What's On in Manchester

Foreigner - 50th Anniversary Tour — Five decades of anthems, and Foreigner are still bringing the house down — this time at the AO Arena for a night that promises big lights, bigger choruses, and every song you already know every word to. Whether you grew up with 'I Want to Know What Love Is' or you're discovering the band fresh, this is the kind of show that turns a Thursday into a memory. Check the website for tickets and pricing before they're gone.

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU — Manchester Gorilla plays host to one of post-rock's most visceral and emotionally devastating live acts at 7:00pm tonight, and if you've never experienced THIS WILL DESTROY YOU in a room this intimate, prepare to be genuinely undone. The band build colossal walls of sound from near-silence, creating a listening experience that feels cinematic and deeply personal all at once. Check the website for tickets — this is not one for the undecided.

Red Rodeo Club — Fairfield Social Club opens its doors at 7:00pm for the Red Rodeo Club, a rootsy, high-energy night that brings country, Americana, and swaggering good vibes to one of Manchester's most characterful venues. Priced between £10 and £14, it's a proper night out without the premium price tag, and the kind of event where strangers end up dancing and swapping stories by the bar. Pull on your boots — metaphorical or otherwise.

Dark & Dirty Comedy Show || Creatures Tour Show — For just £5 at 7:00pm, the Creatures Comedy Club is serving up a night of unfiltered, no-holds-barred stand-up that earns every syllable of its name. This is comedy with its sleeves rolled up — bold, brash, and brilliantly unpredictable — perfect if you fancy a laugh that might make you wince just a little. Grab a cheap ticket and let yourself be genuinely surprised.

Lo-Key: Live Jazz in the Loft — Head south to Wallop Didsbury at 8:00pm for Lo-Key, a live jazz session tucked into the loft that manages to feel both effortlessly cool and wonderfully welcoming. At £9 a ticket it is one of the finest-value evenings in the city tonight, pairing top-drawer musicianship with the kind of warm, candlelit atmosphere that makes you want to linger over a second drink. A proper Thursday night treat.

The Postcode Day Rave / Club Curated Takeover — Kicking off the evening early at 4:30pm, The Bag Factory becomes the launchpad for a rave that proves you really don't need to wait until midnight to lose yourself on a dancefloor. At only £9, the Club Curated Takeover is an accessible, energetic celebration of local club culture — the perfect warm-up if you're planning a long night, or a gloriously left-field choice if a post-work rave is exactly what Thursday called for.