Free things to do in Manchester in October 2026

Immerse yourself in the UK’s first free permanent immersive exhibition at The Lowry. It’s an opportunity to experience the artist’s famous painting Going to the Match in a super-high resolution, 360-degree setting. Get up close to every detail, from the crowds in the stands to the factory chimneys on the horizon.

Curated from the theatre’s extensive costume archive, this major new exhibition celebrates fifty years of storytelling at the Royal Exchange. Costumes from shows past and present illustrate how characters and stories connect across five decades, through different genres and generations. It’s also a rare chance to study the detail and craftsmanship of each creation up close.

Make Mondays a day to enjoy rather than endure with a free lunchtime performance in the concert hall at the Royal Northern College of Music on Oxford Road. Coming up in October are recitals of work by Ravel, Rachmaninov, Franck and more.

Hear some of the UK’s most talented young musicians at these free weekday recitals at Stoller Hall near Victoria Station. Performers age eight to 18, all studying at Chetham’s School of Music, will perform in the intimate Carole Nash Hall. Tea, coffee and soup will be available to purchase.

For a free spooky day out, head into the city centre on the weekend before Halloween. There’ll be weird and wonderful creatures popping up all over the place, with giant inflatable monsters, a Monster Party Procession on Market Street and in the Arndale Centre, and a Monsters Disco and Rave-Yard. Also look out for Swizzles sweets giveaways and a brand-new birthday bake-off.

Go all-out on your costumes for this free Halloween rooftop party at the newly opened The Nest and The Hideaway at Treehouse Hotel. With music from DJ Paulette, plus roaming magicians, ghostly characters, and a fortune teller, it’ll be one seriously spooky night out.