It’s freezing, dark, and our wallets might be feeling the hit for Christmas, so we’ve done you a solid and rounded up a handful of things to do that won’t cost a thing.
From Beatnik Soul nights in the Northern Quarter to whole-evening dance parties at Ramona, here’s our rundown of the best free things to do in Manchester this week…
Be sure to check out Factory International this weekend for one of their free family drop-in sessions.
Little ones will be able to create their own Shaun the Sheep bunting, have a Doodle and Draw inspired by David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) and The Moonwalkers, as well as get stuck into a paper doll dress-up inspired by Vogue: Inventing the Runway.
If you’ve yet to make plans for Saturday night, look no further than Ramona for a full-evening affair which sees the stellar Cool’N Fun’N Nice residents take over for a very groovy B2B session.
Make the trip over to Levenshulme this Sunday for a wholesome little afternoon at the Jot: Pop Up Bookshop – the perfect spot for a chill day of browsing some very cool reads alongside like-minded people.
End the week with a boogie over at renae as Beatnix Soul makes its triumphant return on Sunday to celebrate the utter ecstasy of Northern soul, the scene that spawned clubbing culture as we know it.
Swing by to find a variety of legends and hot new talents spinning stompers, screamers, smoochers and torch songs all night long.
- Words:
- Rhiannon Ingle
- Published on:
- Tue 6 Jan 2026
Anyone keen on keeping the party going post-Christmas and New Year, Piccadilly Central has you covered with a six-hour-long celebration with a cracking selection of DJs dropping all kinds of House and Garage on a quality sound system.