Top 5: The Bridgewater Hall unveils an unmissable Christmas concert programme this December

Starring Buddy’s daughter Cathy Rich, Emmy Award-winning drummer Gregg Potter and Deep Purple’s Ian Paice as special guest, the legendary Buddy Rich Big Band brings irresistible rocking rhythms to Manchester with a seasonal setlist guaranteed to kick the Christmas spirit into overdrive.

Packed with swinging yuletide hits including Big Swing Face, The Little Drummer Boy, Love for Sale, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Just in Time and more, as well as plenty of Buddy Rich classics, the one-off concert offers the perfect opportunity to escape the Christmas frenzy and unwind with a night of big band joy.

Fresh from the West End, Dean Martin’s Golddiggers and the Manhattan Swing Orchestra return to Manchester by popular demand with a night of beloved festive songs including White Christmas, Baby It’s Cold Outside and Let It Snow, alongside timeless swing hits like Mack the Knife, Mr. Bojangles and more.

Bringing her Established 1973 Christmas Tour to Manchester in celebration of turning fifty, renowned English folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby hosts a night of ‘warmth, sparkles and festive music’ with a programme of traditional South Yorkshire carols, accompanied by a talented band of musicians including an acclaimed brass quintet and husband Damien O’Kane.

On Christmas Eve, celebrated pianist and composer Jonathan Coen hosts a family-friendly spectacular full of universally adored Christmas classics, including White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and more, alongside timeless carols including Good King Wenceslas, O come, all ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

From the opulent majesty of the palace ballroom to the mesmeric beauty of the moonlit lake, Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking romantic tragedy is rendered with flawless grace by the Varna International Ballet and its accompanying orchestra across three performances on Tue 2 and Wed 3 Jan.

Brimming with love, heartbreak and hypnotic mystique, Tchaikovsky’s revolutionary 1875 masterpiece charts the story of Prince Siegfried and his boundless love for Odette, the young woman cursed to live as a swan every day until somebody who has never loved before pledges their eternal love for her. Featuring some of ballet’s most recognizable pieces, including Waltz (Act I) and Dance of the Little Swans, Swan Lake also promises ‘one of ballet’s most unmissable technical challenges’ in the dual role of Odette and Odile, the temptress who counteracts the swan queen’s emotional depth with a dance of captivating precision.