October What’s On Guide

Every month the Manchester Visitor Information Centre at the Central Library puts together a handy guide to What’s On across the City.

Showcasing the Key Events in the city, as well as highlights in Theatre, Music, Comedy, Exhibitions, Experiences, Markets, Cultural Happenings and more – the nights may be drawing in, but there’s plenty to see and do this October.

You can view the latest guide, and download a copy below.

Or please call into the Manchester Visitor Information Centre to pick one up from the team.

Manchester Visitor Information Centre
What’s On Guide October – Listings

KEY EVENTS
Date – Event – Venue
1-31 – Black History Month – Aviva Studios
2-12 – Women In Comedy Festival – Multiple venues, Northern Quarter
5 – Vintage Home Show – Victoria Baths
6-26 – Manchester Literature Festival – Multi-venue
12 – Manchester Book Fair – Gorton Monastery
16-19 – Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair – Victoria Baths
17 – Re-Opening of The Power Hall:
The Andrew Law Gallery – Science & Industry Museum
18 – Inkblot Comic Festival – Sugden Sports Centre
19 – Manchester Fashion Week – MCR Central
25 – Over Here Zine Fest – People’s History Museum
25-31 – Halloween Monster Trail – City-wide

THEATRE
Date – Event – Venue
1-3 – Moulin Rouge – Palace
1-4 – Death on the Nile – Lowry
1-21 – 13 Going on 30: The Musical – Opera House
1 – Hamlet – Waterside
1 – James TW – Halle St Peter’s
4 – The Halle’s Guitar Superstars – Bridgewater Hall
4 – Venus 2.0 – HOME
5 – An Audience with Nigel Planer – Lowry
6 – An Evening With Freddie Flintoff – Opera House
6 – An Evening with Erinma Bell – HOME
6 – RNCM Lunchtime Showcase – RNCM
6 – Tenebrae & Third Culture Collective – Bridgewater Hall
7-8 – Reckless Sleepers: Binary Opposition – Lowry
7 – The World of Hans Zimmer – Co-op Live
7-11 – The Shawshank Redemption – HOME
8-11 – Birmingham Royal Ballet: Black Sabbath – Lowry
8-10 – Far Gone – Lowry
8 – Imagine Lennon – Stoller Hall
9-10 – 1884 – HOME
9 – Batty! – Waterside
9-19 – Marina Abramovic: Balkan Erotic Epic – Aviva Studios
10-31 – Dancing at Lughnasa – Royal Exchange
10-31 – Young Frankenstein: The Musical – Hope Mill Theatre
10 – Mufutau Yusuf: Impasse – Lowry
10-31 – Circus: Gandeys Halloween Spooktacular – Trafford Centre
11-18 – Sunny Afternoon: The Kinks Musical – Palace Theatre
11 – Ibiza Proms – Cathedral
12 – Dead Ringers – Lowry
12 – London Concertante: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & The Lark Ascending – Cathedral
12 – Trigger Happy TV – Aviva Studios
13 – Led By Donkeys – RNCM
13 – RNCM Lunchtime Concert – RNCM
14-18 – Inside No.9 – Opera House
16-18 – Black Power Desk – Lowry
16-31 – Going Out Out – HOME
16 – John Lydon Q&A – Waterside
17-19 – The Legends of Them – HOME
19 – Tamino – New Century Hall
20 – RNCM Lunchtime Concert – RNCM
20-22 – Myra’s Story – Lowry
21-31 – Fiddler On The Roof – Palace Theatre
22-26 – Slava’s Snow Show – Opera House
26 – Nick Offerman – Aviva Studios
26 – Nick Cope: I’ve Lost My Bobble Hat – Waterside
27 – RNCM Lunchtime Concert – RNCM
29-30 – Garth Marenghi -Lowry
27-31 – Smeds and The Smoos – Lowry
28-31 – Alan Turing: Breaking the Code

EXPERIENCES, EVENTS & MARKETS
Date – Event – Venue
1 – MARKET: Makers Market – Ancoats
2 – FOOD: Food Fest – Freight Island
1-8 – TALK: Big Soul Living Room Chats – Aviva Studios
3 – CULTURE: Black Creative Trailblazers Showcase – Aviva Studios
4 – MUSIC: AMC Gospel Choir – Aviva Studios
4 – SPORT: Man City vs Arsenal WSL – Academy Stadium
4 – SPORT: Man Utd vs Chelsea WSL – Leigh Sports Village
4 – SPORT: Man Utd vs Sunderland – Old Trafford
9 – DRINK: Cocktail Club – Freight Island
9 – TOUR: Secrets of the University of Manchester with interior visits – Jonathan Schofield Tours
11 – MARKET: Makers Market – First Street
11 – CLUB: Bez’s Over 30s Day Party – Freight Island
12 – MARKET: Makers Market – Northern Quarter
12 – TOUR: Suffragettes, Women & The City – Jonathan Schofield Tours
16 – QUIZ: Big Mad Andy’s Peep Show Quiz – Freight Island
17-18 – DRINK: Oktoberfest – Freight Island
18 – MARKET: Makers Market – Spinningfields
18 – TOUR: Southern Cemetery Tour – Jonathan Schofield Tours
18 – SPORT: Man City vs Everton – Etihad Stadium
21 – ART: Artist Drop In – Aviva Studios
21 – TALK: Merlin Sheldrake: The Secret Life of Funghi – LIVE! – Aviva Studios
24 – SING: Factory House Choir – Aviva Studios
25 – HALLOWEEN: Raver Tots: Halloween Party – Freight Island
25 – SPORT: Man Utd vs Brighton & Hove Albion – Old Trafford
26 – HALLOWEEN: Saturday Spooktacular – Freight Island
26 – Manchester Literary Tour – Jonathan Schofield Tours
25 – MARKET: Makers Market – Media City
26 – MARKET: Makers Market – Media City
28-30 – HALF TERM: October Half-term Family Drop Ins – Aviva Studios
30 – BOXING: Breaking Bars: A Celebration of Len Johnson – Aviva Studios
31 – HALLOWEEN: Halloween Library – Central Library
31 – HALLOWEEN: The Ghosts of Manchester – Jonathan Scofield Tours

EXHIBITIONS

Date – Exhibition – Venue
—— New ——
1-19 – ANEW Way to Peel an Orange – Castlefield Gallery
1-25 – Concrete at War – The Modernist
1-31 – From Page to Stage: 20 Years of Manchester Literature Festival – Central Library
1-31 – Artefacts of Interaction – HOME
7-8 – Reckless Sleepers: Binary Opposition – Lowry
10 – Exhibition Preview: ‘Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing – ESEA
1-27 – Colours Of a Carnival – Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
23 26 – LATENT SPACES_Step inside a computer model – Seesaw Space
—— Ongoing ——
1-31 – Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge – Whitworth
1-31 – Recoverist Curators – Whitworth
1-31 – An Inheritance – Art Gallery
1-31 – Quentin Blake and Me – Lowry
1-31 – I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell – Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
1-31 – Heads XL Exhibition – iNNSiDE
1-31 – Artefacts of Interaction – HOME
1-31 – Punk Exhibition – Central Library
1-31 – The Secret Public: LGBTQ Pop 1955 – 1985 – John Rylands Library
1-31 – Lowry 360: Celebrating 25 Anniversary – Lowry
1-31 – ACTING UP! 40 Years of HIV Activism in Greater Manchester – Central Library
1-31 – JMW Turner: In Light & Shade – Whitworth
1-31 – Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies, and You – Science & Industry Museum
1-31 – Modern Life: The LS Lowry Collection – Lowry
1-31 – Rethinking the Grand Tour – Art Gallery
1-31 – At Home With The Pankhurst Family – The Pankhurst Centre
1-31 – Banner Exhibition – People’s History Museum
1-31 – Lily Parr Display – National Football Museum
1-31 – From Pitch To Page: The Magic of Football Annuals – National Football Museum

COMEDY
Date – Event – Venue
1- La Voix – Aviva Studios
1-2 – Eddie Izzard: Hamlet – Lowry
2-12 – Women in Comedy Festival ft. Dawn Bailey, Erika Ehler, Sabina, Chloe Reynolds, Sharon Latham, Jo Jarvie, Kate Cheka, Helen Bauer, Hannah Platt, Bethany Black, Caitlin Powell, and more – Multiple Northern Quarter Venues
2 – Stevie Martin – Fairfield Social Club
2 – Aoife Dunne – Creatures
4-5 – John Bishop – Co-Op Live
5 – Rory Scovel – Fairfield Social Club
5 – Joanne McNally – Lowry
5 – Kae Kurd – Lowry
7 – Pat Cahill – 53Two
9 – Nick Helm – Lowry
9 – Kieran Hodgson – Fairfield Social
12 – Dom Joly – Aviva Studios
12 – Josie Long – Lowry
16 – Mark Watson – HOME
17 – Emmanuel Sonubi – Lowry
17 – Rachel Galvo – Fairfield Social
19 – Tom Houghton – Lowry
19 – Magic Mod – 53Two
24 – Jason Manford – Co-Op Live
26 – Jack Dee – Lowry
27 – Jason Byrne – Quays Theatre
29 – This Paranormal Life – New Century
29-30 – Garth Marenghi – Lowry
31 – Stephen Bailey – Lowry

MUSIC
Date – Event – Venue
1 – Deacon Blue – AO Arena
1 – Peter Hammill – RNCM
2 – Feeder – Academy
2 – Billy Nomates – Academy 2
2 – Echobelly – New Century
3 – The Kooks – Co-Op Live
3 – Al Stewart – Bridgewater Hall
4 – Quantic – Yes
4 – Beta Band – O2 Apollo
5 – Mr Scruff – Band on the Wall
5 – Space Afrika – Aviva Studios
6 – John Grant – New Century
6-7 – Lola Young – O2 Victoria
7-8 – Lady Gaga – Co-Op Live
7 – Edwyn Collins – Albert Hall
8 – Katy Perry – AO Arena
8 – Chloe Slater – Gorilla
9 – Lady Leshurr – Academy
9 – Killswitch Engage – Academy
10 – The Wedding Present – O2 Ritz
10 – Cate Le Bon – New Century
11 – New Found Glory – O2 Victoria
11 – Roger Sanchez – Depot Mayfield
12 – Rose Gray – Gorilla
12 – Jade – O2 Victoria Warehouse
13 – Robert Forster – Band on the Wall
14 – The Songs of Joni Mitchell – Stoller
14 – Hotwax – Gorilla
15 – Nova Twins – O2 Ritz
15 – Shayne Ward – Aviva Studios
16 – Little Simz – Co-Op Live
16 – Cymande – Albert Hall
16 – Graham Nash – Bridgewater Hall
17 – We Are Scientists – New Century
18 – The Stranglers – O2 Apollo
18 – Idlewild – New Century
19 – Jalen Ngonda – O2 Apollo
20 – Beach Bunny – Albert Hall
21 – Rumer – Bridgewater Hall
22 – Amyl & The Sniffers – O2 Victoria
23 – Royston Club – Academy
24 – Confidence Man – Depot Mayfield
25 – Amazons – Albert Hall
26 – Gogol Bordello – Albert Hall
27 – Psychedelic Furs – O2 Ritz
28 – Tom Odell – Co-Op Live
29 – Aitch – Depot Mayfield
30 – HAIM – Co-Op Live
31 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Aviva Studios