What's On in Manchester

Papa Roach - Rise of the Roach — One of rock's most enduring and electrifying acts rolls into Co-op Live at 6:00pm for what promises to be an enormous, fist-pumping Friday night. Papa Roach have spent over two decades perfecting the art of the anthemic rock show, and their Rise of the Roach tour has been drawing roaring crowds across the continent. This is one for the big rooms and the loud voices — check the website for tickets before they're gone.

Käärijä Eurodisko - TOUR 2026 — Finland's most gloriously chaotic Eurovision export brings his Eurodisko tour to the O2 Ritz Manchester at 6:00pm, and if you know anything about Käärijä, you already know this room is going to be absolutely unhinged in the best possible way. Expect neon energy, metallic riffs, and a dancefloor that refuses to stand still. Check the website for tickets and come ready to lose yourself completely.

Manchester Storm vs Sheffield Steelers — Ice hockey at the AO Arena is a proper Friday night experience — loud, fast, and full of genuine edge-of-seat drama — and a local derby against the Sheffield Steelers only cranks the intensity higher. Puck drops at 6:00pm, and whether you're a seasoned fan or a complete newcomer, the atmosphere inside the arena during a Storm home game is something you simply have to feel for yourself. Check the website for tickets, including premium venue options if you want the full VIP treatment.

One Pound Comedy: Friday| Creatures Comedy Club — Quite possibly the greatest value proposition in Manchester tonight: a full comedy show at Creatures Comedy Club for just £1, kicking off at 6:45pm. This is the perfect low-stakes Friday opener, whether you're warming up for a big night out or just after a proper laugh without denting your wallet. Snap up a ticket before word gets out — at that price, it won't stay quiet for long.

Trainspotting The Musical — Yes, you read that correctly — Trainspotting: The Musical has landed at the Palace Theatre Manchester, and by all accounts it is as visceral, funny, and unexpectedly moving as that premise demands. Curtain up is at 7:30pm in one of the city's grandest theatrical spaces, making for a collision of old-school grandeur and raw, underground energy that only Manchester could pull off. Check the website for tickets, and maybe brace yourself.

Kettama presents Steel City Dance Discs — Depot Mayfield — that cavernous, brutalist former railway depot that has become one of the most exciting music spaces in the north of England — hosts Kettama's Steel City Dance Discs night from 7:00pm. This is serious, head-down, warehouse-grade electronic music from one of the most respected selectors in the underground scene right now. Check the website for tickets and get there early enough to feel the sound system wake the place up.