Palace Theatre Manchester
Standing proudly on Oxford Street since 1891, the Palace Theatre is one of Manchester’s most beloved and prestigious venues. Originally known as “The Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street,” this Grade II listed building was designed by architect Alfred Darbyshire and opened on Whit Monday with the ballet Cleopatra. In its early decades, the theatre welcomed legendary music hall stars including Charlie Chaplin, Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauder and Vesta Tilley, establishing itself as a cornerstone of British entertainment.
The theatre underwent significant remodelling by the renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham in the mid-1890s, who enhanced its ornate Victorian splendour. After surviving a direct hit during the Manchester Blitz in 1940 and facing potential closure in the 1970s due to declining attendance, the Palace underwent major refurbishment and reopened triumphantly in 1981 with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Today, with a capacity of 1,955 seats, the Palace Theatre hosts the most prestigious touring productions, including regional premieres of major musicals such as Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton and The Book of Mormon. The venue remains the flagship touring theatre of the North of England, operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group.
Opera House Manchester
Located on Quay Street in the heart of the city, the Opera House is another of Manchester’s grand theatrical landmarks. This magnificent Grade II listed building opened as the New Theatre on Boxing Day 1912, designed by architects Farquharson, Richardson and Gill. The venue was renamed the New Queen’s Theatre in 1915 before adopting its current name in 1920, a tribute to the opera performances conducted there by Sir Thomas Beecham.
The Opera House features a spectacular auditorium with two cantilevered balconies and ornate Edwardian décor, seating 1,920 patrons. Like many grand theatres, it has weathered changing fortunes, serving as a cinema during World War II and even operating as a bingo hall from 1979 until its restoration as a theatre in 1984. The venue has hosted numerous landmark productions, including the European premiere of West Side Story in 1958 and the British regional premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, which enjoyed a successful two-year run from 1993. More recently, it premiered Back to the Future The Musical and & Juliet, both of which transferred to the West End. The Opera House continues to present touring musicals, ballet, concerts and the much-loved Christmas pantomime.
Royal Exchange Theatre
Housed within the magnificent Great Hall of the former Cotton Exchange in St Ann’s Square, the Royal Exchange Theatre is one of Britain’s most distinctive and architecturally remarkable performance spaces. The Grade II listed Royal Exchange building itself dates from 1874, designed by Mills and Murgatroyd during Manchester’s industrial heyday as the global centre of cotton trading. When the cotton trade declined and the exchange closed in 1968, visionary theatre-makers saw an opportunity to create something extraordinary.
The Royal Exchange Theatre was founded in 1976 by five artistic directors: Michael Elliott, Caspar Wrede, Richard Negri, James Maxwell and Braham Murray. They created a futuristic seven-sided steel and glass theatre-in-the-round module that appears to hover within the cavernous Victorian hall, often likened to a spacecraft. Opened by Laurence Olivier, this remarkable 750-seat theatre brings audiences extraordinarily close to the action, with no seat more than ten metres from the centre of the stage. The building was damaged by the 1996 IRA bombing but reopened in 1998 with an additional 120-seat Studio theatre. Awarded Regional Theatre of the Year by The Stage in 2016, the Royal Exchange presents a varied programme of classics, contemporary drama and new writing, and remains one of the most celebrated producing theatres in Britain.
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Rising dramatically from the waterfront at Salford Quays, The Lowry is Greater Manchester’s most striking contemporary arts complex. Named after the celebrated local artist L.S. Lowry, this award-winning building was designed by architects Michael Wilford and James Stirling and opened in 2000, officially inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II. The £106 million venue was central to the regeneration of the former Salford docks and has become one of the region’s most visited cultural attractions.
The Lowry comprises three performance spaces: the Lyric Theatre, which at 1,730 seats is the largest stage in England outside London; the more intimate 440-seat Quays Theatre; and the 150-seat Aldridge Studio for experimental work. The venue presents an ambitious year-round programme spanning West End musicals, contemporary dance, drama, opera, comedy and family shows. Beyond performance, The Lowry houses galleries containing the world’s largest public collection of L.S. Lowry’s paintings and drawings, with over 400 works on display. The building’s distinctive angular architecture and waterfront setting, overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal and MediaCityUK, make it a destination venue in its own right.
HOME
Opened in 2015 on First Street near Oxford Road station, HOME is Manchester’s flagship contemporary arts venue and one of the most ambitious cultural centres in the UK. This £25 million building was created through the merger of two beloved Manchester institutions: the Cornerhouse cinema and the Library Theatre Company, combining their expertise in film, theatre and visual art under one striking roof.
HOME features two theatre spaces, a 500-seat main house and a flexible 150-seat studio, alongside five cinema screens and a substantial gallery for contemporary art exhibitions. The venue has welcomed over seven million visitors since opening and has established itself as a powerhouse of creative innovation, presenting challenging new work alongside international touring productions. With an excellent ground-floor café, first-floor restaurant and cinema bar, HOME has become a genuine cultural hub at the heart of the city’s creative quarter. The organisation places strong emphasis on community engagement, talent development and environmental sustainability, winning the Manchester Culture Awards for promotion of environmental sustainability in 2019.
Hope Mill Theatre
Tucked away in a Grade II* listed former cotton mill in Ancoats, Hope Mill Theatre has rapidly established itself as one of the most exciting and acclaimed independent venues in the country. Founded in 2015 by Joseph Houston and William Whelton, who transformed the semi-derelict Victorian mill through their own efforts, this intimate 120-seat theatre has earned a reputation for excellence that belies its modest size.
Specialising in original productions of musicals, Hope Mill won Fringe Venue of The Year at The Stage Awards in 2018 and has sent numerous productions to London’s West End fringe, including acclaimed revivals of Hair, Aspects of Love and Yank! The venue now operates as a registered charity called A Factory of Creativity and has expanded its programme to include plays, cabaret and the annual Turn On Fest, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ theatre held in partnership with Manchester Pride. With its intimate atmosphere, passionate team and consistent quality, Hope Mill represents the very best of Manchester’s independent theatre scene. The venue also hosts Hope Mill Theatre Arts, the first higher education training programme directly associated with a producing venue.
The Bridgewater Hall
Manchester’s international concert venue, The Bridgewater Hall opened in 1996 as the permanent home of the Hallé Orchestra, one of Britain’s oldest and most distinguished symphony orchestras founded by Sir Charles Hallé in 1858. Designed by RHWL architects and built at a cost of £42 million, the hall replaced the acoustically challenged Free Trade Hall and quickly established itself as one of the finest concert venues in Europe.
The main auditorium seats 2,341 and was specifically designed to provide optimal acoustics for orchestral music, with the building ingeniously isolated from ground vibrations by springs supporting the entire structure. The hall houses a magnificent £1.2 million pipe organ with 5,500 pipes, the largest instrument installed in a UK venue for over a century. While classical music remains at its heart, The Bridgewater Hall hosts over 300 performances annually across genres including rock, pop, jazz and world music. The venue is also home to the BBC Philharmonic and regularly hosts the Manchester Camerata, making it the epicentre of classical music in the North West.
Contact Theatre
Located on Oxford Road near the University of Manchester, Contact is a groundbreaking arts organisation that places young people at the heart of everything it does. Established in 1972 as Manchester Young People’s Theatre, Contact occupies a distinctive building redesigned in 1999 by architect Alan Short, easily recognisable by its dramatic rooftop ventilation chimneys. Following a £6.5 million refurbishment completed in 2020, the venue continues to champion youth-led creativity.
What makes Contact truly unique is its governance model: young people aged 13 to 30 lead the organisation, working alongside staff to decide the artistic programme, make appointments and serve as full board members. The venue comprises a 320-seat main auditorium, an 80-seat studio space and new facilities including a recording studio and arts and health development space. Contact presents a diverse programme spanning theatre, dance, music, spoken word and digital art, with a particular focus on amplifying underrepresented voices. The international Contacting The World festival, launched in 2002, brings together young theatre-makers from across the globe every two years.
The Dancehouse Theatre
The Dancehouse on Oxford Road occupies a building with a fascinating history. Originally constructed in 1929-30, it opened as the Regal Twins, reportedly the world’s first multiplex cinema, with two 800-seat auditoriums featuring fashionable Art Deco interiors. After decades as a cinema and a period of dereliction, the building was transformed in 1990 by the Northern Ballet School and officially reopened as The Dancehouse Theatre in 1994, opened by Princess Margaret.
Today, the Grade II listed venue serves dual purposes: it is home to the internationally respected Northern Ballet School, providing world-class training for aspiring ballet dancers, while also operating as a 430-seat public theatre. The venue’s characterful Art Deco interior and large sprung floor stage make it a favourite with performers and audiences alike. The Dancehouse presents a varied programme including dance performances, live music, comedy and film screenings, while its five dance studios offer public classes in everything from ballet to street dance. The venue has hosted notable acts including Bill Bailey, Johnny Vegas and FKA twigs.
The Stoller Hall
Opened in 2017 adjacent to Chetham’s School of Music, Britain’s oldest music school, The Stoller Hall is Manchester’s premier venue for chamber music and intimate performances. Named after its chief benefactor Sir Norman Stoller, this RIBA award-winning venue was designed as a “box within a box” with acoustic engineering by Arup, creating exceptionally low noise levels and a variable acoustic system that allows audiences to be fully immersed in the music.
The 482-seat hall forms part of a remarkable cultural complex that includes Chetham’s Library, the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, housed in buildings dating back to 1421. The Stoller Hall’s adventurous programme ranges from classical and chamber music to folk, jazz, contemporary music, spoken word, comedy and family events. The adjacent 170-seat Carole Nash Hall provides space for recitals and masterclasses, while the light-filled Oglesby Atrium serves as a stunning foyer and events space. Located directly opposite Victoria station, The Stoller Hall has quickly established itself as an essential destination for music lovers seeking exceptional sound quality in an intimate setting.
Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)
The Royal Northern College of Music is both a world-leading conservatoire and a thriving public performance venue on Oxford Road. The institution traces its roots to 1893 when Sir Charles Hallé founded the Royal Manchester College of Music; in 1973, this merged with the Northern School of Music to create the RNCM. Today, the college trains over 900 students from more than 60 countries while presenting an exceptional public events programme.
The RNCM houses four major performance spaces, including a fully-equipped 600-seat Theatre and a Concert Hall seating between 443 and 710, which underwent major refurbishment in 2014. The venue presents over 400 concerts annually, ranging from RNCM orchestras and ensembles to large-scale opera productions and performances by touring professionals and visiting artists. The programming spans classical, jazz, contemporary music and opera, performed by both students and established professionals. Notable artists who have performed here include Adele, Hugh Laurie, Jarvis Cocker and alt-J, demonstrating the venue’s remarkable versatility.
Planning Your Theatre Visit
Manchester’s theatres offer something for every taste and budget, from blockbuster musicals and classical concerts to experimental fringe productions and youth-led performances. Many venues, including The Lowry, HOME and The Stoller Hall, feature excellent bars and restaurants, making them ideal destinations for a complete evening out. Most theatres are well-served by public transport, with several clustered along the Oxford Road corridor near multiple Metrolink stops and railway stations.
For the latest show listings and to book tickets for performances at Opera House Manchester and Palace Theatre Manchester, browse our current and forthcoming shows. We provide comprehensive listings and secure booking for the best seats at Manchester’s most prestigious venues.