A chance to win tickets to see 'Allo Allo' at the Lowry's Quay Theatre.
FIND OUT MOREWin tickets for the hilarious festive farce, See How They Run, at the Royal Exchange.
FIND OUT MOREThe Calico Cafe Bar is offering one reader a free Champagne Afternoon Tea for two, worth £45.
FIND OUT MOREChartered Accountants Lucas Reis are offering an hour's free business consultation.
FIND OUT MOREPeter Saville, Steve Coogan and Peter Hook are just three of the famous creatives taking part in a 24-hour conversation and debate in the centre of Manchester in memory of the great late Tony Wilson. Called Reification, the event is designed to stimulate, inspire and engage the next generation of cultural innovators, with a pre-selected audience of 200 expected to participate. A range of related activities open to the public will also take place in and around Urbis.
Cathedral Gardens and Urbis, June 21. www.tonywilsonexperience.com
BACK TO TOPThe BP Summer Big Screens are back to bring live screenings of world-class ballet to fabulous al fresco surroundings. This month, head to Manchester's Exchange Square to watch the Royal Ballet perform Romeo and Juliet, live from the Royal Opera House.
Exchange Square, June 1 at 3pm. Free. www.roh.org.uk/bpbigscreens
BACK TO TOPManchester's midsummer picnic by the lake is back, with outdoor entertainment, live art and communal feasting. Presented by Manchester International Arts, Feast 2008 features street theatre companies from Britain, Spain, Germany and France alongside local community performers. The entertainment programme includes acrobatics, puppetry, comedy, live music, dance, circus and a little bit of story magic. There will also be games and activities, including creating your own lantern. Chairs and tables are provided, with a range of world foods available at various stalls, but feel free to bring your own food, decorations and candles if you wish.
Platt Fields Park, Rusholme, June 6 - 8. Free. www.streetsahead.org.uk
BACK TO TOPGlobe Touring brings its unique style of open-air performance to Manchester for the first time, with a scaled-down production of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. The tragic tale of star-crossed lovers unfolds in the rolling landscape of Heaton Park, so bring a rug and a picnic and settle in to experience the violence, the passion and the tragedy that made this one of the Bard's best loved plays.
Heaton Park, June 17 - 22. £15. Tel: 0207 401 9919.
BACK TO TOPMills & Boon celebrates a century at the forefront of romance publishing with a year-long programme of events, including a touring exhibition that launches in Manchester this month. The exhibition features the company's centenary timeline, a collection of books and cover art, writer biographies, manuscripts, original correspondence between authors and editors, and associated memorabilia.
Manchester Central Library, June 6 - July 31. Free. Tel: 0161 234 1900.
BACK TO TOPAn exhibition exploring the visual inventiveness of children's drawings and looking at how artists like Picasso, Klee and Miro were inspired by their creativity.
Whitworth Art Gallery, May 24 - Aug 17. Free. Tel: 0161 275 7450.
BACK TO TOPA family exhibition based on one of the most popular books in the Horrible Histories series. Terry Deary's wonderful words and artist Martin Brown's vivid visuals, combined with the sounds, art, film, photographs and objects from Imperial War Museum's unrivalled collections, together tell the tales of the key battles and landmarks of the First World War, 90 years after its end.
Imperial War Museum North, May 24, 2008 - Jan 4, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 836 4000.
BACK TO TOPMainland Chinese artists Chen Shaoxiong and Qiu Anxiong use the oldest of Chinese visual arts to document the contemporary urban experience in China. Steeped in a history of over a thousand years, Chinese ink painting is still widely practised in China today. Shaoxiong and Anxiong work experimentally with traditional techniques and forms to create new works which meditate on life in 21st century China.
Chinese Arts Centre, Thomas Street, April 5 - June 22. Free. Tel: 0161 832 7271.
BACK TO TOPAn exhibition featuring works by Dame Laura Knight, inspired by the theatre. Although she made her reputation as a painter of coastal landscapes and beach scenes, it was when Knight discovered the theatre in 1919 that she found a subject to suit her distinctive personality. She obtained permission to work backstage at Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and immortalised on canvas the splendour of costume and scenery on stage, as well as the quiet moments backstage away from the public eye. This exhibition draws from public and private collections across the UK and is curated by art historian Tim Wilcox especially for The Lowry.
The Lowry, until July 6. Free. Tel: 0870 787 5793.
BACK TO TOPThe naturally preserved body of an Iron Age man is going on display at The Manchester Museum, on loan from the British Museum. Known as Lindow Man, the mummified body was discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, in 1984. Thought to have died between AD20 and 90, he is notable for the savage way in which he was killed, which is suggestive of ritual sacrifice.
The Manchester Museum, April 19, 2008 - April 19, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 275 2634.
BACK TO TOPManchester hosts the world premiere of Gunther von Hagens' hotly anticipated Body Worlds 4 - the latest and most technically refined exhibition of real human bodies, preserved with the German anatomist's ground-breaking method of plastination. Featuring individual human organs and whole-body plastinates, the exhibition allows viewers to see inside the staggeringly complex network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies.
Museum of Science and Industry, Feb 22 - June 29. £10 - £11.50. Tel: 0871 231 0847.
BACK TO TOPWe all suspected he was planning to remain at Old Trafford forever, but now we know how. Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has recently opened a new permanent exhibition at the club's award-winning museum, featuring a state-of-the-art interactive hologram of himself talking football. Entitled 'An audience with Sir Alex', the three-dimensional hologram uses the Peppers Ghost illusionary technique and is only the second of its kind in the UK (the only other one being a John McEnroe exhibition at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum).
Manchester United Museum, Old Trafford. Museum tickets (adult): £6.50. Museum and tour tickets (adult): £10. Tel: 0870 442 1994 (option 3).
BACK TO TOPDon't miss the Northern debut of the Design Museum exhibition marking ten years since Chorlton-born Matthew Williamson's first catwalk show. Manchester's own fashion design superstar presents a colourful showcase of iconic fashion pieces, which have been worn by some of the most glamorous women in show business today.
Urbis, March 27 - Sept 21. Free. Tel: 0161 605 8200.
BACK TO TOPAn exhibition exploring Manga's role in shaping contemporary culture. From cutesy Manga for kids to action Manga for teens and erotic Manga for adults, the exhibition studies the diverse manifestations of this unique graphic artform.
Urbis, March 13 - Sept 27. Free. Tel: 0161 605 8200.
BACK TO TOPAlan Ayckbourn's 70th play is a study of the unbridgeable gulf between men and women. Mal and Jill Rodale, a middle-aged married couple, are going through the motions, as they try to deal with their share of problems. For Mal, it's work problems and Sam - a son who is disappointing him. Jill, meanwhile, worries about her daughter Chrissie's marriage. But when one morning they wake up to find themselves literally in each-other's shoes, their lives are changed in ways they would never have imagined.
Library Theatre, May 30 - June 21. £9 - £18. Tel: 0161 236 7110.
BACK TO TOPStephen Tompkinson stars in the powerful and darkly comic Jacobean thriller The Revenger's Tragedy. Determined to avenge the deaths of his fiancée and his father, a man attempts to bring down the duke he holds responsible and the order that sustains him.
Royal Exchange Theatre, May 28 - June 28. £8.50 - £28. Tel: 0161 833 9833.
BACK TO TOPA powerful show based on the inspirational true story of Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi - the only Nobel Peace Prize winner to later become a political prisoner.
The Lowry, June 2. £12. Tel: 0870 787 5793.
BACK TO TOPAlfred Hitchcock's classic spy thriller gets the West End treatment in this Olivier Award-winning show, which follows the incredible adventures of Richard Hannay as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents and devastatingly beautiful women. A wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller, The 39 Steps features four actors playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced adventure.
The Lowry, June 3 - 7. £10 - £21.50. Tel: 0870 787 5793.
BACK TO TOPBased on a true story, Dr Korczak's Example by David Greig recounts the remarkable last days of Janusz Korczak, a children's author and paediatrician, who founded a Jewish orphanage in the shadow of the Warsaw ghetto. As the summer of 1942 advances, the doctor's principles are challenged not only by the advancing Nazi regime but also by the arrival of Adzio - a young Jewish boy who believes in fighting back.
The Studio at the Royal Exchange Theatre, June 4 - 21. £9.50. Tel: 0161 833 9833.
BACK TO TOPWest End performer Louise Dearman stars in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Evita. Featuring some of the most inspiring stage music ever written, including the classic songs Don't Cry For Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars and High Flying Adored, the musical tells the amazing rags-to-riches story of Eva Peron, the wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron.
Opera House, June 23 - July 5. £8.50 - £32. Tel: 0844 847 2295.
BACK TO TOPThe incomparable Liza Minnelli is on her first UK concert tour in 20 years, accompanied by a 12-piece orchestra and dancers. Expect many of her showstoppers, including Cabaret, Maybe This Time and New York New York.
The Bridgewater Hall, June 2. £35 - £95. Tel: 0161 907 9000.
BACK TO TOPThe American rockers storm into the 57,000-capacity City of Manchester Stadium to play their biggest ever UK show outside of London.
City of Manchester Stadium, June 2. £42.50 - £49.50. Tel: 0871 2200 260.
BACK TO TOPWidely known as The Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J Blige brings her Heart of the City tour to Manchester. The Bronx-born hip hop icon will be performing songs from the platinum selling album Growing Pains, as well as classic tracks from her 15-year career, including Real Love, I'm Going Down and No More Drama.
M.E.N. Arena, June 5. £27.50 - £32.50. Tel: 0844 847 8000.
BACK TO TOPA free summer lunchtime jazz concert to brighten up your day.
The Bridgewater Hall, June 5 at 12.30pm. Free. Tel: 0161 907 9000.
BACK TO TOPLegendary songwriter and performer Neil Diamond returns to Manchester with his brand new concert, featuring new tracks from his forthcoming album, as well as his classics.
M.E.N. Arena, June 7 & 8. £50 - £70. Tel: 0844 847 8000.
BACK TO TOPA modern folk fusion event from young local musicians, featuring up-and-coming Manchester-based band 4Square.
Chetham's School of Music, June 13. £5. Tel: 0161 838 7244.
BACK TO TOPMulti-award winning R&B/soul singer Craig David is on a nationwide tour in support of his latest album, Trust Me - heralded as his finest work since his debut album, Born To Do It.
The Lowry, June 16. £27.50. Tel: 0870 787 5793.
BACK TO TOPSalford singing sensation Russell Watson makes a hotly anticipated return to the stage, following an operation to remove a brain tumour last year. Nicknamed The Voice, Watson is reportedly the biggest selling UK artist of the 21st century and winner of four classical Brit awards.
M.E.N. Arena, June 19. £25 - £55. Tel: 0844 847 8000.
BACK TO TOPVocalist Matthew Ford performs Let's Face the Music and Dance, Fly Me to the Moon, Strangers in the Night, New York New York and many more classic hits in this Sinatra spectacular, conducted by John Wilson.
The Bridgewater Hall, June 21. £13 - £29. Tel: 0161 907 9000.
BACK TO TOPThe veteran Latin rock band returns to Manchester to celebrate the release of its first ever compilation, Ultimate Santana. Now into its fourth decade of recording and performing, Santana has sold more than 90 million records worldwide. Tickets for the band's Manchester show include a donation of 58p towards the Santana Milagro Foundation.
M.E.N. Arena, June 21. £38.08 - £48.08. Tel: 0844 847 8000.
BACK TO TOPBritish electronica band Goldfrapp makes a stop in Manchester as part of its summer tour, following the release of its latest album, Seventh Tree.
The Bridgewater Hall, June 23. £25. Tel: 0161 907 9000.
BACK TO TOPAs part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, the Halle is hosting the Taj Festival - a celebration of South Asian culture, featuring music, workshops, sari demonstrations, dance in full costume, and Indian food and drink. The festival will see the Hallé perform with world renowned performer Zakir Hussain and The Masters of Percussion, as well as sarod virtuoso Wajahat Khan and his trio.
The Bridgewater Hall, June 27 & 28. £13 - £29. Tel: 0161 907 9000.
BACK TO TOPThe five-piece English alternative rock band makes a hotly anticipated return to Manchester.
Lancashire County Cricket Club, June 29. £42.50. Tel: 0871 2200 260.
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