WHAT'S ON AT Z-ARTS, MANCHESTER
What's On at Z-arts, Manchester
Z-arts in Hulme, Manchester is the only arts centre in the UK dedicated to offering best-practice in creative provision for children and families, with a leadership role in networks including Big Imaginations, MADE, and Family Arts Campaign. Opening their doors in 2000 in the former Zion building, their 230 seat theatre hosts shows, productions, events and premiers for different ages each season, including international touring theatre shows.
Z-arts also homes a studio theatre, a recording studio, music space, dance studio, and offers numerous dance, drama, and arts & crafts classes, workshops, and activities. They offer numerous outreach programmes with local communities and educational establishments.
Be entertained and inspired at Z-arts with plays, comedy, dance, and musicals to look forward to and the immersive experiences such as The Family Escape room - The Library Of Enchantment, Adventures In Wonderland, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jnr, Lip Sync Battle, Finding Nemo Jnr, and The Snowy Day. See what’s on at Z-arts below and book tickets online.
Z-arts in Hulme, Manchester is the only arts centre in the UK dedicated to offering best-practice in creative provision for children and families, with a leadership role in networks including Big Imaginations, MADE, and Family Arts Campaign. Opening their doors in 2000 in the former Zion building, their 230 seat theatre hosts shows, productions, events and premiers for different ages each season, including international touring theatre shows.
Z-arts also homes a studio theatre, a recording studio, music space, dance studio, and offers numerous dance, drama, and arts & crafts classes, workshops, and activities. They offer numerous outreach programmes with local communities and educational establishments.
Be entertained and inspired at Z-arts with plays, comedy, dance, and musicals to look forward to and the immersive experiences such as The Family Escape room - The Library Of Enchantment, Adventures In Wonderland, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jnr, Lip Sync Battle, Finding Nemo Jnr, and The Snowy Day. See what’s on at Z-arts below and book tickets online.
Most Popular Shows and Events at Z-arts, Manchester
What's On at Z-arts, Manchester
Adventures in Wonderland
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 16 September 2025 - Wednesday 22 July 2026
Fall down the rabbit hole and have your very own magical adventure with Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts! Created by Z-arts in partnership with Macmillan Children's Books, step into Alice's shoes and have your very own magical Adventure i...Baby Book Club
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 16 September - Tuesday 2 December 2025
Baby Book Club is a wonderful way to spend time together with your baby (0-2 years) and develop their love of books, stories and reading.  Baby Book Club helps parents develop skills in how to make reading fun for their babies and help d...Podcast Club
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 16 September - Tuesday 2 December 2025
Join in the fun at Z-arts' studio, where you can play games to improve your performance skills, learn how to record and edit audio, how to research, how to put together and give an interview, basically everything you need to become a supers...Move & Make
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 16 September - Tuesday 2 December 2025
Join Gilly for an imaginative yoga and art session!The idea for this class is to fuse movement and creativity into one wellbeing session. Each week there will be a different theme that allows children the chance to explore, create, play, co...Z-arts Kids Council
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 16 September - Tuesday 2 December 2025
Join the Z-arts Kids Council!?Do you love coming to Z-arts? Want to help make it even better?We?re looking for 16 amazing kids (ages 8?11) to join our brand-new Kids Council.(It?s like a school council, but just for Z-arts!)As a council mem...Art Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 17 September - Friday 5 December 2025
Art Stars is a great activity for young people who enjoy making stuff!A great introduction to art, you?ll learn the basics of art in a fun and relaxed environment. You can try lots of different art techniques including drawing, painting, ce...Dance Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 17 September - Saturday 6 December 2025
In Dance Stars, we focus on improving our posture, flexing our muscles, and boosting our stamina like dance champs! We are on a mission to discover our unique dance style through play and exploration. We will be exploring various new dance ...Family Yoga
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 17 September - Wednesday 3 December 2025
We heard that our grown-ups were interested in yoga too so we have created this class for children 8+ and adults together!It is a playful take on an adult yoga class with breathwork, stretching, yoga positions, maybe some dance and definite...Storytime
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 17 September - Wednesday 3 December 2025
Join us for a storytime session in our Children?s Library every Wednesday morning!...Rhyme Time
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 18 September - Thursday 4 December 2025
Rhyme time is a fun group singing session for babies and toddlers (0-4 years) and their grown-ups.  Singing together and repeating rhymes helps your child develop listening, visual and memory skills, which will help them develop. Rhyme t...3D Making
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 18 September - Thursday 4 December 2025
Join in the fun, with Andy the tutor, creating crafts, models, and sculptures in this exciting hands-on class. Build, create, and be inspired using a variety of materials, including clay, Modroc, Papier Mache, and card. Some of the projects...Drama Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 18 September - Saturday 6 December 2025
Use your brilliant minds to have drama fun, plays lots of games and use lots of imagination! We are going to use this time to embrace our creativity to create new work. We will also use pictures and sound as inspiration to create our own sc...Play Time
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 18 September - Thursday 4 December 2025
Play Time is a chance for children aged 4 ? 7 to PLAY. Children can use their imagination and props to create their own worlds and adventures. The session will give children the opportunity to make friends, use their imagination and to play...The Library of Enchantment
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Monday 29 December 2025
Ever wanted to step inside a story? The Library of Enchantment is a fun-filled thrilling family-friendly escape room, full of seafaring adventures, time travelling tricks and a pesky old bookworm who's always up to meddlesome mischief! Can ...LEGO Club
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Friday 5 December 2025
Z-Arts are getting all their LEGO out for kids of all ages to play with and build whatever they like! Parents need to stay and supervise their children throughout the session. ...Singing Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Friday 5 December 2025
Join Signing Stars at Z-arts!Our brand-new activity as chosen by the Bright Sparks members!?Do you love singing? Want to be part of a group that performs at Z-arts?Come along to Signing Stars?? our brand-new singing class led by amazing Man...Street Dance
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Friday 5 December 2025
In Street Dance, we will work on building confidence, stamina and cool moves. We will be looking at the variety of styles that make up street dance such as break-dance, waacking, house and hip hop to name a few!...Toddler Make and Believe
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Saturday 6 December 2025
Come along and get creative with your little ones in our weekly Toddler Make and Believe session. Join us each session for arts and crafts, stories and songs in a fun and relaxed environment!Open to all, not just Bright Sparks Members, book...Z-artists
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 19 September - Friday 5 December 2025
Focus on learning about different artists and art forms, develop your own skills and create work in different styles. Be inspired, learn new things and most of all, create your own amazing work!This session will be led by Bea:...Family Art Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 20 September - Saturday 6 December 2025
Families that learn together, grow together. We are very excited to continue our Family Art Stars sessions every Saturday! Come down, muck in and make some art as a family, spending quality time and learning new techniques. No skill is requ...Musical Theatre
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 20 September - Saturday 6 December 2025
In Musical Theatre we will build skills in stage entertainment used in small and large-scale productions designed to explore creativity in song and character role-playing!This term we will be working on a new musical, learning the themes fr...You Are The Sun
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 20 September 2025
HurlyBurly Theatre presents You are the Sun, a folk inspired opera for babies and grown-ups that explores the magic of nature. Combining the joy of gentle classical singing and sensory play, it is an invitation to see beauty in the smallest...Creative Care: Art for Kids with Additional Needs
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 27 September - Saturday 20 December 2025
Join Kirsty for ?Creative Care: Art for Kids with Additional Needs.? ? an Inclusive Art Session that Celebrates Diverse Ways of Thinking & Learning!Children aged 8 to 16 will explore various art techniques, from painting and drawing to coll...Grandad Anansi
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 2 - Sunday 5 October 2025
Abi and her Grandad tell each other Anansi folktales. They play games as they work together in the garden among the beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables. As they plant memories, they share secrets and develop a bond that nothing can break...Z-arts - Artist Workshops
Z-arts, Manchester
Thursday 2 - Monday 20 October 2025
Z-arts is committed to supporting the development of artists and their work. This page is our Artist Workshop page, where we will list all the workshops taking place at Z-arts for artists to be able to book on to. Some of these workshops wi...Finding Nemo Jr
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 10 - Saturday 11 October 2025
Manchester Musical Youth present The Disney Pixar favourite, Finding Nemo Jr?Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But ...Club Ninja
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 18 October 2025
Sneak, creep and slinkTiptoeing through the shadows as fast as light this master of disguise stealthily creeps on a mission only they know. Jump, kick and twistThe Ninja appears and vanishes before your eyes ? can you catch a glimpse?Join u...Birthday October Half Term Holiday Club
Z-arts, Manchester
Tuesday 28 - Friday 31 October 2025
Join us during half term to celebrate Z-arts turning 25!We will be making birthday decorations and coming up with a dance to perform at our birthday party. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be birthday party decoration making. Friday wil...Cinderella Ice Cream Seller
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 29 October 2025
Get your dessert spoons ready for a tale of perseverance, princes, palace balls, glass slippers and, um, ice cream?Over the last four decades, Cinderella?s has become the kingdom?s most beloved ice cream company, with a parlour on every str...Family Dance Stars
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 31 October - Friday 5 December 2025
Move and groove with your loved ones!We are excited to welcome Family Dance Stars to our timetable from October. Get groovy every month as a family. Let?s play games, dance and explore our creativity together. No experience is required, jus...Rockin Rhinos - The Big Birthday Bash
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 1 November 2025
A very special gig to celebrate Z-arts? 25th Birthday!Join Z-arts favourites, Rockin? Rhinos, for a gig that grown-ups will love as much as the kiddlies. Rock, ska, rap & punk ? dancing shoes a must!John Cooper Cat and the other Rockin? Rhi...Z-arts Big Birthday Fun Day
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 1 November 2025
You?re invited to our party!Join us for a family day full of fun, creativity, and celebration. Get stuck into arts and crafts, make your own party hats, decorations, and more ? everything you need for the ultimate birthday bash!Then hit the...Hare and Tortoise
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 15 November 2025
Tutti Frutti Productions brings you this much-loved story brimming with fun, live music, unforgettable songs, and delightful characters, who learn that slow and steady wins the race. Two unlikely friends, the Hare and the Tortoise, meet for...Mother Goose
Z-arts, Manchester
Wednesday 19 - Saturday 22 November 2025
We?re hatching a plan to make this the perfect adventure guaranteed to have the whole family honking with laughter. Following last year?s sell out panto ROBIN HOOD, South Manchester AOS are back for their seventh spectacular pantomime with ...The Three Bears
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 29 November 2025
A hilarious fairy tale remix!Get ready for giggles galore in this wild, high-energy adventure. Perfect for all ages, this show celebrates love, laughter and the beauty of families of all shape and sizes. The Three Bears flips the classic fa...T'was the Gig Before Christmas
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 December 2025
You?re invited to our secret party, for elves, yourselves, and ALL magical Lapland creatures. We?ll be telling stories through song. There?ll be dancing and prancing, laughter and joy as we spread plenty of festive spirit. But ssshh, don?t ...T'was The Gig Before Christmas - Scouts Takeover
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 6 December 2025
You?re invited to our secret party, for elves, yourselves, and ALL magical Lapland creatures. We?ll be telling stories through song. There?ll be dancing and prancing, laughter and joy as we spread plenty of festive spirit. But ssshh, don?t ...The Snowy Day
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 12 - Tuesday 30 December 2025
A Polka Theatre and Can?t Sit Still co-productionDiscover a world blanketed in wonder in this brand new dance adaptation of ?The Snowy Day?, inspired by the award winning picture book by Ezra Jack Keats. One winter morning, Peter woke up an...Meet the Hatter
Z-arts, Manchester
Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 February 2026
Curiouser and curiouser??In celebration of their 15th anniversary, Joss Arnott Dance return with the company?s most ambition production to date, their brand-new, cinematic dance and multimedia show Meet the Hatter. Integrating dance, storyt...The Gruffalo's Child
Z-arts, Manchester
Friday 27 February - Sunday 1 March 2026
Tall Stories presents The Gruffalo's Child Adapted from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's award-winning picture book Optional book line subheading: The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should Ever set foot in the deep dark wood... Â Follo...How to get to Z-arts, Manchester
Z-arts Frequently Asked Questions
Zion Arts Centre, 335 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester, M15 5ZA
There is some on-street parking available near Z-arts (Dearden Street opposite, Ancroft Street round the corner).
There are on street restrictions in place from Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. After 6pm and at the weekend these restrictions are lifted.
Some streets offer 3 hours free parking. Always check the parking signs as they are individual to each street.
Disabled parking bays are available at the front of the venue.
Watch this video for further information.
Oxford Road Station is a 15 minute walk away from Z-arts.
Piccadilly Station is a five minute walk from Piccadilly Gardens bus rank where you can catch one of the regular bus services that will take you to Z-arts.
The nearest tram stations are Deansgate (23 mins walk) or Trafford Bar (22 mins walk).
The capicity of the main theatre in Z-arts is 230.
Please contact Z-arts directly and their team will be able to help you.
If you would like to buy a ticket in person from Z-arts Box Office, they open:
Tuesday - Thursday 9am - 6pm
Fridays 9am - 9pm
Saturdays 9am - 6pm
Closed Sun & Mon (unless there is a show on).
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.
You can also contact Z-arts and they will be able to advise you.
Please click here for accessibility information at Z-arts.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback you would like to feedback to Z-arts, please click here for more contact information.
Z-arts lost property will be held at Z-arts for one month. After this it is donated to charity or disposed of. Refillable water bottles are disposed of at the end of every day for hygiene reasons.
Click here to contact Z-arts.
Z-arts have their own Z-Cafe for you to grab a sandwich, coffee and cake.
Alternatively, with loads of great places to eat in Manchester and decent pre-theatre menus, you should check out our Manchester Restaurant site here!
Z-Cafe turns into a licensed bar for grown up events.
Alternatively, Manchester is full of great bars and pubs and some decent ones close to the venue. check out our Manchester Bar site here!
Absolutely! If you are attending a theatre show, you can leave it in the buggy park area if there is limited space in the theatre.
For immersive experiences, there is space within the exhibition to park your buggy, but due to space you cannot take them around the full experience.
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.
If you need further information about your visit Z-Arts, click here to visit their website or contact their team directly.
Please note that ManchesterTheatres.com isn't the venue itself. We promote what's on at the Z-arts 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 Z-arts, Manchester
