Friday sees the return of the Manchester Christmas Markets but that’s not your only opportunity to get ahead on your present-buying. There’s also sustainable fashion at Manchester Central and independent makers at The Night Market at Gorton Monastery. If you’d rather enrich your life with poetry, philosophy and reading than with shopping, there are a couple of events to check out this week – including the new Hinterland Festival. Just want to lose your mind for a while on the dancefloor? Head to the Ritz for their tribute night to the legendary Manchester metal venue Jilly’s Rockworld.
For info on bonfire nights and firework displays, check out our bonfire night guide.
Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård star in this darkly comic romance about a fisherwoman who gets herself a husband made from wicker. Who knew a man made of reeds could be so intriguing? If, like us, you need to the basket version of Alexander Skarsgård on a big screen, head to HOME before it ends on Thursday.
Manchester’s late-night book club welcomes Georgia Moorhouse for an evening centred on her debut novel Imaginary Forces. Expect an exclusive reading, a Q&A and a book signing with the first 50 attendees receiving a complimentary copy of Imaginary Forces, ahead of its January 2027 release. Moorhouse was longlisted for the V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize Discoveries Award so it should be good.
This new festival invites audiences to explore big questions through art, discussion, poetry, journalling – and board games. Highlights include a journalling and sauna session at Kontrast, and a discussion about shapeshifting witches and female power at the Portico.
More than 100 independent makers, artists and small businesses will be setting up stalls beneath the building’s spectacular Gothic arches, selling handmade gifts, jewellery, artwork, clothing and homeware. There’ll also be street food, festive drinks from the bar and music from DJ Butho the Warrior, making this as much a night out as a shopping trip.
The Christmas Markets land on Friday with more than 200 stalls filling every available inch of space in the city centre. This year’s new addition is Lincoln Square, with a focus on food and drink, while Albert Square returns as a major festive hub, complete with a giant Ferris wheel and helter-skelter.
A weekend dedicated to vintage, pre-loved and independent fashion, The Good Clothes Show is all about shopping, catwalk shows, talks, styling advice and creative workshops.
Not quite a Jilly’s all-nighter but near enough, this one-off event will take you back to those early-hour moshing marathons that happened at the legendary rock club throughout the 1990s and 2000s. They’ll be playing rock, indie and alternative music and serving up copious pints of snakebite and black at the bar. Get your docs on and dance.
- Words:
- Sarah Tierney
- Published on:
- Mon 2 Nov 2026
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with an uplifting evening of music, dance and storytelling at The Bridgewater Hall. Led by Dr Rakesh Joshi, the programme brings together the Raga Symphony and three choirs: Bharatiya Vrund Gaan, SHIVA and the Hallé Youth Choir.