Want to know what's hot at the theatre in Manchester at the moment?

Well, these are the Top 10 most sought after theatre shows, plus the most popular comedy gigs and music concerts on ManchesterTheatres.com right now...

(week ending Sun 18 Oct 2026)

TOP 10 THEATRE SHOWS

1) Billy Elliot The Musical

• Palace Theatre, Manchester
• 2 Dec 2026 - 9 Jan 2027

• Tickets & More Info

2) Legally Blonde

• Manchester Opera House
• 3 - 14 Nov 2026

• Win or Buy Tickets & More Info

3) Little Shop of Horrors

• Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
• Until 29 Nov 2026
• Read our ★★★★★ review

• Tickets & More Info

4) The Haunting of Hill House

• Palace Theatre, Manchester
• 27 - 31 October 2026

• Exclusive Ticket Offer & More Info

5) Paranormal Activity

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 17 - 21 Nov 2026.

• Exclusive £25 Tickets Offer & More Info

6) Murder Mystery Train

• East Lancashire Railway, Bury
• Fri 23 Oct 2026 + more dates

• Tickets & More Info

7) Waitress

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 27 - 31 Oct 2026

• Tickets & More Info

8) Gandey's Halloween Spooktacular

• The Trafford Centre
• Until 1 Nov 2026

• Exclusive 20% Off Tickets & More Info

9) The Brown Suite

• Manchester Opera House
• 23 Oct 2026.

• Exclusive Ticket Offer & More Info

10) King Lear

• Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
• Until Sun 15 Nov 2026
• Read our ★★★★ review

• Tickets & More Info

11) English National Ballet - Romeo & Juliet

• Palace Theatre, Manchester
• Thu 22 & Sat 24 Oct 2026.
• Watch our Exclusive Interview with RHYS ANTONI

• Tickets & More Info

12) The Mousetrap

• Manchester Opera House
• 26 - 31 Oct 2026

• Tickets & More Info

13) Calendar Girls - The Musical

• Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• Until 31 Oct 2026.
• Read our ★★★★ review

• Tickets & More Info

14) Cats

• Palace Theatre, Manchester
• 10 - 21 Nov 2026

• Tickets & More Info

15) A Christmas Carol

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 11 Dec 2026 - 10 Jan 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

16) Dick Whittington

• Manchester Opera House
• 5 Dec 2026 - 3 Jan 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

17) Snowstorm - A Frozen Adventure

• Trafford Centre
• 4 Dec 2026 - 3 Jan 2027.

• Exclusive 20% Off Tickets & More Info

18) Sylvia

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 19 - 24 Oct 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

19) Taskmaster Live

• AO Arena, Manchester
• 26 May 2027

• Tickets & More Info

20) Home Alone in Concert

• The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
• 2 & 3 Dec 2026

• Tickets & More Info

21) Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies

• Manchester Opera House
• 26 Jan - Sat 6 Feb 2027

• Tickets & More Info

22) Burlesque The Musical

• Manchester Opera House
• 6 - 23 Jan 2027

• Tickets & More Info

23) Lowry 360

• Lowry, Salford Quays
• Until 31 Dec 2026

• Free Tickets & More Info

24) Back to The Future The Musical

• Manchester Opera House
• 13 Jul - 21 Aug 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

25) Sleeping Beauty

• Contact, Manchester
• 10 - 31 Dec 2026
• Watch our Exclusive Interview with WILL COUSINS & BEN RICHARDS.

• Tickets & More Info

26) The Sorcerer's Apprentice

• HOME Theatre 1, Manchester
• 27 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

27) Matthew Bourne's Cinderella

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 24 - 28 Nov 2026

• Tickets & More Info

28) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

• Garrick Theatre, Altrincham
• 22 Oct - 1 Nov 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

29) Fences

• HOME Theatre 1, Manchester
• 3 - 7 Nov 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

30) The Littlest Yak

• HOME Theatre 1, Manchester
• 27 - 29 Oct 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

31) Prehistoric Planet - Discovering Dinosaurs

• Aviva Studios Warehouse, Manchester
• 8 Dec 2026 - 7 Jan 2027

• Tickets & More Info

32) Christmas Musical Spectacular

• AO Arena, Manchester
• 22 & 23 Dec 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

33) Horrible Science - Cosmic Chaos

• Science & Industry Museum, Manchester
• Until 3 Jan 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

34) The Highwayman

• Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• 3 - 7 Nov 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

35) Christmas Carol

• Shakespeare North Playhouse
• 20 Nov 2026 - 2 Jan 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

36) David Bowie - You Are Not Alone

• Aviva Studios Warehouse, Manchester
• 8 Dec 2026 - 10 Jan 2027

• Tickets & More Info

37) Opera North - Rigoletto

• Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays
• 12 - 14 Nov 2026

• Tickets & More Info

38) The Signalman - Victorian Illusions and Ghost Stories

• Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
• 10 - 14 Mar 2027

• Tickets & More Info

39) Philippa Gregory

• HOME Theatre 1, Manchester
• 30 Oct 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

40) Deepest Fears

• HOME Theatre 2, Manchester
• 4 - 6 Nov 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

~ o ~

TOP 5 OTHER COMEDY SHOWS

1) A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong

• Manchester Opera House
• 17 - 21 Nov 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

2) Jack and The Beanstalk

• Stockport Plaza
• 4 Dec 2026 - 3 Jan 2027

• Tickets & More Info

4) Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

• The Albert Halls, Bolton
• 1 - 31 Dec 2026

• Tickets & More Info

4) Sleeping with Beauty - One Little Prick

• Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
• 3 - 23 Dec 2026

• Tickets & More Info

5) An Evening with The Fast Show

• Lowry, Salford Quays + Manchester Opera House
• 30 Jan & 22 Feb 2027.

• Tickets & More Info

~ o ~

TOP 5 MUSIC SHOWS

1) Day Fever

• New Century, Manchester
• 14 Nov & 19 Dec 2026

• Tickets & More Info

2) The Hallé - Elvis: Viva Las Vegas

• The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
• 21 Nov 2026.

• Exclusive £25 Tickets Offer & More Info

3) Soul Town in Concert

• AO Arena, Manchester
• 9 Apr 2027

• Tickets & More Info

4) An Orchestral Tribute to Tim Burton & Dark Fantasy by Moonlight

• Manchester Opera House
• Sat 24 Oct 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

5) The Bootleg Beatles

• The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
• 10 Dec 2026.

• Tickets & More Info

~ o ~

Also See:

The Best of What's On in Manchester This Week

The Top 10 Most Popular Shows in Liverpool

The Top 10 Most Popular Shows in London