Things To Do
Things to do in Manchester
Looking for things to do in Manchester this week? We've got you covered
While it may not be the capital, Manchester is one of the most exciting cities in the UK. It’s also one of the most historic – having birthed everything from the Industrial Revolution to the Haçienda music scene – and it boasts world-class restaurants, bars, coffee shops and music venues. If you need help finding things to do in Manchester — with mates, with a date, with kids or going solo — this handy, regularly updated guide will come in handy, serving you the best gigs, exhibitions, club nights, food spots and hidden gems across Greater Manchester, for every kind of day or night out you could hope for.
Music and Nightlife
Experience Born of Osiris’s progressive metal meltdown
Where? Manchester Club Academy, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PR
When: Tuesday 13 January
Hailling from Palatine, Illinois, Born of Osiris make pummelling, technical progressive metalcore that’s made them into metal-scene heroes over the last two decades. They released their newest album, ‘Through Shadows’, last summer, and now they’re coming to the UK for the first time in two years. They’re also bringing with them Within Destruction from Slovenia, Aversions Crown from Australia and Larcenia Roe from the US, making it a worldwide metalcore meeting of minds.
Get tickets to Born of Osiris at Manchester Club Academy
Spend a night with dance legends Soulwax
Where? O2 Victoria Warehouse, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1AB
When: Wednesday 14 January
Fronted by Belgian brothers Stephen and David Dewaele, Soulwax have been in constant evolution since they began in 1995. They began as an alternative rock band, releasing the critically acclaimed album ‘Much Against Everyone’s Advice’; they then transitioned to dance-punk with their 2004 album ‘Any Minute Now’, including the hit single ‘E Talking’. Their latest album, ‘All Systems Are Lying’, is a fascinating alt-dance odyssey full of modular synths and processed vocals. In recent years they’ve been playing with an extensive live band including three drummers, so their gig at Stretford’s Victoria Warehouse on Wednesday — one of only two UK dates — is not to be missed.
Get tickets to Soulwax at O2 Victoria Warehouse
Go to emo tribute band heaven with Fell Out Boy + The Black Charade
Where? O2 Ritz, Whitworth St W, Manchester, M1 5NQ
When: Friday 16 January
If you want to relive the emo bangers of your youth at a fraction of the price, the O2 Ritz is where you need to be this Friday night. The UK’s number one Fall Out Boy tribute, Fell Out Boy, are co-headlining with fellow tribute titans The Black Charade, who will be bringing the My Chemical Romance hits. With support from L1nkn P4rk and Stiff Bizkit, it’s going to be iconic emo and nu-metal tunes all night long.
Get tickets to Fell Out Boy at the O2 Ritz
Get blasted by the industrial sounds of Youth Code
Where? Gorilla, 54-56 Whitworth St West, Manchester, M1 5WW
When: Tuesday 20 January
Los Angeles cult favourites Youth Code combine industrial music with hardcore punk, and the results are incendiary. Their sound has been described as “hellish” and “uncompromising”, and their live shows are intense, throat-shredding affairs. If this sounds up your street, don’t miss the opportunity to catch them in the UK; they’ll be tearing up Gorilla next Tuesday.
Get tickets to Youth Code at Gorilla
Celebrate the music of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott at the Blues Kitchen
Where?: The Blues Kitchen, 13 Quay St, Manchester, M3 3HN
When: Wednesday 21 January
Spinningfield’s The Blues Kitchen is Manchester’s number one spot for soul, funk and R&B, with parties running into the early hours of the morning. Next Wednesday, there’ll be a full live band performing the greatest hits of two neo-soul icons, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Come in from the cold, grab a drink, groove and bliss out.
Get tickets to the Blues Kitchen on 21 January
Get a Thursday night death metal fix with Cryptopsy
Where? Manchester Club Academy, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PR
When: Thursday 22 January
Cryptopsy are a pioneering death metal band from Montreal, with their brutal and boundary-pushing sound leaving a legacy as one of the best death metal bands of all time. They’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic second album, ‘None So Vile’, with a gig at the Club Academy that’s sure to be immense.
Get tickets to Cryptopsy at Manchester Club Academy
Watch European metal powerhouses Amaranthe & Epica join forces
Where? O2 Apollo, Stockport Road, Ardwick Green, Manchester, M12 6AP
When: Friday 23 January
Manchester’s metalheads are really being treated this fortnight — this is just another one of the great metal gigs in Manchester over the next two weeks. Swedish melodic metal band Amaranthe and Dutch symphonic metal band Epica are joining forces for a co-headline tour, which will hit Manchester next Friday. Amidst the grand surroundings of the O2 Apollo, this one will be special
Get tickets to Amaranthe & Epica at O2 Apollo
Enjoy a free recital from the Cardinal Wind Quintet
Where?: Forsyth Music Shop, 126 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2GR
When: Thursday 22 January, 6:30-7:30pm
For all classical music lovers, this is a great opportunity to catch a free recital by some talented young musicians. The Cardinal Quintet consists of five final-year students at the Royal Northern College of Music, and they’ve won numerous awards and performed all around the city. They’ll be performing at Forsyth, the iconic 169-year-old music shop on Deansgate, next Thursday.
Find out more about what’s on at Forsyth Music Shop
Party pop-punk style with All Time Low
Where? Co-Op Live, Etihad Campus, 1 Sportcity Way, Manchester, M11 3DL
When: Friday 23 January
Turning from cheeky, fresh-faced teens to elder statesmen over the course of their 20-year career, pop-punkers All Time Low are still going strong, with their latest album Everyone’s Talking! released in October. Appearing at the UK’s biggest arena, Co-Op Live, all of their iconic bangers — like ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’, ‘Weightless’ and ‘Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t) — will sound bigger than ever.
Get tickets to All Time Low at Co-Op Live
Get the Sunday night scaries with Burning Witches and Hammer King
Where? Manchester Academy 3, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PR
When: 25 January
If you’re looking to make your Sunday night even scarier, there’s another exciting metal crossover happening over at the Academy 3. Swiss five-piece Burning Witches and German fantasy lovers Hammer King are bringing the Witches and Kings Tour to the UK, and their shared reverence for classic heavy metal will bring a night of metal bliss.
Get tickets to Burning Witches and Hammer King at Manchester Academy 3
Food and Drink
Fill up on £5 cocktails at Freight Island
Where?: Freight Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ
When: Thursdays 4pm-10pm
Every Thursday is Cocktail Club at Freight Island, where you can get £5 cocktails all evening! Each of Freight Island’s bars will have its own secret menu, with all sorts of sumptuous mixes for you to try. You can also make group bookings, making Freight Island a perfect destination for hen/stag dos and work parties.
Check out Freight Island’s menu
Museums and Art Galleries
Explore the wonders of Manchester Museum
Where?: Manchester Museum, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL
When: View opening times here
Manchester Museum was recently named the European museum of the year, and with free entry it’s perfect for those looking for things to do with the family during the summer holidays. You can get acquainted with dinosaur fossils (including Stan the T-Rex!), explore Egyptian or South Asian history, and even get up close and personal with some live amphibians and reptiles in the vivarium. While usually closing at 5pm, on Wednesdays the doors are open until 9pm if you fancy an evening stroll around the exhibits.
Plan your visit to Manchester Museum
Community and Culture
Find gothic treasures at Stockport alternative market
Where? Highballer, 10-11 Market Pl, Stockport, SK1 1EW
When: 18 January, 12-4pm
Stockport Alternative Market takes place a few times a year, with a host of independent traders celebrating “all things spooky, gothic and unusual.” The first one of 2026 is taking place at Highballer bar in Stockport town centre. Whether you’re local to Stockport or will be making the trip, this will be one of Greater Manchester’s most unmissable alternative events.
Check out Highballer’s Instagram
Take part in a queer writing evening with Fruit Salad
Where? Social Refuge, 7 Great Ancoats St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 5AJ
When: Friday 16 January 6-9pm
Fruit Salad is a queer community writing group, dedicated to creating a low-pressure environment for LGBTQ+ writers, as well as friends and allies, to work on their writing and find support and encouragement. Taking place at Social Refuge, a lovely LGBTQ+ coffee shop and bar in Ancoats, it’s an opportunity to have a casual drink and hang-out while working on your next project.
Find out more about what’s on at Social Refuge
Dive into a romance book at Waterstones
Where? Waterstones, Manchester Arndale, Manchester, M4 3AQ
When: Thursday 22 January, 6:30-7:30pm
Good news for any romance book lovers: Waterstones at the Arndale is hosting a brand new romance book club. Next Thursday they’ll be discussing ‘Good Spirits’ by B.K. Borison, a “deliciously fantastical” ghostly romance. Get stuck into it, and then head over to Waterstones for a chat about it with fellow romance lovers.
Find out more about events at Waterstones
Explore free exhibitions and clubs at Central Library
Where: St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD
When: Opening hours here
Central Library, located in St. Peter’s Square, is one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings. But have you ever explored what’s going on in there? Apart from being a gorgeous space to sit and do some work, it’s also host to the Library Live cultural programme, which hosts all kinds of free things to do. That includes the exhibitions ACTING UP: 40 Years of HIV Activism and Punk: The Art of Rebellion, as well as all sorts of free clubs and events for all ages, such as LEGO Club, Crochet and Chat Club, and Teen Book Club.
