Culture on the Corridor
A vibrant nightlife and home to many of the city’s most iconic music venues, theatre spots and high-end cultural offerings such as the Whitworth, HOME and RNCM.
Oxford Road Corridor has one the UK’s most concentrated, diverse and distinctive collections of cultural attractions. Home to many of Manchester’s iconic music venues, auditoriums and exhibition spaces as well as a vibrant night-life and an abundance of cafés, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the beautiful architecture and significant landmarks and memorials are a number of historic parks and contemporary green spaces to discover.
The area boasts a world-class line-up of cultural spaces; from the award-winning Whitworth Art Gallery at the south to the iconic Central Library in the city centre. In between, you will find Contact, Manchester Museum, the Royal Northern College of Music, Palace Theatre, HOME, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and Castlefield Gallery.
Things to do
Performing Trees
The Whitworth Until 4 April 2027Performing Trees explores the changing role of trees in art, showcasing more than 50 works from the Whitworth’s collection.
Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print
The Whitworth Until 16 November 2026Beneath the Great Wave is the Whitworth’s first exhibition dedicated to Japanese prints in over 100 years.
Michaela Yearwood-Dan
The Whitworth Until 18 October 2026The Whitworth presents the first institutional show in the UK by Michaela Yearwood-Dan, a rising star in contemporary painting.
Elemental
Manchester Poetry Library Until 31 October 2026Jean Sprackland’s exhibition at Manchester Poetry Library explores Goyle, Chert, Mire, poetry, landscape, and language in the Blackdown Hills.
Human Natures
Manchester Museum Until 1 November 2026Explore Human Natures at Manchester Museum, a free exhibition on our relationship with nature, climate impact and sustainable change.
To See and Be Seen by Conor Collins
HOME Until 31 October 2026Inspired by the Queer Up North archive, Conor Collins explores queer identity, visibility and belonging through a powerful new body of work.
Hyundai Translocal Series: Entangled and Woven
The Whitworth Until 3 January 2027A landmark exhibition bringing together the textile traditions and contemporary practices of Korea, India and the UK.
The Labour of Care
The Whitworth Until 31 August 2027An exhibition dedicated to centring the voices and experiences of midwives and maternity healthcare professionals.
Reflections: Sangat and the Self
The Whitworth Until 31 August 2027A participatory exhibition inviting reflection on personal and collective wellbeing through art.
Everyday Art School: Still Care
The Whitworth Until 18 November 2027Still Care is an exhibition developed in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust working with bereaved parents.
Auris Festival
Multiple venues Until 11 October 2026Contemporary sound art takes over three Manchester venues through immersive performances, spatial audio, installations, field recordings and soundwalks.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Florence Peake: Vitalities
HOME Until 31 January 2027Internationally acclaimed artist Florence Peake brings a major new exhibition to HOME, exploring grief, absence, movement and the traces we leave behind.
Manchester Literature Festival 2026
Various Venues Until 25 October 2026Explore the full Manchester Literature Festival 2026 line-up, featuring acclaimed writers, poets and thinkers across fiction, poetry, memoir, politics, culture and ideas.
Supermedium: Kelan Andrews and Petra Szemán
Castlefield Gallery Until 31 January 2027Slip through layers of celluloid animation into an exhibition that asks what it means to animate
MLF26: An Evening with Russell T Davies & Bernardine Evaristo
Royal Northern College of Music 11 October 2026Russell T Davies joins Bernardine Evaristo to discuss his memoir, television career and the power of storytelling.
MLF26: Paul Mason
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 11 October 2026Paul Mason discusses REDS: A Global History of Communism, exploring communism’s history, legacy and relevance to politics today.
MLF26: The Observer Book Club with Deborah Frances-White
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 11 October 2026Deborah Frances-White discusses Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have, exploring disagreement, polarisation and difficult conversations.
MLF26: Patrick Radden Keefe
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 12 October 2026Patrick Radden Keefe discusses London Falling, a gripping investigation into wealth, power and corruption in London.
MLF26: Ian McMillan
Manchester Central Library 12 October 2026Ian McMillan launches Red River Valley, a moving new poetry collection exploring family, community, everyday life and austerity.
MLF26: Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Manchester Central Library 13 October 2026Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses A British Childhood, celebrating books, reading and the stories that shape children’s lives.
African Soul Rebels featuring Les Amazones d’Afrique + Gasper Nali
The Bridgewater Hall 13 October 2026African Soul Rebels returns with L’Amazones d’Afrique and Gasper Nali in a bold celebration of African music, rhythm and resistance.
MLF26: Owen Jones
HOME 14 October 2026Owen Jones discusses The Fall of the West, exploring political, economic and social crisis, democracy, foreign policy and global events.
MLF26: The Observer Book Club with Yann Martel
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 14 October 2026Yann Martel discusses Son of Nobody, his epic new novel inspired by Homer’s Iliad, exploring myth, memory, family and storytelling.
MLF26: Manchester Multilingual City Poets: Jeremy Pak Nelson & Nóra Blascsók
Manchester Poetry Library 15 October 2026Jeremy Pak Nelson and Nóra Blascsók present new poetry exploring heritage, ancestral memory and storytelling in English, Hungarian and Mandarin.