FREE SHOWS & EVENTS IN MANCHESTER
FREE SHOWS & EVENTS IN MANCHESTER
Most Popular Free Shows & Events in Manchester
Wed 8 Apr - Wed 30 Sep 2026
Fri 10 Apr - Fri 14 Aug 2026
Wed 8 Apr - Wed 13 May 2026
Thu 23 Apr - Thu 16 Jul 2026
Tue 21 Apr - Tue 14 Jul 2026
Comedy Circus
Wednesday 8 April - Wednesday 13 May 2026
A free open mic comedy show designed to give anyone who's ever wanted a chance to try standup comedy, and for established comedians to work out new material. It's a wild fun and chaotic show featuring weekly games and contests for drinks an...
LOWRY 360
Wednesday 8 April - Wednesday 30 September 2026
A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of LS Lowry's iconic work, Going to the Match, in the UK's first free permanent immersive experience. Created in collaboration with Barcelona's renowned Immersive studi...
The National Youth Orchestra
Thursday 9 April 2026
FREE FOR UNDER 19s. Feel the sound, free your spirit with this fearless performance by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain with conductor Alpesh Chauhan, where hundreds of teenagers passionately share their love of music. Hear...
The National Youth Orchestra
Thursday 9 April 2026
FREE FOR UNDER 19s. Feel the sound, free your spirit with this fearless performance by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain with conductor Andrew Gourlay, where hundreds of teenagers passionately share their love of music Hear ...
Game Social
Friday 10 April 2026
Chat, play and test your skills at Aviva Studio's new Game Social The new Game Social hosted by Bants and Bash is the perfect way to spend a cosy evening. Enjoy a selection of free games including icebreaker games, board games, cards, pool,...
Live Hip Hop, Afrobeats and RnB + DJs
Friday 10 April - Friday 14 August 2026
DJs and live musicians play old and new school hip hop, afrobeats and RnB goodness from Kendrick Lamar and J Hus to Wizkid and Lauryn Hill. ...
Factory House Choir
Saturday 11 April - Saturday 20 June 2026
Enjoy some singing for the soul in the Factory House Choir workshops. It's open to everyone - just bring your voice! Led by singer and music director Lizzie Simms, this isn't your traditional choir experience. Expect to get your groove on a...
Andy Peek's Record Club - Talking Heads Special
Wednesday 15 April 2026
Free Entry + Ticket includes discounted drink. Andy Peek Record Club returns with a Talking Heads Special - Remain In Light Vs Speaking In Tongues. Two amazing albums, back to back, on vinyl. Fairfield Social Club welcomes Andy Peek (Come O...
Factory Spotlight: After the Applause
Thursday 16 April 2026
Celebrate season two of local podcast After the Applause with an exclusive live show Join the team behind After the Applause for a live show at Aviva Studios, as they kickstart season two of the popular Manchester podcast. Watch two Q&A pan...
Youth Theatre Taster Session
Tuesday 21 - Saturday 25 April 2026
Aged between 7 and 17 and want to find out more about the Octagon's Youth Theatre sessions? Then try this FREE taster session ahead of the next term. The weekly youth theatre sessions support young people to develop drama skills, work wi...
Baby Book Club
Tuesday 21 April - Tuesday 14 July 2026
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...
Tangram Collective
Thursday 23 April 2026
Join trailblazing artist London-based music collective, Tangram, on a deep exploration between Chinese philosophy and Western classical music. Divine Intimacies presents a programme for Chinese and Western instruments showcasing how ancient...
Rhyme Time
Thursday 23 April - Thursday 16 July 2026
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...
Spotlight: A Choral Bedtime Story
Thursday 23 April 2026
ProgrammeGy?rgy Orb?n?Daemon Irrepit CallidusFrancis Poulenc?O Magnum MysteriumJaakko M?ntyj?rvi?Four Shakespeare SongsRalph Vaughan Williams?RestJosef Rheinberger?AbendliedArthur Sullivan?The Long Day ClosesPerformersAlex Rouault?conductor...
Thursday Lunchtimes: Cardinal Quintet and Lucian Amette Crosby…
Thursday 23 April 2026
ProgrammeKuba Williams A Messe of Good FellowsFrancis Poulenc Sextuor FP 100Jean Fran?aix L?Heure du BergerPerformersKaoruko Takehara fluteCara Smith clarinetConnor Huss bassoonEsme MacBride-Stewart french hornAnna Turner oboeLucian Amette ...
Creative Tiny Humans
Friday 24 April 2026 - Friday 26 March 2027
Join us in the Creativity Corner for our baby and toddler group drop in session to enjoy crafts, chats and creativity. Expect making for tiny hands, stories and most importantly PLAY. Join artist and community facilitator Phoebe Foxtrot on ...
Spotlight: Britten's On This Island
Friday 24 April 2026
ProgrammeBenjamin Britten?On this Island Op 11Franz Schubert?Seligkeit, Gretchen am SprinnradeGabriel Faur??Les BerceauxGabriel Faur??Clair de lunePerformersRuth Harley?sopranoLetizia Palmieri?pianoMark Askew?harpAboutEmbark on a journey fr...
Street Symphony x Red Rodeo Club
Saturday 25 April 2026
Join Red Rodeo Club for an afternoon of line dancing to everyone's favourite queer club bangers Red Rodeo Club takes line dancing out of the honky-tonk and into our world, honouring the roots but bending the rules. No one forgets the night ...
Spotlight: Piano Duo Adélie plays Rachmaninov
Tuesday 28 April 2026
ProgrammeSergei Rachmaninov?Symphonic DancesPerformersTsukushi Mitsuda, Minsung Park?pianosAboutPiano Duo Ad?lie performs Rachmaninov?s final composition, and the only one written entirely while he was in the United States. TicketsFree admi...
Crippled With Laughter
Thursday 30 April 2026
A disabled-led comedy night curated and hosted by Wheels and the Legman Get ready for a groundbreaking disabled-led comedy event that challenges stereotypes and pushes the boundaries of humour. By putting disability at the forefront of thei...
Spotlight: Paddington Trio
Friday 1 May 2026
ProgrammeMaurice Ravel Piano Trio in A minorPerformersTuulia Hero violinPatrick Moriarty celloStephanie Tang pianoAboutThe Paddington Trio is quickly becoming one of the most exciting emerging chamber ensembles in the UK. The group is widel...
Quatuor Danel & Noémi Gyori - Mozart's Flute Quartet in D Major
Thursday 7 May 2026
Free lunchtime concert. The leading French string quartet - who have been "Quartet in Residence" at the University of Manchester since 2005 - join forces with Noemi Gyori (flute) to perform Mozart's Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285 and ...
Chetham's Lunchtime Concert
Friday 22 May 2026
Chetham's School of Music, in the heart of Manchester, is the largest specialist music school in the UK, and the only one in the north of England. It is made up of 330 students aged between 8 and 18 and the campus is a melting pot of differ...
RNCM Opera Scenes
Thursday 4 - Thursday 18 June 2026
FREE EVENT. RNCM vocal and conducting students present excerpts from some of opera's greatest moments in this free series of staged scenes. A perfect way to feed your curiosity! Click on tickets link for the perfromers and excerpts presente...
We Invented The Weekend Festival
Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 June 2026
We Invented the Weekend festival is back for 2026! Across Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with over 200 free activities in the UKs most ambitious, creative, original and fun-filled festival cel...
Spotlight: The Gorgi-Stewart Quintet - Notes on Separation…
Monday 15 June 2026
ProgrammeSonia Gorgi?Unseen OperationMaddie Stewart?After We Leave (Still There)PerformersMaddie Stewart?saxophoneSonia Gorgi?santoorIzzy MacMahon?drumsJade Serafin?double bassFraser Rowe?pianoAboutThis experimental cross-cultural performan...
Spotlight: Solaris Brass - Triton Messenger of the…
Tuesday 16 June 2026
ProgrammeMichael John Trotta arr Lewis Barton?Dies IraeGabriel Faur? arr Matthew Knight?Apr?s un r?veArthur Butterworth?Triton SuiteGabriel Faur? arr Matthew Knight?Le papillon et la fleurGabriel Faur? arr Matthew Knight?Le secretGeorge Ger...
Spotlight: Aidan Bryson - Music for Jazz Quartet…
Thursday 18 June 2026
ProgrammeJimmy Van-Heusen?Like Someone In LoveAidan Bryson?Music for Jazz Quartet and String QuartetAidan Bryson?In Your AbsencePerformersAidan Bryson?saxophoneJack Willan?drumsMarcello Rodrigues?double bassJim Gibson?pianoAlice Granlund, E...
Spotlight: The Carnival of the Animals
Monday 22 June 2026
ProgrammeCamille Saint-Sa?ns?The Carnival of the AnimalsPerformersEmily Ampt, Nyra Jain?violinsSophie Combes?violaChloe Chen?celloLukas Hall?double bassAdele Bracegirdle?fluteAnthony Arias?clarinetTheo Sanders, James Carrick-Buchanan?pianos...
Spotlight: The Rebirth of Language
Thursday 25 June 2026
ProgrammeKuba Williams New WorkPerformersEirwen Roberts?voiceJacob Wright?violinCara Smith?clarinetRoisin Fleming?pianoAboutA song cycle composed by RNCM Gold Medal winner Kuba Williams, this new work explores the brief friendship between I...
