Every year, Museums at Night takes place across the country, as museums, galleries and more stay open late and stage special, late night events. Manchester’s take on Museums at Night is called Manchester After Hours, and it’s a single night of unusual and eclectic live music, art, poetry and more that takes place in some of the city’s best loved cultural institutions. 

 

From former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion, taking part in a live performance at IWM North, to secret gigs at the historic Chetham’s Library, from watching a record being put together at Central Library to a video performance at MOSI, almost everything that takes place during Manchester After Hours is free. Everything takes place on Thursday 14 May, with events at six key locations:

 

Hey! Manchester presents an acoustic folk music tour of Chetham’s Library, featuring Bird to Beast, Nancy Elizabeth, Josephine and Honeyfeet (note that this has sold out);

 

Sir Andrew Motion gives a live performance of a new poem at IWM North, specially commissioned to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima

 

Event producers Video Jam present a site-specific combination of live music and moving image in MOSI’s Textiles Gallery;

 

Debt Records present an open recording of a brand new record in Manchester Central Library’s Henry Watson Music Library, alongside Islington Mill’s record label showcase;

 

Presented by Brighter Sound and A Fine Line, composer Jason Singh and guitarist Giuliano Modarelli perform new music against a backdrop of Warli Art at Manchester Museum;

 

Live Literature maestros Bad Language join everything together with a Live Lit Tour: six authors performshort stories at three special locations: Manchester Museum, Central Library and MOSI.

 

Elsewhere, roaming drummers and choirs take to the streets of the Northern Quarter, where pop-up concerts and curious collaborations also take place. Highlights in the Northern Quarter include the UK debut of Beijing artist Li Binyuan’s physically demanding live performance Deathless Love at CFCCA, and a new exhibition by Rosie Booth at Manchester Craft & Design Centre.


Manchester After Dark offers a fresh look at Manchester’s historic buildings, collections and quarters. It’s a chance to see curious collaborations in spaces not normally open after dark – and it takes place for one night only.

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