November’s here and the colder nights are drawing in, but there’s still so much to be getting up to in Greater Manchester.
If you’re stuck for something to do, then this is your go-to guide for what’s on and what’s happening in the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds and most will need to be booked in advance, but all are COVID-secure and socially-distanced in order to keep you as safe as possible during these trying times.
Whatever you fancy doing though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region.
Here’s some of the things you could be getting up to this week:
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Escape to Freight Island
Depot Mayfield
Wednesday 4th – Sunday 8th November
The Ticket Hall at Escape to Freight Island
The Ticket Hall – Escape to Freight Island‘s next stage of evolution – has officially arrived this week.
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If you haven’t had chance to make your way down to Manchester’s newest social experience and one of the hottest tickets in town yet – which is housed at Depot Mayfield in the heart of the city centre – then this is definitely a good week to make that happen.
On the agenda this extended week is REFORM RADIO PRESENTS on Wednesday, Joe Goddard (HOT CHIP DJ SET), Massey & Gina Breeze on Thursday, DJ Paulette & Hypnojive Band LIVE on Friday, Ruf Dug, Abs Ward, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners & Dave Haslam on Saturday, and finally From MCR With Love with Jenna G & Norman Jay MBE & Amuse Bouche all taking to the stage on Sunday.
Tickets to all events must be booked in advance.
You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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50 Windows of Creativity
Manchester City Centre
Monday 26th October – 5th December
50 Windows of Creativity
50 Windows of Creativity is a brand new art trail that celebrates Manchester’s rich creative culture and will see a huge array of spectacular mosaics, installations, fine art, photography, craft, murals and more by local artists and makers pop up in windows, venues, businesses and spaces right across the city centre.
Created by the team behind the award-winning Bee in the City event, 50 Windows of Creativity transform Manchester into an innovative art gallery.
Visitors are invited on a colourful, inspiring and COVID-safe journey around the city centre.
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The trail is also for a number of worthy causes too as it seeks to raise money for the artists involved, and also the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust – the We Love MCR Charity.
You can find more information about the 50 Windows of Creativity Art Trail here.
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A Good Market
Sadler’s Yard, Old Bank NOMA
Friday 6th November
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Old Bank NOMA / StudioDBD
This is your chance to do your bit and shop local ahead of the festive season.
Situated in the 20-acre NOMA neighbourhood, A Good Market is based in Sadler’s Yard and it features seasonal food, sustainable products, free workshops, engaging talks, live music and great local beers. Hosted by the Old Bank NOMA and the Pilcrow Pub, the weekly event showcases businesses that are B Corp certified, B Corp pending or about to begin their B Corp journey, setting out its stall to be the first of its kind in the UK – or anywhere else.
A Good Market is taking place at Old Bank NOMA every Friday until 18th December 2020 from 2pm – 7pm, and stall holders are announced on a weekly basis via social media.
You can find more information ahead of your visit via the Old Bank NOMA website here, and Instagram account here.
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FilmFear 2020
HOME Manchester
Wednesday 28th October – Thursday 5th November
HOME Manchester
Halloween may be over, but HOME’s annual celebration of big-screen scares – known this year as FilmFear 2020: Scream Now, Think Later – still has a few film-filled days left, with a provocative programme that mixes thrills and chills, with plenty to think about.
For this year’s festival, HOME has partnered with Film4 to co-curate a line-up of modern genre classics that sink their teeth into politics, race, sexuality, social issues and more, with movie-goers told to “prepare yourself for the ‘Night of the Living Subtext’ [as] the real world can be unsettling at the best of times and, as FilmFear proves, horror cinema faces it all without flinching”.
Tickets to all screenings must be booked in advance, and the full programme of films can found here.
You can find more information here and purchase your tickets to each film showing via the HOME Manchester website here.
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Strip! How Football Got Shirty
National Football Museum
2nd – 8th November
National Football Museum
This is one of your last months to catch Strip! How Football Got Shirty before it closes at the National Football Museum at the end of this year.
The exhibition examines the very fibres of shirt fashion, design and technology through the ages, from the heavy woollen jerseys of the Victorian era, to the heavily branded polyester of today. Strip! captures the growth of the football shirt phenomenon and charts the replica boom and the bold designs that followed, right through to the high-tech advancements and retro reappraisals. The accounts of designers, manufacturers, artists and experts are woven throughout the exhibition, but nothing tells the story better than the shirts themselves.
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Over 200 jerseys will be on display in the Score Gallery, featuring bona fide classics, unexpected game-changers, and some spectacular own goals.
You can book tickets for museum entry ahead of time via the National Football Museum website here.
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Dippy on Tour
Rochdale
2nd – 8th November
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Dippy on Tour / Visit Rochdale
Have you been to see ‘Dippy on Tour’ in Rochdale yet?
The exhibition – which features the world-famous dinosaur cast from the Natural History Museum – is back at Number One Riverside and Touchstones Rochdale as the only North West stop on its national tour after reopening following the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, and due to the months that visits were unfortunately halted, Dippy’s stay has now been extended until 12th December 2020 to allow for as many people as possible to visit safely before moving to the next location.
There’s no need to book tickets in advance, but you find more information about all social distancing / COVID-safe precautions ahead of your visit here.
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Days Like These at The Lowry
Salford Quays
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Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th November
The Lowry / Nessa Heath
The Galleries have finally and safely reopened to the public at The Lowry.
Days Like These is a new exhibition sharing the stories of Salford in 2020 – using paintings, photographs, films and poetry contributed by some of the 245,000 residents of the city. From empty Salford streets and the joy of reuniting, to the impact on frontline workers and the challenges of being alone, the exhibition wants to reflect the hopes and fears of everyone, then and now.
On display will be ‘The Frontline’ by Sophie McBriarty – which documents the lockdown experiences of people from Salford – and the tribute to Salford’s key workers has proved one of the most popular submissions to the new exhibition.
Alongside Days Like These is a new display of the best of Salford’s own LS Lowry – an artist known for his paintings of crowded city streets, and vast empty landscapes.
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Prior booking is essential ahead of your visit to The Lowry.
Booking Details • The Galleries are open for weekends only. • Opening hours will be 11am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. • Social distancing measures are in place, together with a one-way system. • Visits to the gallery will be via timed entry slots, so please ensure you arrive on time as late-comers may be declined entry.
You can book your slot and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
What's On
Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Highly-acclaimed rapper-songwriter Dave is heading to Co-op Live for two nights, in support of his recent release The Boy Who Played The Harp.
Manchester is gearing up for two nights of high-energy rap with a sprinkle of prose courtesy of rapper and songwriter Dave, taking place at Co-op Live.
The rapper has been cultivating an audience of dedicated fans through his impressive solo work and some pretty huge collaborations with acts like Central Cee, AJ Tracey, Fredo and more.
The Brit-Nigerian star has three albums to his name and an even bigger number of chart-toppers, recently earning his fourth, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Tems titled ‘Raindance’.
Now, Dave is compiling a 10-year discography, creating a setlist perfect to be played at 23,500 seater venue Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Gig guide | Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Dave is playing two shows at Co-op Live Manchester in March as part of his UK tour / Credit: supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Dave UK tour dates
Fri 13 March – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 16 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue 17 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 29 August – Little John’s Farm – Reading, UK
Sun 30 August – Bramham Park – Leeds, UK
Are there tickets left for Dave at Co-op Live?
You ‘Wanna Know’ if there’s any Dave tickets going spare? Well guess what, you’re in luck as you can still find a handful of tickets to both dates.
It might not be a ‘Funky Friday’, but Dave is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 16 March with tickets HERE.
There’s two chances to witness some of the best ‘UK Rap’ so grab your ‘Trojan Horse’ and get ready to watch him live on Tuesday 17 March – tickets HERE.
Dave setlist for 2026 tour
History
No Weapons
Verdansk
Clash
System
Both Sides of a Smile
Screwface Capital
Location
Thiago Silva
No Words
Professor X
Funky Friday
Kat Slater
Titanium
Victory Lap Freestyle
Trojan Horse
UK Rap
Selfish
Chapter 16
The Boy Who Played the Harp
Sprinter
Starlight
Stage times for Dave and support act at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for the ‘Money Talks’ hitmaker are set to open from 6.30pm with no official starting time listed although the rapper has taken to the stage around 9pm at previous dates.
The show officially begins at 7.30pm, with Lost Boys performing as support.
You’re guaranteed to get swept away by Dave’s songs and the storytelling weaved throughout his lyrics.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Press shot via supplied / Wikimedia Commons via supplied
What's On
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Emily Sergeant -
29th October 2020 
