RNCM Jam Night
Royal Northern College of Music 6 October 2026Free live music from RNCM’s house band of music students, playing your favourite tracks. Want to join in? Sign up to sing with the band when you arrive.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Welcome
The Cultural Welcome returns from 5–11 October 2026, offering students the chance to discover the rich arts, culture and heritage of the Oxford Road Corridor.
Welcome to Manchester
Whether you’re arriving as a first-year student or returning for another year, The Cultural Welcome is your invitation to explore Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter beyond campus.
Over a week, we’re opening the doors to some of Manchester’s most inspiring cultural spaces, from galleries and museums to theatres, music venues and performance spaces. It’s your chance to discover somewhere new, meet new people and get to know the places that make the city’s cultural scene tick.
With a packed programme of events, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re into art, literature, music, theatre or performance. Come along, try something different and see what’s on your doorstep.
Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out.
Live Events
Words from the Willow
Manchester Museum 7 October 2026Enjoy a free lunchtime performance from folk duo Words from the Willow in Manchester Museum’s Main Hall, with folk music, cello and storytelling.
Bad Language Open Mic
International Anthony Burgess Foundation 7 October 2026Live literature legends Bad Language and the Burgess Foundation present a stellar spoken word celebration, with open mic spots up for grabs.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Free Monday Lunchtime Concert
Royal Northern College of Music 5 October 2026Music students from the Royal Northern College of Music provide a free lunchtime concert. An easy way to fit live music into the day.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Free Thursday Lunchtime Concert
Royal Northern College of Music 8 October 2026Music students from the Royal Northern College of Music provide a free lunchtime concert. An easy way to fit live music into the day.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
The Hallé: Prokofiev’s Symphony No.5
The Bridgewater Hall Until 11 October 2026Nodoka Okisawa conducts Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto with Pavel Kolesnikov and Prokofiev’s triumphant Fifth Symphony. Limited free tickets available for The Cultural Welcome, book yours now.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Open Floor
Contact 8 October 2026Live improvised music and dance collide as Company Chameleon, Dance @ Salford and Low Four Studios bring performance to life in the moment.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
RNCM presents… At the Henry Watson Music Library
Manchester Central Library 9 October 2026Two rising RNCM stars bring live music to the cosy setting of the Henry Watson Music Library as part of a new collaborative concert series.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
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. Student Weekend Passes available with some events for students just £10.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Comedy at Contact
Contact 9 October 2026Enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy at Contact, featuring established and emerging North West comedians.
BBC Philharmonic: Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique
The Bridgewater Hall 10 October 2026Yoel Gamzou conducts Bernstein, Korngold and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique with violinist Elena Urioste in a passionate orchestral programme. Limited free tickets available for students.
Made You Look
Contact 10 October 2026A visceral and explosive one-man poetry show interrogating masculinity and what it means to be an immigrant in a Britain.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover
The Bridgewater Hall 12 October 2026Beethoven and Brahms with Ingrid Fliter and Stanislav Kochanovsky in a powerful orchestral concert at The Bridgewater Hall.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Get Creative
Music Drop
Contact 6 October 2026Create, record and collaborate while building skills in music production and songwriting alongside other musicians in a welcoming session.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Tuning into Opera: Barkouf workshop with English National Opera
Royal Northern College of Music 6 October 2026Offenbach’s comic opera Barkouf provides the inspiration for this hands-on introduction to the creative process behind opera.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Vinyl DJ Workshop
Manchester Central Library 6 October 2026Bring along vinyl and take to the decks with Manchester DJ Mumu, learning more about DJing in a relaxed session for everyone from beginners to seasoned selectors.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Chess Club
Manchester Central Library Until 8 October 2026Whether returning to the game or making a first move, players can test their skills, pick up new tactics and meet fellow chess fans.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Make and Create
Manchester Art Gallery 8 October 2026Collage and textile workshops take inspiration from Escapes and WORN, inviting participants to experiment with materials and ideas alongside the gallery’s current displays.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Writing the Elements
Manchester Poetry Library 8 October 2026Memory, landscape and the elements become prompts for imaginative writing inspired by Jean Sprackland’s Elemental, welcoming experienced writers and curious beginners alike.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
The Pankhurst Centre: After Hours
The Pankhurst Centre 8 October 2026Explore the rooms where the suffragette movement was born after hours, followed by hands-on activities to create a suffragette-inspired keyring and mini protest placad.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Music Production Workshop
Manchester Central Library 8 October 2026Beat making, mixing, live looping and DJ performance come together in a practical session using industry-standard tools including Ableton.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Sketch break
Manchester Art Gallery 9 October 2026Slow down, look closely and see the gallery’s collection differently through a relaxed drop-in sketching session, with no previous drawing experience needed.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Get Together
Night People
Contact 7 October 2026Movement becomes a way to connect at this welcoming and accessible session, open to everyone from complete beginners to experienced dancers.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Generation Trust
HOME 6 October 2026Discover HOME with an inspirational environmental documentary that asks: what happens when young people are trusted to lead?
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Free Pies
The Abbey 7 October 2026Manchester’s newest music venue and pub is offering students FREE PIES. Get down between 12-4pm and check it out.
Board Games Club
Manchester Central Library 7 October 2026From Scrabble to Ticket to Ride, there’s plenty to try at this relaxed board games club, with everything provided.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Writers’ Social Presented by SEESAW & Manchester City of Literature
SEESAW 7 October 2026Manchester’s new writers and poets come together for readings, publishing talks, zine-making, music and games, creating a relaxed space to connect with the city’s literary community.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Chess Club
Manchester Central Library Until 8 October 2026Whether returning to the game or making a first move, players can test their skills, pick up new tactics and meet fellow chess fans.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Whitworth Young Contemporaries Welcome Social
The Whitworth 8 October 2026After-hours at the Whitworth means art, music and creative activities with exhibition tours and a live DJ.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Made in South Asia Games Night
Manchester Museum 7 October 2026Rediscover favourite games like Ludo,
Snakes and Ladders and Carrom
while exploring their South Asian origins.
A relaxed evening of play and cultural
storytelling at the museum.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Explore
What’s Next for China’s Economy? Presented by Manchester University Press and Confucius Institute
Roscoe Building 1 October 2026Ahead of the festival, Sir Vince Cable and Rebecca Fannin discuss the future of China’s economy, exploring implications for commerce, law and climate change.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
WORN: The Life Within Clothes exhibition tour
Manchester Art Gallery 6 October 2026Curators Rosie Gnatiuk and Miles Lambert lead a tour of WORN, looking at clothing and textiles through a slow fashion lens.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Won’t Sit Still exhibition tour
Manchester Art Gallery 7 October 2026Curator Jennifer McKellar takes a closer look at Won’t Sit Still, revealing stories of furniture, lighting and design from the Manchester Art Gallery collection.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Re-imagining Innovation: The Value of Creative Practices
Contact 7 October 2026Explore how writers and artists approach innovation, economics and social change through creative practice and collaboration.
Behind the Scenes Tour
Manchester Central Library 7 October 2026Step inside the most visited library in the country and uncover its history, facilities and some of its lesser-known spaces and secrets.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Palace Theatre Tour and Talk
Palace Theatre Until 8 October 2026Known as the Grand Old Lady, the Palace Theatre is one of Manchester’s oldest theatres. This tour uncovers its history, architecture and the secrets behind the magic.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Women of Oxford Road Walking Tour
All Saints Park 8 October 2026Pioneering women from the arts, literature, science, medicine and activism take centre stage on a walk exploring Oxford Road’s feminist legacy. Booking essential.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Gallery highlights tour
Manchester Art Gallery 8 October 2026Stories, artists and unexpected insights offer a fresh perspective on some of the highlights of the Manchester Art Gallery collection.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
A History of Black Theatre in Manchester 1827–2020: Celebrating Presence
Samuel Alexander Building 8 October 2026Explore the artistry, entrepreneurship and influence of people of African and Afro-Caribbean descent in Manchester’s theatre and performance history.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Radiant Redheads Tour
Manchester Art Gallery 10 October 2026Learn about the complex and gendered history of hair colour and Pre-Raphaelite redheaded muses in the Manchester Art Gallery collection.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
LGBTQ+ gallery tour
Manchester Art Gallery 10 October 2026Works from the Manchester Art Gallery collection provide a starting point for exploring LGBTQ+ history, identity, gender, sexuality and community.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Behind the Scenes Tour
The Bridgewater Hall 12 October 2026In its 30th season, The Bridgewater Hall opens its spaces and stories, revealing what makes it one of the UK’s greatest concert halls.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Tours
Explore the history of Manchester’s knowledge quarter through some of the area’s most significant landmarks and iconic buildings.
Galleries & Museums
Some of the best Galleries & Museums in Manchester are here on Oxford Road Corridor. Explore a diverse programme for all cultural enthusiasts.
Live Music
Manchester is undeniably one of the UK hotspots for live music. With many of its most iconic venues based on the Oxford Road Corridor.