WHAT'S ON AT THE RNCM, MANCHESTER
What's On at the RNCM, Manchester
RNCM – The Royal Northern College Of Music is a conservatoire of The Royal Schools Of Music based in Manchester. As well as an education establishment, it also houses two venues. With a history dating back to the 1800’s, its current home on Oxford Road Manchester opened in 1973, with a refurbishment of the concert hall completing in 2014.
RNCM Concert Hall (capacity 443 - 710) and the RNCM Theatre (capacity approx. 600) have hosted many professional artists and organisations including Adele, BC Big Band, English Youth Ballet, Hugh Laurie, Jarvis Cocker, Manchester Jazz Festival, Rob Brydon and even Question Time.
RNCM has music programmes and series, shows, events, festivals, productions, concerts, comedy and ballets to look forward to including regular Monday and Thursday lunchtime showcase, Manchester Camarata, BBC Philharmonic, Chamber music, RNCM Christmas Family Day, Justin Hawkins Rides Again, Cabaret Extreme, and Coleen Nolan. See what's on at the RNCM below and book tickets online.
RNCM – The Royal Northern College Of Music is a conservatoire of The Royal Schools Of Music based in Manchester. As well as an education establishment, it also houses two venues. With a history dating back to the 1800’s, its current home on Oxford Road Manchester opened in 1973, with a refurbishment of the concert hall completing in 2014.
RNCM Concert Hall (capacity 443 - 710) and the RNCM Theatre (capacity approx. 600) have hosted many professional artists and organisations including Adele, BC Big Band, English Youth Ballet, Hugh Laurie, Jarvis Cocker, Manchester Jazz Festival, Rob Brydon and even Question Time.
RNCM has music programmes and series, shows, events, festivals, productions, concerts, comedy and ballets to look forward to including regular Monday and Thursday lunchtime showcase, Manchester Camarata, BBC Philharmonic, Chamber music, RNCM Christmas Family Day, Justin Hawkins Rides Again, Cabaret Extreme, and Coleen Nolan. See what's on at the RNCM below and book tickets online.
Most Popular Shows and Events at RNCM, Manchester
What's On at the RNCM, Manchester
Beth Nielsen Chapman & Judie Tzuke
RNCM Theatre
Wednesday 5 November 2025
Two of the most revered female singer-songwriters unite for an evening of unparalleled music. Texas singer Beth Nielsen Chapman has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame while London folk pop rocker Judie Tzuke is best ...Poulenc Gloria and Fauré Requiem
RNCM, Manchester
Saturday 8 November 2025
PerformersJuliet Montgomery sopranoAidan Edwards baritoneJonathan Scott organSteven Roberts conductorAltrincham Choral SocietyAboutAltrincham Choral Society, under the baton of Steven Roberts, perform two seminal French sacred choral works,...The Children's Theatre Group presents - There is…
RNCM, Manchester
Sunday 9 November 2025
AboutThere is a Light is a magical presentation of the unique energy each child brings into our world. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, have been more prevalent over the last few years, as the sun is at the peak of an 11-year activi...RNCM Monday Lunchtime Showcase
RNCM Concert Hall
Monday 10 November - Monday 8 December 2025
Drop in during your lunch break and discover a wide range of performances for free with the RNCM's Monday and Thursday Lunchtime concerts. Witness the next generation of musicians in this intimate lunchtime solo and chamber music series,...Jeanette Winterson
RNCM Theatre
Tuesday 11 November 2025
I can change the story because I am the story. Forty years after her era-defining debut Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Jeanette Winterson returns with One Aladdin Two Lamps - a bold, brilliant celebration of the transformative power of...The Amy Winehouse Band
RNCM Theatre
Wednesday 12 November 2025
In this stunning retrospective show, Amy's original band fronted by the exceptional young vocalist Bronte Shand, celebrate her era defining music and live performances. This is the only completely authentic re-imagining of the Amy Wineh...Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 13 November 2025
On sale Fri 20 Jun 2025 at 10AMSing and Swing from Jazz at Lincoln Center PRESENTS, celebrates the Great American Songbook in all of its playful ? and sophisticated glory ? brought to life by one of this generation?s brightest stars, Benny ...Thursday Lunchtimes: RNCM Chamber Choir
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 13 November 2025
ProgrammeJonathan Dove The Passing of the YearEdward Elgar There is Sweet Music Op 54 No 1Rebecca Dale In Paradisum from Materna RequiemRNCM Student New workPerformersStuart Overington, Davide Trolton conductorsRNCM Chamber ChoirAboutDrop i...Kantos Chamber Choir: The Witch Trials
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 14 November 2025
ProgrammeAnon Gregorian PlainchantGregorio Allegri MiserereCarlo Gesualdo O vos omnesWilliam Byrd Ave MariaBarbara Strozzi arr Slorach Che si pu? fare?Rory Wainwright Johnston Ave MariaGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Sicut cervusCamden Ree...Spotlight: Chinese Folk Stories Reimagined
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 14 November 2025
ProgrammeRuxin Zhang Mulan (???)Lin Gan From snow area of prayer (????)Mingwu Yin Jasmine Flower (???)PerformersYulin Zhu, Yangyi Mao sopranosKaiying Tan, Na Gao mezzo-sopranosXingyue Lai tenorGuanxiang Wang baritoneYucheng Huo bassYuou Wan...The Van Morrison Alumni Band
RNCM Theatre
Saturday 15 November 2025
An all-star revue staring long-time members of Van Morrison's band. The Van Morrison Alumni Band, a repertoire company unlike any other, features the musicians who played thousands of concerts and recorded hundreds of songs with Van Morriso...Salford Choral Society Presents Handel's Dixit Dominus
RNCM, Manchester
Sunday 16 November 2025
ProgrammeGeorge Frideric Handel Dixit Dominus HWV 232PerformersTom Newall conductorDaniella Sicari sopranoRachel Abbott sopranoMerel Magali Cox altoJay Broadhurst ?tenorJames Connolly ?bassSalford Choral SocietyNational Festival OrchestraAb...The John Barbirolli Memorial Prize for Cello
Carol Nash Recital Room
Wednesday 19 November 2025
This annual prize celebrates solo cello at its best. With past winners including Abel Selaocoe and Mikhail Nemtsov, join us and experience the next generation of cellists. ...RNCM Research Forum - A Mini Symposium organised by Dr Annika Forkert
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 19 November - Wednesday 10 December 2025
Our Research Forums provide in-depth insight into some of the cutting-edge research that is taking place at the RNCM. Hear presentations from academics, performers, and composers as they share the latest developments in their fields, discus...RNCM Research Forum: Dr Kristl Kirk
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 19 November 2025
AboutThis presentation outlines the development of a risk?resilience model of dyslexia in the context of musical training, aimed at identifying protective and promotive factors that support dyslexic students? resilience in the face of adver...RNCM Spotlight - A Tour of Renaissance Europe
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 20 November 2025
ProgrammeSpain:Anonymous Dadme albricias, hijos d?EvaAnonymous E la don don, Verges MariaJuan del Encina Una Sa?osa Porf?aEngland:Henry VIII Pastime with Good CompanyJohn Ward Weep Forth Your TearsFrance:Cl?ment Janequin O Doulx RegardJosqu...RNCM Wind Orchestra with Francesca Chiejina (soprano)
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 20 November 2025
ProgrammeHenry Dorn I, too, am America (UK premiere) *Elena Adams New workEdward Gregson Piano ConcertoOliver Gaunt New workStephen McNeff MonstersPerformersMark Heron, Steph Godwin, Mariacostanza D?Agostino conductorsFrancesca Chiejina sop...Thursday Lunchtimes: Dovestone Quartet
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 20 November 2025
ProgrammeLudwig van Beethoven String Quartet No 11 in F minor Op. 95 ?Serioso?Gabriella Smith Carrot RevolutionPerformersDovestone String Quartet:Georgina Bloomfield, Rachel Stonham violinsPaula Bowes violaMaya Tucker celloAboutDrop in duri...Faust: A German Folk Legend
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 21 November 2025
ProgrammeFaust: A German Folk Legend (1926)Directed by F.W. MurnauSilent film with English-translated intertitlesPerformersDarius Battiwalla organAboutPart of Legends and LoreWhat would you trade for eternal youth and boundless power?Few le...Spotlight: Cras' Quintet for Harp Flute and Strings
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 21 November 2025
ProgrammeJean Cras Quintet for harp, flute, violin, viola and celloPerformersKimberly Wong harpJess Foxwell fluteFinn Nguyen violinKirin Howat violaMaisie McLoughlin celloAboutA musical voyage by naval officer and composer Jean Cras. Inspir...Penguin Cafe
RNCM Concert Hall
Saturday 22 November 2025
Avant-pop from musician, composer, and producer Arthur Jeffes and his Penguin Cafe ensemble, performing music from their Handfuls of Night record and back catalogue. Combining folk, classical, and minimalism in a style distinctive to the Pe...James Mottram International Piano Competition
RNCM Concert Hall
Monday 24 - Saturday 29 November 2025
The RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition returns this Autumn. Now in its eighth edition, we're delighted to host this biennial event once again. Young pianists from across the globe will join us for an extraordinary week, pe...RNCM Research Forum: Dr Winnie Huang
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 26 November 2025
AboutHow do you see sound, how do you hear movement, and how does one?s emotive performing transdisciplinary body engender new possibilities? Through interdisciplinary Artistic Research, my work on the Musical-Gestural perspective has provi...RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition: Semi-Final
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 27 November 2025
AboutWe?re thrilled to welcome back this biennial celebration of piano excellence, now in its ninth edition. Talented young pianists from around the globe descend on Manchester for a week of inspiring music-making, both performing on stage ...Thursday Lunchtimes: Takemitsu and Debussy
RNCM, Manchester
Thursday 4 December 2025
ProgrammeToru Takemitsu And then I knew ?twas WindRNCM Student New workClaude Debussy Deux dancesPerformersStudents from the RNCM Schools of Strings and Wind, Brass and PercussionAboutDrop in during your lunch break and discover a wide rang...BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 5 December 2025 - Friday 1 May 2026
ProgrammeB?la Bart?k DivertimentoPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for StringsPerformersZo? Beyers directorBBC Philharmonic OrchestraAboutTonight, the string section takes centre stage. Written in 1939 as Europe teetered on the brink of war...Spotlight: Maxwell Davies' The Yellow Cake Revue
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 5 December 2025
ProgrammePeter Maxwell Davies The Yellow Cake RevueTourist Board Song: O come to sunny WharbethPatriotic Song: You?ve heard of the man with the pacemakerPiano Interlude: Farewell to StromnessRecitation ? Nuclear Job Interview 1: The Securit...Prokofiev: L'Amour des Trois Oranges
RNCM, Manchester
Sunday 7 - Saturday 13 December 2025
OverviewCast & CreativesProgrammeSergei Prokofiev orch Philipp Haag L?Amour des Trois Oranges Op 33Libretto by Sergei Prokofiev based on the play ?Lamore delle tre melarance? by Carlo GozziSung in French with English surtitlesCreativesLee R...RNCM Research Forum: Dr Michelle Assay
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 10 December 2025
AboutAn all-female Carmen for an all-female audience; Verdi?s Lady Macbeth as a puppet; the Queen of The Night ?sung? by five singers; these are some of the workarounds that Iranians have devised as they navigate gender politics and taboos ...RNCM Big Band with Gareth Lockrane (flute)
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 12 December 2025
PerformersIain Dixon directorGareth Lockrane fluteRNCM Big BandAboutComposer and flautist Gareth Lockrane is known for his explosive energy, vivid musical imagination and unmistakable command of the jazz flute. His critically acclaimed big ...Spotlight: A Visit to Purgatory (Suff Rex Trio)
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 12 December 2025
ProgrammeMaisy Shaw What are you waiting for?Iona Frenguelli Tape Loops and AudienceKaija Saariaho Oi kuu (version for bass flute and cello)Gregorio Allegri arr Dan Shearer Miserere Mei DeusPerformersMaisy Shaw fluteIona Frenguelli violinDa...RNCM Christmas Family Day
RNCM, Manchester
Sunday 14 December 2025
AboutGrab your Christmas jumper and get ready for festive fun!A much-loved tradition at the RNCM, our Christmas Family Day returns with a special film screening accompanied by live orchestral music. It?s a seasonal favourite that brings gen...Xaverian College Christmas Concert
RNCM Concert Hall
Wednesday 17 December 2025
With the largest sixth form music department in the North of England, Xaverian College returns to the RNCM for their festive music showcase. ...Justin Hawkins Rides Again
RNCM Theatre
Saturday 17 January 2026
Justin Hawkins - founding member, singer, lead guitarist and frontman of The Darkness - arrived in the public's consciousness along with his band's debut album Permission To Land in 2003. 22 years and eight studio albums later, Justin bri...Alice Sara Ott (piano)
RNCM, Manchester
Monday 19 January 2026
ProgrammeJohn Field Nocturne No 17 in C majorLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No 19 in G minor Op 49 No 1John Field Nocturne No 1 in E flat major; Nocturne No 2 in C minor; Nocturne No 4 in A major; Nocturne No 10 in E majorLudwig van Beethoven ...ARC Ensemble (Artists of the Royal Conservatory Canada)
RNCM, Manchester
Monday 26 January 2026
ProgrammeErnest Kanitz String Quartet in D majorRobert M?ller Hartmann 3 Intermezzi and Scherzo Op 22Frederick Block Piano Trio No 2 Op 26Jerzy Fitelberg Nachtmusik Op 9 No 2 ?Fisches Nachtgesang?Frederick Block Suite for Clarinet and Piano...The End Times
RNCM Concert Hall
Tuesday 27 January 2026
Written and directed by Liza Bec, The End Times is an apocalyptic coming of age tale featuring a magical musical blackboard and a theatrical soundscape, with one foot in the supernatural and one foot in science. This hour-long staged pe...KNDS Fairey and Whitburn Bands present Brass Across…
RNCM, Manchester
Saturday 31 January 2026
ProgrammeIncluding:Dean Goffin Rhapsody in BrassGilbert Vinter VizcayaPaul Lovatt-Cooper Power and the GloryAram Khachaturian arr Howard Snell LezghinkaCamille Saint-Sa?ns arr Howard Snell Finale from Symphony No 3 ?Organ Symphony?Performer...Cabaret Extreme
RNCM, Manchester
Monday 2 February 2026
AboutFrom the creative visionaries behind the world?s most iconic circuses comes?CABARET EXTREME?a beautifully bizarre blend of burlesque, daring drag, extreme stunts, and contemporary circus. This one-of-a-kind production reimagines entert...Manchester Camerata & RNCM: Fanny Mendelssohn Mozart Beethoven
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 18 February 2026
ProgrammeFanny Mendelssohn Overture in C major *Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No 3 in G major K 216Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphony No 2 in D major Op 36PerformersG?bor Tak?cs-Nagy, Student tbc * conductorsCaroline Pether violinAbout...Campbell Diamond (guitar)
RNCM, Manchester
Wednesday 25 February 2026
ProgrammeTo include:Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Caprichos de Goya (selections)Silvius Leopold Weiss Sonata No 29 in A minor ?L?Infid?le?Francisco T?rrega/Julian Arcas Fantasia on Themes from Verdi?s La traviataHans Werner Henze Royal Winter M...Coleen Nolan
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 27 February 2026
From a child star, as the youngest of the 'Nolan Sisters' to TV Personality/Presenter, Best Selling Author and Agony Aunt, Coleen Nolan has done it all, or so it would seem. However, there is still one thing that that needs ticking off the ...Ron Sexsmith
RNCM Theatre
Saturday 28 February 2026
Ron Sexsmith is a three time Juno award winning songwriter from Ontario, Canada. He has written and recorded an extensive and acclaimed catalogue of studio albums and original songs, beginning with his self titled debut in 1995 through t...Lucy Rose
RNCM Concert Hall
Sunday 1 March 2026
Lucy Rose is an elfin 20 year old songwriter with a voice that people instantly fall for. In her slight frame she combines purity of musical purpose, a beautifully grainy voice and a passionate, narrative songwriter's instincts with a thirs...RNCM Symphony Orchestra: Scheherazade
RNCM, Manchester
Friday 6 March 2026
ProgrammeBernd Alois Zimmermann Marchensuite (Fairy Tale Suite)Anton?n Dvo??k The Noon Witch *Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade Op 35PerformersChristoph Altstaedt, Junior Fellow * conductorLouise Wallwein poetRNCM Symphony OrchestraAbout...Madison Cunningham
RNCM, Manchester
Saturday 7 March 2026
On sale Fri 3 Oct 2025 at 10amAboutGRAMMY award-winner Madison Cunningham returns with Ace, her third record for Verve Forecast. Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar ? on...Abel Selaocoe & The Bantu Ensemble
RNCM Concert Hall
Friday 13 March 2026
Manchester-based South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is a rapidly rising star who is redefining the parameters of the cello. The RNCM alumnus and Honorary Associate Artist moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from col...Manchester Camerata: One Damn Thing After Another
RNCM, Manchester
Sunday 15 March 2026
ProgrammeDoreen Carwithen Piano ConcertoRuth Gipps Jane Gray Suite (solo viola)Antoinette Kirkwood Suite for StringsElizabeth Maconchy Life StoryMorfred Owen Beatific SeaWilliam Alwyn Autumn LegendWilliam Alwyn Tragic InterludePerformersJoh...RNS Moves with Candoco Dance Company
RNCM, Manchester
Tuesday 17 March 2026
PerformersRNS Moves (Royal Northern Sinfonia)Candoco Dance CompanyAboutPart of Inspirational ArtistsMinimal. Meditative. Bursting with life. This is a performance that pulses and glows. That loops, shifts, and builds ? creating something po...MILOŠ
RNCM Concert Hall
Sunday 22 March 2026 - Monday 22 March 2027
Born in Montenegro, Milos Karadaglic is one of the world's most celebrated classical guitarists. His career began its meteoric rise in 2011, with the release of his international best-selling Deutsche Grammophon debut album Mediterraneo. S...Sounds of Mumbai
RNCM, Manchester
Saturday 2 May 2026
AboutStep into a night of musical magic as the London Bollywood Orchestra brings the spirit of Mumbai to life. With a high-energy mix of unforgettable classics and hidden gems, this show is a tribute to the golden age and modern era of Boll...Manchester Collective x Thick & Tight - Papillons
RNCM, Manchester
Saturday 9 May 2026
Dissolving the boundaries between classical music and other art forms, Manchester Collective join forces with radical dance-theatre company Thick & Tight to present a searing live performance like no other. Drawing on queer culture, Thick &...Timothy Ridout (viola) and Federico Colli (piano)
RNCM, Manchester
Tuesday 16 June 2026
ProgrammeRobert Schumann Three Romances Op 94Johannes Brahms arr Timothy Ridout Cello Sonata No 1 in E minor Op 38Dmitri Shostakovich Viola Sonata Op 147PerformersTimothy Ridout violaFederico Colli pianoAboutPart of Inspirational ArtistsWhe...Timothy Ridout (viola) and James Baillieu (piano)
RNCM, Manchester
Tuesday 16 June 2026
ProgrammeRobert Schumann Three Romances Op 94Johannes Brahms arr Timothy Ridout Cello Sonata No 1 in E minor Op 38Dmitri Shostakovich Viola Sonata Op 147PerformersTimothy Ridout violaJames Baillieu?pianoAboutPart of Inspirational ArtistsWhe...How to get to the RNCM, Manchester
RNCM Frequently Asked Questions
124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD
The two closest public car parks to the RNCM are Booth Street West and Booth Street East.
Visitor parking is available in the RNCM underground carpark weekdays and Saturdays 5pm - 11.30pm and Sundays 6am - 11.30pm.
Please note that general traffic along Oxford Road is no longer permitted to use the route between 6am and 9pm, 7 days a week.
The nearest train station to the RNCM is Manchester Oxford Road and is approximately a 13 minute walk (0.5 miles).
Manchester Piccadilly is 0.8 miles/20 minute walk. Deansgate is 0.9 miles/21 minute walk and Manchester Victoria is 1.5 miles/33 minute walk.
The nearest tram stop to the RNCM is St Peter’s Square and is approximately a 15 minute walk (0.8 miles).
The RNCM Concert Hall has a seating capacity of between 443 - 710 depending on the layout.
The RNCM Theatre has a seating capacity of 600.
Click here for seating plans.
Please contact The RNCM directly. For further information on ticketing, please visit their how to book page.
If you would like to buy a ticket in person from RNCM Box Office, they open one hour prior to the event starting, and can only facilitate in person bookings for the performance showing on the day.
Alternatively, you can see what's on and book online here.
When we know of a duration of a show, we add it to the description of the show on our event pages. For example, on our Wicked event page, after the description of the show we have added the duration of the show in large capital letters. If the time isn't listed, we do not have the information yet. We update our pages daily so it maybe a case of knowing closer to the performance itself, so keep checking.
The RNCM curfew is 11pm. More precise timings are often confirmed close to the performance date.
Please visit the RNCM's Access Page for further information and to find out how to get in touch.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback you would like to feedback to RNCM, please click here for more contact information.
If you have lost an item during a visit to RNCM Manchester, click here to contact the venue.
With loads of great places to eat in Manchester and decent pre-theatre menus, you should check out our Manchester Restaurant site here!
Manchester is full of great bars and pubs and some decent ones close to the venue. Check out our Manchester Bar site here!
Either use the map at the side of the FAQ section as it has all types of accomodation or click here for hotels in Manchester.
f you need further information about your visit to The RNCM, click here for further information or contact the RNCM team directly.
Please note that ManchesterTheatres.com isn't the venue itself. We promote what's on at the RNCM and all other venues in Manchester and the local region. Feel free to contact us if you need more help though and we'll do our best to support you.
Most Popular Shows and Events at RNCM, Manchester
