam-packed programme which reflected on traditions and cultures from around the world.

Going from strength to strength since then, the community-focussed venue hosts a variety of music, theatre, dance, and cinema throughout the year, alongside a number of Carnival happenings. Its mixed-use and specialist studios are also a hit with visual artists, musicians, dancers and theatre makers.

All in all it’s a bright, welcoming and accessible space, and a great addition to Mossley.

The Vale, Unit 2, Vale Mill, Micklehurst RoadMossleyOL5 9JL View map
Telephone: 01457238089 Visit Now

What's on near The Vale

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
See all events

Where to go near The Vale

Merseyway is built on giant stilts over the river Mersey – hence the name! It was one of the first shopping centres to open in 1965 and was refurbished in 1995. Merseyway are proud of their heritage and their role in continuing to attract visitors to Stockport. They strive to live up to the brand promise “famous brands, fabulously close”.
Manchester
Merseyway Shopping Centre

Merseyway is built on giant stilts over the river Mersey – hence the name! It was one of the first shopping centres to open in 1965 and was refurbished in 1995. Merseyway are proud of their heritage and their role in continuing to attract visitors to Stockport. They strive to live up to the brand promise “famous brands, fabulously close”.

Leeds
Brewery
Springwell

The home of North, with a beautiful taproom over looking the brew house, on Buslingthorpe Lane. Every weekend we open the doors to our brewery and pour incredibly fresh beer next to the tanks where it was brewed!

Ring O'Bells
Restaurant
Ring O’Bells

Popular country pub based in Ormskirk, serving classic British food and local ales.

Abington Street Market
Blackpool
Shop
Abington Street Market

Abington Street Market is a go-to for independent retail, housing 12 shopping units selling everything from handmade ceramics to clothing, crystals and cake.

Beautiful view of our Dining Tipi Table
Altrincham
Event venue
Millington Hall Farm

Millington Hall Farm is a one of a kind destination offering field to fork dining alongside learning experiences that will stay with you long after your visit.

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.

See all places

Manchester District Guides

Cheetham Hill, Manchester

Cheetham Hill gets a bad rap as an area, however as you begin to look round you will find it has plenty to do. Let us be your guide.
Chorlton, Manchester

Chorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only 10-odd minutes away by tram). A sprawling hive of artisan coffee shops, boutique clothing stores,…
Castlefield, Manchester

The Roman General Julius Agricola founded ‘Mamucium’ in 79AD; the name means ‘breast shaped hill’, as this was what Agricola discovered in Castlefield, where the original settlement was based.
The front of Didsbury restaurant Volta.
Didsbury, Manchester

Follow Oxford Road South through the Curry Mile, along Wilmslow Road, past Platt Fields Park and through Withington and you’ll eventually reach Didsbury, an area divided into two main parts….
The Oast House pub in Spinningfields Manchester.
Spinningfields, Manchester

Spinningfields is Manchester’s realm of glass and steel, where global corporations have their headquarters. It’s also become a real culinary hotspot: you can find modern tapas at Ibérica, innovative Chinese…
Beech Road Chorlton, Manchester

A laid-back mix of gift shops, independent outfitters, restaurants, pubs and parks, on a sunny weekend afternoon it’s heaving.
Deansgate, Manchester

The busy thoroughfare of Deansgate runs through Castlefield, joining the dots between it, Spinningfields and Manchester’s Cathedral Quarter at the opposite end. Deansgate is home to its fair share of…

Culture Guides

Music in the North

From Afrobeat to psychedelia, alternative rock to glistening pop, we take a look at some of the best gigs happening in early 2025.

Boy watching hands making shadow puppets on a screen
Family things to do in the North

As we move into festive season, Manchester and the North is packed with fun events and activities for families, both indoors and outdoors.

Poet Rosie Garland. Credit Absolut Queer Photography.
Literature Events in the North

Bookish goings-on are perfect for picking up presents for others and treats to get yourself through the cold, dark days ahead.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

From contemporary dance to ballet classics, and cult rock ‘n’ roll musicals to new writing, our theatre guide spans the festive season and beyond.

A man is dressed as an Elf in a decorated department store.
Cinema in the North

Get ready for animated classics, Muppet mayhem and a whole host of New York movies -- it's Christmas time in the cinema.

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.