Whether you’re after showstopping theatre, afternoon tea soundtracked by world-class musicians or relaxed slow reading clubs, we’ve picked out some of the best things going on around Manchester this week.
The world-premiere stage adaptation of the cultural phenomenon, The Silence of the Lambs, touches down at Lowry this Tuesday. Based on Thomas Harris’ gripping literary masterpiece, the new show is written by award-winning Gina Gionfriddo, directed by acclaimed Nikolai Foster, and stars John Partridge (EastEnders, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Cabaret) as the notorious Hannibal Lecter.
One of the year’s most anticipated theatre runs has landed in Manchester, as David Threlfall returns to the Royal Exchange after 27 years to take on the title role in Matthew Dunster’s powerful new interpretation of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.
The Portico Library is hosting a special Banned Book Week edition of its popular Slow Reading Club. Designed as an escape from the overwhelming pace of life, guests are invited to explore Byron’s Don Juan, which was banned from being taken out on loan by the Portico Library in 1825
Experimental circus production Yes Person heads to Lowry this Thursday. Inspired by the concept of ‘killing one’s darlings’, the creative process of discarding beloved but unfit ideas.
The show is described as ‘new wave circus’, blending comedy and impressive physical feats, offering these left-behind ideas- ones deemed too mismatched, ambitious or nonsensical – a second chance to flourish, expand and spiral out of control on stage.
Manchester Collective joins forces with Ivorian percussionist and griot musician Sidiki Dembélé for a cross-cultural musical voyage at RNCM, bringing West African storytelling and European classical traditions into vivid conversation.
Stock Exchange Hotel is partnering with The Hallé Orchestra for a one-day-only Autumn Afternoon Tea experience this Saturday. Taking place within the stunning surroundings of tender restaurant, guests will enjoy a unique afternoon accompanied by performances from world-renowned Hallé musicians, bringing a relaxed and sophisticated soundtrack to the experience.
Proclaimed by Tchaikovsky himself as ‘the best thing I ever composed or shall compose’, the BBC Philharmonic bring the majesty and magic of Pathétique to The Bridgewater Hall this weekend, with a programme that also features Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto.
Hyundai Translocal Series: Entangled and Woven unites newly commissioned works by eight contemporary artists from Korea and India with historic textiles from the gallery’s internationally renowned collection, tracing how fabric connects Manchester’s industrial past to global histories of craft, exchange and human connection.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Mon 5 Oct 2026
Cephas Williams’ powerful photography exhibition returns to Manchester, bringing together portraits of Black people living across the UK and unpacking the question of what it means to be Black in Britain today.
Originally commissioned for Manchester International Festival in 2021, the project, on display at Aviva Studios, offers a broad portrait of the African diaspora, looking beyond familiar faces and conventional success stories.