On the first Wednesday monthly we meet in the Chief Librarian’s Office, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Take the lift to the third floor and turn left through the doors signed “Meeting Rooms”.

For the rest of the month we meet weekly at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL on Thursdays from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Monthly Women’s Meetings held on last Thursday of the month at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Meetings are “drop-ins”. There is no need to book, just turn up.

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:

Trips need to be booked. Please note that some trips have a limited number of places and are available on a first come basis. If a trip is “Fully Booked Up”, please ask to go on the reserve list as there are often late cancellations.

Please contact us here

Wednesday, 8 April – 11.15am – Open Art Exhibition at Bolton Museum – Free

Bolton Museum, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton BL1 1SE

Meet at Victoria Train Station at 11.15am. Train to Bolton at 11.43am. Arrive 12.02am and lunch at Olympus Fish and Chip Restaurant, before visiting the exhibition.

Thursday, 9 April – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Friday, 10 April – 8.00pm – Fixing – £14 / £12 (concessions)

Lowry Studio, Lowry Theatre, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ

Fixing is a gloriously silly drag car maintenance class, which shifts in and out of the performer’s childhood memories of their parents’ break up, how their Dad struggled, and then started to restore a classic car.

It combines autobiographical poetic storytelling with drag, comedy and fun, playful audience interaction.

The show is aimed at LQBTQ+ audiences, particularly those with an interest in drag; those who enjoy spoken word, poetry and new writing; fans of comedy; car enthusiasts and mechanics; and anyone interested in family dynamics and self-care.

Get tickets here.

Monday 13 April – 7.30pm – Galicia Symphony Orchestra with Thibaut Garcia, guitar – Free – (Fully Booked Up)

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

Roberto González-Monjas conductor
Thibaut Garcia guitar 

Buide Ruada
de Falla Three Dances from ‘The Three-Cornered Hat’
Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez
Ravel Mother Goose
Turina Sinfonía sevillana
Ravel Boléro 

Star guitarist Thibaut Garcia joins the Galicia Symphony to bring some gorgeous Spanish sunshine to Manchester. 

Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is an icon in Spanish music, and surely the greatest guitar concerto ever written. It’s the centrepiece of a programme that also transports us to Andalucia with works by Joaquín Turina and Manuel de Falla. And then we’re in the company of Maurice Ravel, born to a Basque mother by the Spanish border, with two of his most enchanting pieces: the Mother Goose suite and the indelible Boléro. 

Wednesday, 15 April – Horizon of Khufu: Journey in Ancient Egypt – Free to you

(Fully Booked Up, but please ask to go on the reserve list in case of cancellations)

(Tickets £9.60 will be paid by Out In The City. If you cancel, you may have to pay for the ticket.)

Transmission House, 11 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1AF

Lunch at Piccadilly Tavern, 71-75 London Road, Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2BS at 12.00 noon

Virtual Reality visit to Ancient Egypt at 2.00pm / 2.20pm.

Thursday, 16 April – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Thursday 16 April – 7.30pm – The Hallé – A Sea Symphony – Free – (Fully Booked Up)

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

Tarmo Peltokoski conductor
Chen Reiss soprano
Huw Montague Rendall baritone
Hallé Choir Matthew Hamilton, choral director
Hallé Youth Choir Stuart Overington, director

Mahler Rückert-Lieder
Vaughan Williams Symphony No 1, ‘A Sea Symphony’

Tarmo Peltokoski is joined by a duo of star-studded soloists and two generations of Hallé singers for Vaughan Williams’ immense Sea Symphony, a groundbreaking work in the symphonic and choral repertoire for its use of the chorus and vocal soloists as an integral part of its texture. Crafted around the poetic words of Walt Whitman, the work vividly and poignantly illustrates the journey of the human soul, through the metaphor of intrepid sailors weighing the anchor and exploring the ocean wide. In the first half of the concert, we hear Chen Reiss’ performance of Mahler’s gloriously romantic Rückert-Lieder. Mahler was driven by melody – often incorporating many of his favourites within the symphonies for which he is known – and this quintet of songs contains some of his best.

Saturday, 18 April – 2.00pm – Victoria Wood Exhibition Launch – Free

Bury Art Museum, Moss Street, Bury BL9 0DR

Speeches at 2.30pm with special guest.

The 20 April 2026 marks the 10^th anniversary of the passing of Victoria Wood. To celebrate the life and achievements of Bury’s most famous daughter, Bury Art Museum has collaborated with Victoria’s Literary Estate and family to bring her unique archive to Bury.

Saturday, 18 April – 7.30pm – BBC Philharmonic – New World Symphony – Free

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

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Joshua Weilerstein conductor
Frank Dupree piano

Ellington Harlem
Kapustin Piano Concerto No. 4
Dvořák Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World’

Joshua Weilerstein makes his triumphant return to the Philharmonic in this musical postcard celebrating the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Three joyous works each cast a different light on the sights and sounds of the USA, culminating in a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s love letter to America – his ‘New World’ Symphony. One of the most beloved and enduring works in the orchestral repertoire, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 explores themes of identity, belonging, and the emotional pull of home.

Firebrand pianist Frank Dupree makes his BBC Philharmonic Orchestra debut in Kapustin’s breakneck Piano Concerto No. 4 – a dazzling whirlwind of a piece that marries jazz improvisation with relentless classical virtuosity. To open: Duke Ellington’s swaggering Harlem captures the energy, pride, and creativity of Harlem’s cultural renaissance. Blending big band swing with classical finesse, it’s a bold celebration of life in the big city.

Saturday, 18 April – 7.00pm – 8.45pm – Victorious

The Roger Kay Assembly Hall, Bury Grammar School, Tenterden Street, Bury BL9 0HN

Victorious

Award-winning musical comedy performer Hannah Brackenbury brings her much-loved tribute show Victorious – a joyful and poignant celebration of the late, great Victoria Wood – to Victoria’s home town of Bury.

This critically-acclaimed one-woman show features a generous helping of classic Victoria Wood songs including Pam, Bum to the World, Music & Movement and the unforgettable Ballad of Barry & Freda, deftly interwoven with Brackenbury’s own original songs, witty poems and tender monologues, written in loving memory of her life-long comedy hero.

The show features two 40-minute halves packed with songs that will make you laugh out loud while tugging at your heartstrings. Uplifting, hilarious and heartfelt, Victorious pays homage to one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers, blending nostalgia and originality in equal measure.

Taking place in the stunning Roger Kay Assembly Hall at Bury Grammar School – where Victoria attended as a pupil – this promises to be a very special performance, not to be missed!

Tickets £12 here.

Sunday, 19 April – All aboard! The Rainbow Train is back for 2026

Bolton Street Station, Bury – Free to you – (Fully Booked Up)

(Tickets £10 / £8 concessionary will be paid by Out In The City. If you cancel, you may have to pay for the ticket.)

Arrive 4.15pm, board the train at 4.50pm, departs 5.00pm

Arrive 5.30pm in Rawtenstall, departs 6.30pm, arrive back in Bury 7.00pm.

The Rainbow Train returns to the East Lancashire Railway, an event hosted by the Bury LGBTQI+ Forum.

Join the Bury LGBTQI+ Forum for the return of the Rainbow Train, bringing colour, pride and queer joy back to the tracks for another unforgettable journey.

Departing from Bolton Street Station, Bury, the vintage rainbow-themed steam train will travel to Rawtenstall and back again, delivering a two-hour celebration packed with LGBTQI+ performances, music and pure Pride energy.

This year, the House of Bridget Queens will once again be joined by the brilliant Bury Fire Choir, performing a selection of Pride anthems on the platform at Bolton Street before departure. After their hugely popular appearances at previous Pride events, they’re thrilled to be returning.

At the Rawtenstall stop, audiences will be treated to a live performance, and back in Bury there will be even more entertainment.

Funds raised will go to the efforts of fundraising that keep Bury Pride and the Bury LGBTQI+ Forum running each year.

To book a place please contact us here.

Wednesday, 22 April – Concorde Visit at Runway Visitor Park – Free to you – (Fully Booked Up)

(Tickets £20 will be paid by Out In The City. If you cancel, you may have to pay for the ticket.)

Meet at Chorlton Street Bus Station, Manchester M1 3HW at 11.00am. Coach leaves at 11.30am. Table booked at The Romper at 12.15pm.

Concorde was the world’s first supersonic airliner and was in commercial use for 27 years, as all operation of the aircraft ceased in 2003. Whilst in service, the Concorde plane hosted many celebrities and Royals, including Princess Diana and HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

Highlights … 90 minutes fully guided tour from 2.00pm including:

• Pre-flight Briefing
• Time onboard Concorde enjoy sitting in the luxury leather seats, including time on the flight deck
• Stroll underneath Concorde
• Commemorative Certificate.

Please note this tour will require passengers to climb 26 Aircraft steps to board Concorde, handrails are on both sides of steps.

Thursday, 23 April – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Thursday, 23 April – 7.00pm – 8.40pm – Solomon – £14

A new biographical play by Stuart Eggleton

Manchester Jewish Museum, 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester M8 8LW

Step into Victorian London and meet Simeon Solomon, a brilliant, boundary-pushing queer Jewish artist at the heart of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. 

The play explores his life, art, and inner world as he navigates faith, desire, ambition and identity in a society determined to reject him. From his meteoric rise in the art world to the public scandal that shattered his career, Solomon’s story is both inspiring and devastatingly relevant. 

Buy tickets here.

Saturday 25 April – 7.30pm – BBC Philharmonic – Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – Free – (2 tickets available)

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

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier conductor
Bomsori Kim violin

Julia Wolfe Big Beautiful Dark and Scary
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

‘This is how life feels right now.’  – Julia Wolfe

Wolfe was two blocks from the Twin Towers when the planes hit on September 11, 2001. Big Beautiful Dark and Scary is the sound of that aftermath: an ominous, awesome wall of sound. When he wrote his Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky was also recuperating from personal turmoil: after a collapsed marriage and a failed suicide attempt, he escaped to the shores of Lake Geneva. In the company of a violinist muse – Josef Kotek – Tchaikovsky created a concerto of romance, peace and jollity, and a celebrated classic of the repertoire.

Personal suffering is distant in Tchaikovsky’s concerto, but front-and-centre of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Originally titled ‘Episodes in the Life of an Artist’, this “fantastic symphony in five parts” follows the tribulations of a gifted artist who, out of an unrequited love for a woman, falls into a deep malaise, and travels through opium-addled hallucinations. High drama.

Wednesday, 29 April – Saltaire – Visit to Salts Mill

Meet at Manchester Victoria at 10.00am. Train to Leeds (Platform 12B) at 10.33am. Change to Platform 2C. Train to Saltaire at 12.28pm, arrives 12.40pm

Lunch at The Boathouse Inn, then visit to Salts Mill.

Thursday, 30 April – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Thursday, 30 April – 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Women’s Meeting in Cross Street Chapel

Tuesday, 5 May – Out On The Radio – Show 6 on 96.9fm

2.00pm – 3.00pm Live and available on Mixcloud to listen again.

Wednesday, 6 May – 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 from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Take the lift to the third floor and turn left through the doors signed “Meeting Rooms”.

Thursday, 7 May – 12.00 noon – 1853 Restaurant – (Fully Booked Up)

Meet at Victoria Train Station (near Starbucks) at 11.45am, and we will walk round together, or go directly to the venue. See sample menu below.

The lunch time menu is £20 (2 courses £15). Out In The City will contribute £10 to each diner.

Saturday, 23 May – 7.30pm – Manchester Proud Chorus Jubilee Concert

Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6JA – Price £19.50

LEGENDS, DIVAS & DREAMERS

We’re so excited to announce our very own concert, celebrating more than 25 years of Manchester Proud Chorus!

We will be singing a varied playlist of the LGBTQ+ icons who move us. We’re sharing decades of music at the heart of our community.

But tickets here.

………………………………………………………………….

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.

……………………………………………………………………

You can keep  up-to-date by joining the Out In The City mailing list: scroll to the bottom of this page. Enter your email address and press Follow.

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).