Top Rated Concerts and Shows in North Downs

"As far as theatrical experiences go, nothing comes close to the thrill of catching a live show. Be it a drama, a comedy act, a musical, Shakespeare or some combination of them all, Manchester’s thriving arts scene make it one of the best places to take in theatre. The Royal Exchange building and its theatre have survived a lot, having been badly damaged during both World War II and the Manchester bombing in 1996."

"The Royal Exchange Theatre is free to visit, also when you don’t have tickets for a show. Besides the round stage in the middle of the dome you’ll also find the Rivals restaurant and bar and a theatre shop in the Royal Exchange Theatre. The pink illumination makes this theatre great for Instagram pictures."

"Opening times: The main box office is open 10:00 – 18:00 from Monday to Saturday (20:00 if there is a performance) and 16:00 – 20:00 on Sundays when there is a performance. Designed by the talented Frank Matcham, Buxton Opera House first opened its doors in 1903 and has been delighting theatre-goers ever since. One of the UK’s leading provincial theatres, the programme here is jam-packed with 450 performances a year."

"Proudly standing in the heart of this spa town is Buxton Opera House. Designed by celebrated theatre architect Frank Matcham, it opened amidst great celebration on 1st June 1903. You can still enjoy year-round live performances here and it’s always worth checking online to see what’s on."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user It's No Game used under CC BY-SA 2.0. Buxton Opera House has 902 seats and it is home to the annual Buxton Festival. It was also the host venue for the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, pantomime at Christmas, and several musical events."

"Manchester Opera House is the Palace Theatre’s little sister. It’s located on Quay Street, near Spinningfields. It is smaller than the Palace theatre however, there are still some amazing productions to see here."

"Contact Theatre will be heading out across Manchester this summer for a series of outdoor performances. Contact is an Oxford Road theatre and performing arts venue creating and producing its own shows, as well as hosting tours from the world’s best theatre companies. Contact will be heading out across the city this summer, delivering a series of outdoor performances before its building reopens to the public in September 2021."

"The building of the Dancehouse Theatre has had a fascinating history full of transformation, morphing from meeting halls to a multi-screen cinema complex. In the 1990s it was restored to its former Art Deco splendour and was reopened as The Dancehouse Theatre, home to the Northern Ballet School. While the venue presents a broad range of performances including comedy, music and drama, dance lies at the heart of this North West icon."

"Since opening their doors in November 2015, Hope Mill Theatre has become one of the most successful independent venues in England. Located in Ancoats, they produce full scale musicals from their Grade II listed former mill. The theatre will be reopening this summer, as well as hosting Hope Fest, an outdoor arts and culture festival."

"This wonderful independent venue, located out in New Islington, was one of the few theatres that managed to reopen last year after lockdown. It'll be back again with a reduced capacity and socially distanced seating for a Meet Me At Dawn, from HER Productions. You can get tickets at hopemilltheatre.co.uk."

"The first public events will return to the Stoller Hall from June 7. Shows will be socially-distanced with reduced capacities initially, but there are hopes that it will be back to near-full capacity by September. See more and book tickets at stollerhall.com/whats-on."

"The Stoller Hall is situated in the heart of Manchester and offers a personal live music experience that puts you closer to the music. The concert hall delivers a programme including classical, folk and jazz music, as well as spoken word and comedy."

"A Tafford Centre pit stop isn’t the same without some warm topped cookie dough!. My Cookie Dough has reopened at the shopping centre – returning with a large list of flavours to try from Red Velvet to Fudge & Honeycomb (which you can customise by adding your own choice of toppings and ice cream). My Cookie Dough also launched a Build Your Own kit which you can have delivered straight to your doorstep containing all the ingredients you need to make enjoy your My Cookie Dough experience at home."

"My Cookie Dough has a seriously committed following, judging by the crowds at its Manchester Arndale stall (it recently opened another at the Trafford Centre too). Big dollops of dough are baked until warm and crispy, but still soft enough to dip into with a spoon, then loaded with various sauces and toppings. Indulgent flavours include red velvet and Nutella, white chocolate and raspberry, Oreo, fudge and honeycomb, Biscoff, and coconut chocolate."

"🍰 Seriously gooey hot cookie dough, with tons of topping options to choose from including Nutella, Biscoff, Red Velvet, Kinder and even Strawberry Cheesecake."

"The Manchester Doughnut Company was started by local chef Ed Beech seeking to fill a gap in the market for more eclectic donut flavours. Handmade in small batches, Ed creates flavour combinations such as white chocolate and pumpkin donuts, butterscotch and bourbon donuts and donuts topped with Crunchy Nut Cereals!. The secret to these donuts is the slow proving process used to make the dough (although covering them in butterscotch once they’ve been fried can’t hurt either eh?) You can find these beauties at The King’s Arms, and at The Makers Market in Spinningfields and Didsbury every month."

"This Welsh doughnut shop in the Northern Quarter offers melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts made on-site by Blawd bakery including inventive flavours such as apple crumble, maple pecan glaze, cherry bakewell and strawberries and cream. For National Doughnut Week there are rhubarb, vanilla and raspberry fills all week long, or try their mango lassi edition –  a special collaboration with indian street food specialists Bundobust. This unique cardamom doughnut sandwich with an Alphonso mango cream is glazed and topped with candied fennel seeds, and all proceeds go to The Children’s Trust."

"Serving up coffee, doughnuts and more, Siop Shop has made the decision to offer a collection of outdoor tables for walk-ins only on a first-come-first-served basis from this week, so you can find menus, opening times and more information on the website here."

"Shakedown make some ridiculously good milkshakes – even have one tailor-made for Mancunians; the Manchester Bee Shake with Honeycomb Pieces, Honey Comb Syrup & Whipped Cream. There’s also an Oreo-infused shake packed with cookies and cream, and a tantalising menu chocked full of waffle creations from a classic flavour of fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce. The pick of the bunch is perhaps the Road Block: Which is stuffed with Oreos, Crispy M&Ms, White Kinder Bueno, White Chocolate Drizzle and Nutella Drizzle."