We meet weekly at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL on Thursdays from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

However, we meet at Manchester Central Library on the first Wednesday monthly from 2.00pm to 4.00pm (see details below).

We also meet monthly at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL on the last Thursday each month from 2.00pm to 4.00pm (women’s meeting).

The meetings are a drop-in and there is no need to book.

OUT IN THE CITY: A Safe Space

Out In The City is a social and support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people over 50 years of age. Its purpose is to offer the opportunity to chat, share a joke or news, or to  make friends and strengthen companionship amongst those who attend the group's meetings and trips.

A safe space is one in which everybody is respected regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identification, disability, religion, political opinion, or cultural tradition. 

Respect means that nobody is misgendered, ridiculed, verbally criticised or attacked for their orientation, personal identification, disability or opinions. Respect does not mean that we all agree with each other - our differences are our own.

The real cultural, religious, political and social differences between us represent the strength and rich diversity of Out In The City. This respect for difference makes our group safe. It makes our meetings and gatherings safe for everybody. This is because we are a diverse group and diversity is who we are.

On Wednesdays (and occasionally other days), there are different activities, but you do need to book. Please contact us here. You are welcome to attend on one or both days.

Next activities:

Saturday, 3 January 2026 – 12.00pm – 2.00pm – Digital Cafe – Free

LGBT Foundation, 72 Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3NJ

Meet new people, have fun and pick up new skills at the Manchester ‘Pride In Ageing’ over 50s social group.

This event is for LGBTQ+ people over the age of 50. If you have any further questions or access requirements, please email prideinageing@lgbt.foundation

Free, but booking required here.

Monday, 5 January – 7.00pm – Odeon Pride Nights – “The Bearded Mermaid” (1 hour 37 minutes) – £8.00 – £6.50 if booked online.

ODEON Cinema, Great Northern, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN

Odeon Pride Nights are a community focused event, where they will be screening LGBTQI+ films.

The drag queens of the La Sirène à Barbe cabaret put on a grandiose show of song, circus and dance, the likes of which Dieppe has never seen before.

More info here.

Tuesday, 6 January – 2.00pm – 3.00pm – Out On The Radio Show (Live) on ALL FM 96.9

Wednesday, 7 January – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting at Manchester Central Library

We are meeting in the Chief Librarian’s Office, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD. Take the lift to the third floor and turn left through the doors signed “Meeting Rooms”.

Thursday, 8 January – 12.00 noon – Palace Theatre Back Stage Tour – (Fully Booked Up)

Meet at Via, 28 -30 Canal Street, Manchester M1 3EZ at 12.00 noon for lunch.

Tour of Palace Theatre from 2.00pm to 3.30pm.

Saturday, 10 January 2026 – 2.00pm – 3.35pm – The Wind (1928) featuring Live Score – Free – (18 tickets available)

Cinema 1, HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN

The Wind was the final silent film released by MGM but would go on to be widely regarded as one of the greatest films of Hollywood’s late silent era.

This screening will feature a live score performed by Stephen Horne.

Directed by the great Victor Sjöström, who was the choice of star Lillian Gish as they had worked successfully together on the 1926 version of The Scarlet Letter, The Wind would be his last American film before he returned to Sweden.

Stephen Horne – Accompanist 
Stephen Horne has long been considered one of the leading silent film accompanists. Principally a pianist, Stephen often incorporates other instruments into his performances, sometimes simultaneously. 

A house pianist at London’s BFI Southbank for thirty-five years, he has played at major venues across the UK and regularly performs at film festivals around the world. 

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 – Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City

(Virtual Reality Experience – Fully Booked Up)

Transmission House, 11 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1AF

Meet at Piccadilly Tavern, 71-75 London Road, Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2BS at 12.00 noon for lunch.

Step into the world’s first free-roam Virtual Reality expedition to Machu Picchu – a journey to the golden age of the Incan Empire. Explore sacred temples, vibrant plazas, and mythical landscapes brought to life through cinematic storytelling and cutting-edge technology. This isn’t just a glimpse into the past – it’s a portal.

Thursday, 15 January – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Wednesday, 21 January – 12.00 noon – Re/Assemble (Section 28 Exhibition)

People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER

Meet at The Moon Under Water, 68 – 74 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FN at 12.00 noon.

Re/Assemble’s starting point is the largest LGBT+ demonstration in British history, when 20,000 people gathered in Manchester in 1988 to protest against Section 28 – a clause in the Local Government Act that prohibited the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ by schools and local authorities.  For 15 years, this legislation cast a dark shadow, fostering a climate of fear and hostility that remains in the memories of many.

Developed following a two-year long research project, Re/Assemble is a new exhibition by Manchester-based arts organisation IAP:MCR, which creates and presents work across the visual and performing arts by artists who identify as queer.  It will feature newly commissioned artworks that respond to the legacy of Section 28, explore themes of protest and resilience, and celebrate queer voices and creativity.  These works will be displayed alongside historic artefacts from People’s History Museum’s own collection, including protest banners and objects, in Gallery Two.

Thursday, 22 January – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Thursday, 22 January – 7.30pm – The Hallé – Grieg’s Piano Concerto – Free – (Fully Booked Up)

Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

Lionel Bringuier conductor
Julius Asal piano

Esa-Pekka Salonen Helix
Grieg Piano Concerto
Sibelius Symphony No 2

2025’s astounding winner of the Terence Judd-Hallé Award, Julius Asal, joins forces with returning Hallé conductor Lionel Bringuier to perform Grieg’s exceptional Piano Concerto.

This Scandinavian programme opens with Esa-Pekka Salonen’s enigmatic Helix, described by the composer as a spiralling ‘nine-minute accelerando’. While the pulse of the piece increases gradually throughout, the note values get proportionately longer, creating a fascinating experience, where the work seems to simultaneously speed up and slow down. Sibelius composed his Second Symphony shortly after the successful premiere of Finlandia. The symphony premiered in 1902 to great public admiration, its rousing finale linked by many to Finland’s struggle for independence. Whether intentionally patriotic or not, the symphony’s swelling melodic richness makes for a truly moving performance.

Saturday, 24 January – 7.30pm – BBC Philharmonic – Bluebeard’s Castle – Free – (Fully Booked Up)

Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier conductor
Jennifer Johnston Judith
Kostas Smoriginas Bluebeard

Boulanger D’un soir triste
Kodály Dances of Galánta
Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle

Seven doors, and behind each one, a crucial piece of a gruesome puzzle …

Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók sits somewhere between a gothic tale of horror and a psychological dissection of a twisted relationship. Alone in a castle, Judith follows a trail of ever more compelling and grisly clues to unlock the truth about her new husband, horror by horror, door by door.

Bartók’s rich orchestration creates a world of shifting colours – glowing warmth, chilling darkness, and eerie suspense. His music is hypnotic, drawing the listener into the unfolding mystery with pulsing rhythms and bold harmonies. More than just a horror story, Bluebeard’s Castle is a deeply human drama about love, trust, and the unknowable depths of another’s soul.

Before the drawbridge lowers, a foreshadowing. Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste was one of her last completed works before she died at the age of just 24.

Sunday, 25 January – Quentin Crisp and Derek Jarman Double Bill

Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA

Sunday, 25 January – 4.30pm

Mark Farrelly brings his hugely-acclaimed solo play to Hope Mill Theatre for an up-close encounter with the original Englishman in New York.

From a conventional upbringing to global notoriety via The Naked Civil Servant, Quentin Crisp was one of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century. Openly gay as early as the 1930s, Quentin spent decades being beaten up on London’s streets for refusing to be anything less than himself. His courage, and the philosophy that evolved from those experiences, inspire to the present day.

Naked Hope depicts Quentin at two phases of his extraordinary life: alone in his Chelsea flat in the 1960s, certain that life has passed him by, and thirty years later, performing An Evening with Quentin Crisp in New York. Packed with witty gems on everything from cleaning to marriage, Naked Hope is a glorious, uplifting celebration of the urgent necessity to be your true self.

Book now for Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope and grab a ticket for Jarman on the same night for only £20 for both shows. Add both tickets to your basket and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Sunday, 25 January – 7.30pm

Artist, activist and writer Derek Jarman led an extraordinary life. 

From taboo-breaking films like Sebastiane, Jubilee and Caravaggio, pop videos for the Pet Shop Boys and The Smiths to his extraordinary borderless garden in Dungeness, Jarman was a powerhouse of creativity. His shocking last paintings and his unforgettable final film, Blue, are testament to his enduring spirit and artistic vision. 

Jarman is a journey from Dungeness to deepest, brightest Soho and into the heart of one of our most iconoclastic artists. 

This vibrant solo play from Mark Farrelly brings Derek back into being for a passionate, daring reminder of the courage it takes to truly live while you’re alive.

Book now for Jarman and grab a ticket for Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope on the same night for only £20 for both shows. Add both tickets to your basket and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Individual shows £14.50 each plus booking fee. Both shows £20.00 plus booking fee.

Book here.

Wednesday, 28 January – Paradise Island Adventure Golf – Details to be organised

The Dome, The Trafford Centre, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 8DF

Meet at Deansgate / Castlefield Tram Stop

Lunch at The Mardi Gras, The Orient, The Trafford Centre, Manchester M17 8EH

Thursday, 29 January – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Thursday, 29 January – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Women’s Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Tuesday, 3 February – 2.00pm – 3.00pm – Out On The Radio Show (Live) on ALL FM 96.9

Wednesday, 4 February – 2.30pm – 4.00pm – The BBC’s First Homosexual – Free – (14 tickets available)

New Adelphi Theatre, Peel Park Campus, University of Salford, The Crescent, Salford M5 4BR

Inkbrew Productions presents a national tour of The BBC’s First Homosexual, an official collaboration with LGBT+ History Month UK.

In 1954, the BBC made its first ever documentary about male homosexuality. At the time, the topic was so taboo that when production on the radio programme was finished, it was promptly banned.

It sat on the shelves for three years until a heavily edited version was finally broadcast in 1957. Then it was lost.

All that survived was a forgotten transcript of the original recording, remarkably rediscovered after over seventy years. With special agreement from the BBC, this is now being brought to life on stage by multiple award-winning writer Stephen M Hornby in a newly expanded dramatisation, directed by award-winning director Oli Hurst.

Please note that the show will be followed by a 10 minute comfort break and a 20 minute Q+A.

Saturday, 7 February – 7.30pm – BBC Philharmonic – Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances – Free

(9 tickets available)

Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Adam Hickox conductor
Elisabeth Brauß piano

Camille Pépin Les Eaux célestes
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

Camille Pépin is making waves. A brilliant new voice in contemporary music, her addictive, luxuriant work sits somewhere between the seemingly opposite worlds of French impressionism and American minimalism.

Tonight, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra performs her work in Manchester for the very first time. Les Eaux célestes tells the musical story of star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, a sky god’s daughter and a celestial cowherd who are drawn together by fate.

Before the interval, pianist Elisabeth Brauß returns with Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, a work bursting with jazz energy and Basque-inspired themes, and featuring one of classical music’s most moving slow movements. The concert concludes with Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, music characterised by soaring melodies, lush harmonies, and deep emotional intensity.

Adam Hickox makes his Bridgewater Hall debut in this sparkling and generous programme of technicolour musical delights.

Tuesday, 10 February 2026 – Saturday, 14 February 2026 – “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me”

Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA

The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. Part love letter, part rallying cry, David Drake’s award-winning solo play is a fierce, funny and deeply moving journey through queer life and the legacy of ACT UP. It’s theatre as activism. Urgent, uplifting and made for LGBT History Month.

Fresh from his standout performance in Jock Night, Gabriel Clark takes the stage for a blistering, intimate performance that celebrates community, confronts stigma and reminds us how hard-won our rights really are.

In Manchester for just 8 performances. Get your tickets now because when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Book tickets here – £21.50 – £29.50

Thursday, 12 February – 7.30pm – The Hallé – Beethoven’s Eroica – Free (1) – (6 tickets available)

Sunday, 15 February – 4.00pm – The Hallé – Beethoven’s Eroica – Free (2) – (5 tickets available)

Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

Kahchun Wong conductor
Jan Vogler cello

Unsuk Chin subito con forza
Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1
Beethoven Symphony No.3, ‘Eroica’

‘Wong’s expansive gestures are audience-pleasing; sometimes it looked as if he was channelling the music from the performers to the audience in a very visual way.’

Bachtrack, Dec 24, Kahchun Wong conducting Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony

A cellist of international renown, Jan Vogler is no stranger to either of Shostakovich’s cello concertos. His 2020 recording of the Second garnered critical praise for its thoughtful introspection and ‘flawless intonation’ (The Classic Review). Shostakovich’s formidable First, generally agreed to be one of the most difficult concerto works for the instrument, performed by Jan, is certainly not to be missed. Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza, written in 2020 in tribute to Beethoven’s 250th anniversary, provides a characterful opening to the programme. In a reflection of this innovative work, Beethoven’s much-loved ‘Eroica’ – which broke expanses of new symphonic ground at the time of its composition – closes the concert.

Tuesday, 3 March – 2.00pm – 3.00pm – Out On The Radio Show (Live) on ALL FM 96.9

Thursday, 5 March – 6.00pm – The Hallé – Rush Hour: Shostakovich’s Symphony No 1 – Free

(11 tickets available)

Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

Euan Shields conductor

Janáček Taras Bulba
Shostakovich Symphony No.1

Euan Shields takes to the podium to lead the Hallé orchestra through this dark and supernatural programme. Taras Bulba, based on the Nikolai Gogol novel of the same name, was written in the midst of World War One. It leads the listener through three key moments in the life of the Russian Cossack, including the death of each of his two sons (one at his own hand), and finally, his own capture and demise. Shostakovich’s First Symphony was a huge success right from its premiere, launching him into instant international stardom at the age of just 19. Written as a graduation exercise from Maximilian Steinberg’s composition class, the symphony possesses a profound maturity, as well as the simultaneous sense of wit and tragedy that would go on to become characteristic of Shostakovich’s later works.

Thursday, 5 March – 7.30pm – 8.30pm – The Em Show: Tales From A Little Laughing Lesbian – Free 

(6 tickets available)

53two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP

Tales from a Little Laughing Lesbian is an electrifying one woman show packed with stand-up, improv and clowning, all delivered through Em’s signature energy and joy. From therapy to parenting, marriage to motorbikes – no topic is off-limits in this hilarious journey of self-discovery. Uplifting, bold and wildly funny, this is a show for everyone (yes, even non-lesbians!). So, are you ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even see yourself in a whole new way?

Em Stroud is The Comic Coach. She’s an entrepreneur, performer, clown, speaker, emcee, best-selling author and two times TEDx speaker – having done one dressed as a banana! Produced by Manchester based artist Charlie Ayers this evening promises to be a night of laughter and joy.

Saturday, 21 March 2026 – 3.00pm – “At the Rainbow’s End” by Clare Summerskill – Free

(4 tickets available)

Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA

Presented by members of Artemis Theatre Company.

A verbatim play addressing homophobic and transphobic abuse of older LGBTQ+ people in care and receiving care in later life.

These script-in-hand performances of At the Rainbow’s End by Clare Summerskill at The Hope Mill Theatre are all FREE.

Clare Summerskill’s latest play is based entirely on interviews with older LGBT people who have experienced homophobia and transphobia in care settings and when receiving care in their own home. It tackles an extremely important issue concerning older LGBT people who, having perhaps been out for their whole adult lives, are faced with the possibility of having to go ‘back into the closet’ at the point of accessing care in later life.

Each performance will be followed by a Q&A with the writer, the audience and informed panellists.

Performance and post-show discussion last approximately 1.5 hours.

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Please contact us here if you are interested in attending the trips. There is no need to book to attend the meetings – just turn up. However, you may contact us if you wish.

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Also have a look at our other pages: Trips & Adventures, Photos, Resources, Audios & Videos, Timelines (Dropdown menu to see: LGBTQ+ Timeline, LGBT+ History Timeline, Significant Events Timeline and LGBT+ History in Manchester).