Looking for ways to fill up the week ahead? Whether it’s family-friendly days out at the football, an indie icon at the Albert Hall, or fascinating exhibitions in one of the city’s literary gems, here are the best things you can get up to around Manchester this week.
Edinburgh stalwart Andy Barr headlines XS Malarkey this week with another excellent lineup also featuring rising star Lulu Simons. Barr has four Fringe shows under his belt and has drawn praise from the likes of Tim Key and John Kearns along the way, who certainly know a thing or two about being funny.
Starring international leading lady Sidonie Smith as Rachel Marron, Olivier Award nominee Adam Garcia as Frank Farmer, Sasha Monique as Nicki Marron and Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Matt Milburn as Sy Spector, the award-winning The Bodyguard is at the Place for the final week of its Manchester run.
Internationally acclaimed dance-circus innovators Motionhouse return to Lowry with Hidden, a spellbinding production that explores how light can emerge from darkness in moments of crisis and division. Oscillating fluidly between narrative and abstraction, Hidden blends gravity-defying choreography, a shape-shifting live set and a pulsating cinematic soundscape.
This Saturday, the Hallé hosts a special screening of cult classic The Silence of the Lambs, with Howard Shore’s legendary, atmospheric soundtrack performed live by the world-renowned orchestra.
Indie icon Miles Kane brings his latest album, Sunlight in the Shadows, to Manchester in what is sure to be a rowdy Saturday night at the Albert Hall.
This Sunday, Man City Women welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium for a top-of-the-table clash in the Women’s Super League. With kids’ tickets available for just £5, more than 2 hours of pre-match entertainment and even a special performance from The Wanted 2.0, it promises a fantastic afternoon out for the entire family, and a chance to see some of the game’s top players in action.
Open daily and free to visit at The Portico, How To Read A Book is an exhibition concerned with language, writing, and memory. It also explores themes of neurodiversity, including dyslexia, by offering visitors an alternative way of approaching books and text.
Applying methods found in palmistry to lines found on the covers of well-read paperback books, this exhibition, led by artist and writer Stephen Emerseon, is an invitation to make art out of the everyday.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Sun 25 Jan 2026
The award-winning ARC Ensemble hails from Canada with three GRAMMY, four Juno, and an OPUS Klassik nomination to its name. Founded in 2002 at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, the group now celebrates over two decades of acclaimed performances across the globe, and on Monday, it comes to the RNCM for the first time.