WHAT'S ON AT WATERSIDE, MANCHESTER
What's On at Waterside, Manchester
Waterside Arts Centre is a thriving venue in the heart of sale, boasting a theatre, studios, art galleries, and workshops. It hosts touring theatre productions, comedy, exhibitions, dance, music, an audience with evenings, family shows, premieres, and numerous classes and opportunities for the local community.
Opening in 2004, Waterside is nestled alongside the Bridgewater Canal on the Waterside Plaza, making it a stunning location. This modern arts venue has a 350 seated theatre and is home to the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive exhibition where you can meet much loved children’s characters including Postman Pat, Danger Mouse, The BFG, Wind In The Willows, Chorlton 7 The Wheelies, and Count Duckula.
Productions, shows and events coming up include the family show The Bear, The Totally Improvised Pantomime, Su Pollard, Far From The Madding Crowd, and Clinton Baptiste. See what’s on at Waterside Arts below and book tickets online.
Waterside Arts Centre is a thriving venue in the heart of sale, boasting a theatre, studios, art galleries, and workshops. It hosts touring theatre productions, comedy, exhibitions, dance, music, an audience with evenings, family shows, premieres, and numerous classes and opportunities for the local community.
Opening in 2004, Waterside is nestled alongside the Bridgewater Canal on the Waterside Plaza, making it a stunning location. This modern arts venue has a 350 seated theatre and is home to the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive exhibition where you can meet much loved children’s characters including Postman Pat, Danger Mouse, The BFG, Wind In The Willows, Chorlton 7 The Wheelies, and Count Duckula.
Productions, shows and events coming up include the family show The Bear, The Totally Improvised Pantomime, Su Pollard, Far From The Madding Crowd, and Clinton Baptiste. See what’s on at Waterside Arts below and book tickets online.
Most Popular Shows and Events at Waterside, Manchester
What's On at Waterside, Manchester
Breathe
Robert Bolt Theatre
Sunday 1 June 2025
Part gig, part puppet theatre and part live film, Breathe explores the inner workings of trees, beautifully realised with a combination of stunning puppetry, breathtakingly detailed sets, and groundbreaking live camerawork. Underscored th...Mike Peters (The Alarm)
Robert Bolt Theatre
Tuesday 3 June 2025
It's been a remarkable career. Mike Peters, frontman of The Alarm, created one of Britain's best-loved rock bands at the turn of the 1980s. He filled arenas, enjoyed hits with Sixty Eight Guns Spirit Of '76, and Absolute Reality, and opened...The Manfreds
Robert Bolt Theatre
Thursday 5 June 2025
The '60s group Manfred Mann is now considered, more than ever, one of the finest and most respected bands from that era. Their numerous hits were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz - a very unusual but winning combination of playing sty...Best of Buzz Comedy (Jun 25)
Waterside, Manchester
Saturday 7 June 2025
Book Now Waterside's legendary comedy night showcasing new and established talent. Lou Conran is naturally exuberant, she?s also warm, witty and dominates the stage: heckle her at your peril. Eddy B...Forge: Artists & Makers Development Day
Waterside, Manchester
Saturday 14 June 2025
Book Now Join a packed day featuring a mix of panel talks and advice sessions to help develop your business, protect your copyright, price your work, plus how to reach galleries and boost your audience ...Walkden Gardens: Wind In The Willows
Waterside, Manchester
Sunday 15 June 2025
Book Now Pack your picnics and join Ratty, Mole, Badger, and the fantastically irrepressible Toad as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Multi-award nominated Immersion Theatre proudly bring...FILM: Strangers on a Train (1951)
Waterside, Manchester
Wednesday 18 June 2025
Book Now A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person. ACC...Shellshocked
Robert Bolt Theatre
Friday 20 June 2025
From the creative team behind the five-star, multi-award-winning Jesus, Jane, Mother and Me and LASH, comes a thrilling new drama. The horrors of World War Two have broken young Wesley, but could the madness he encounters beyond it save or ...Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse
The Chambers
Friday 20 June 2025
 New York's Grammy nominated Max ZT (House of Waters), and Tokyo/Black Country's lauded Dan Whitehouse combine their inventive energy for their latest tour. ZT, the hammered dulcimer player compared to Hendrix, and the ever-regenerating W...Awake Arise - Lady Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith
Robert Bolt Theatre
Monday 23 June 2025
Having bewitched audiences annually with their much-loved wintertime show, two of the most engaging and inventive acts on the English folk scene return with their hotly anticipated next alchemic collaboration: an essential incantation to th...Something About Lennon - The John Lennon Story
Robert Bolt Theatre
Thursday 26 June 2025
Imagine a show that tells the story of one of popular music's most iconic figures in a totally unique way. A tale of controversy, genius, politics and protest, Something About Lennon charts John's story from the breakup of The Beatles to h...ComedySportz
The Chambers
Saturday 28 June - Saturday 13 September 2025
You've seen football. You've seen tennis. But have you seen Comedy as a sport? Then you don't want to miss this all ages, all action, all improvised competitive comedy show! Two teams battle it out for laughs with quick-witted gags, games, ...Three Little Vikings
Robert Bolt Theatre
Sunday 29 June 2025
Wrongsemble present a family show all about cooperation, bravery, and getting your voice heard! Three brave little Viking girls save the day in this bold and funny adventure story for little rebels, by the creator of the New York Times Best...Onyx Dance: The Red Carpet Summer Show 2025
Waterside, Manchester
Saturday 5 July 2025
Book Now Join Onyx Dance for their Red Carpet Summer Show! Pre...Mary Poppins (PG)
Waterside, Manchester
Wednesday 9 July 2025
★★★★ The stage version is packing them in down the West End, Mary Poppins is finally dusting off its heritage as TV schedule filler and reminding audiences why it's one of Disney's greats. ~ Empire. --- The classic 1964 Disney film...The Gigspanner Big Band & Raynor Winn - Saltlines
Robert Bolt Theatre
Sunday 13 July 2025
Taking audiences by storm from Land's End to the Scottish borders, Saltlines is an immersive Prose and Music collaboration between bestselling author Raynor Winn (The Salt Path) and The Gigspanner Big Band, a top tier lineup which features ...The Whirligig of Time
The Chambers
Sunday 13 July 2025
From the team that brought you the five-star Shakespeare's Fool, Tortive return with another spectacular one-man hit show. To hell with anger management! Malvolio was done notorious wrong; so much so that he swore to be revenged on the 'who...Daddy's First Gay Date
Robert Bolt Theatre
Thursday 17 - Friday 18 July 2025
Is it selfish to leave someone you might love in order to find yourself? An uncomfortable restaurant break-up becomes a pressure-cooker first date in this brand-new comedy written by Sam Danson (BI-TOPIA) and Directed by the award-winning ...Jekyll & Hyde
Waterside, Manchester
Saturday 6 September 2025
In a new and enthralling one-man stage adaptation of the classic tale of terror, acclaimed actor Jonathan Goodwin plays both Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde in this production from Don't Go Into The Cellar! Victorian theatre company. Journey...Best of Buzz Comedy (Sep 25)
Waterside, Manchester
Saturday 6 September 2025
Book Now Waterside's legendary comedy night showcasing new and established talent. Percy Savage is a rising star on the comedy circuit, this friendly funnyman from Kendal brings a bunch of effortles...Ed Patrick
Robert Bolt Theatre
Friday 12 September 2025
In "Catch Your Breath: The Secret Life of a Sleepless Anaesthetist", NHS anaesthetist, comedian and author (oooooh check him) Ed Patrick injects you with a gut-punch hilarious show about becoming a junior doctor, the NHS, the pitfalls of mo...The Stars Of Irish Country
Robert Bolt Theatre
Thursday 25 September 2025
 Featuring the Queen of Country Music Philomena Begley who is celebrating 60 years in the music business and has had a glittering career that spans over 6 decades at the top, the accordion maestro and hugely popular Sean Wilson who makes ...Kerry Ellis
Robert Bolt Theatre
Friday 26 September 2025
 Kerry Ellis is the Queen of the West End. From My Fair Lady to We Will Rock You, from Les Miserables to Wicked, in both the West End and on Broadway, she has starred in musical theatre's biggest roles, making shows her own and earning ...Barbara Dickson
Robert Bolt Theatre
Saturday 27 September 2025
 Barbara Dickson returns to perform both classic and more recent material from her extraordinary canon of music across both pop and folk, all with her exceptional band. As a multi-million selling recording artist with an equally impressiv...John Lydon - I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right
Waterside, Manchester
Thursday 16 October 2025
He's a legend and an icon, a revolutionary and an immortal. John Lydon - aka Johnny Rotten - changed the face of music and sparked a cultural revolution. The frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) caused a poli...Adventures in Modern Recording: An Intimate Evening with Trevor Horn
Waterside, Manchester
Tuesday 28 October 2025
Book Now One of the world?s greatest music producers ? Trevor Horn ? is going on an exclusive tour this autumn. Horn is a bona fide pop legend having worked with everyone from Seal to Frankie Goes t...Nik Kershaw: Musings & Lyrics
Waterside, Manchester
Sunday 9 November 2025
Book Now Nik Kershaw exploded onto the UK pop scene in 1984. A string of global hit singles including ?Wouldn?t it Be Good?, ?The Riddle? and ?I Won?t Let the Sun Go Down on Me? saw him languish for 62 weeks on the UK Singl...Pete Firman
Robert Bolt Theatre
Friday 20 March 2026
Pete Firman is one of the UK's most popular magicians and he's back on the road! You've seen him on television, now experience his trademark blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and jaw-dropping magic live on stage. As seen on ITV1's Tonight at ...How to get to Waterside, Manchester
Waterside Frequently Asked Questions
1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Manchester, M33 7ZF
The nearest carpark to Waterside Arts is Q Park Waterside.
Waterside ticket holders can claim a 20% discount by requesting a ticket upon entry to the car park and showing it to the Waterside box office.
Sale metrolink tram stop is just across the road.
The theatre capacity at Waterside is 350.
If you lose your tickets for seated events at Waterside, you can request replacements to be printed out for collection on the day of the performance (ID required upon collection). This service will be charged per ticket.
For further ticket information you can contact Waterside team for further information.
If you would like to buy a ticket in person from Waterside Box Office, they open Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm.
Alternatively, you can see what's on and book online here.
When we know of a duration of a show, we add it to the description of the show on our event pages. For example, on our Wicked event page, after the description of the show we have added the duration of the show in large capital letters. If the time isn't listed, we do not have the information yet. We update our pages daily so it maybe a case of knowing closer to the performance itself, so keep checking.
Please click here for more information on accessibility at Waterside Arts.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback you would like to feedback to Waterside, please click here for more contact information.
If you have lost an item during a visit to Waterside Arts, click here to contact the venue.
Waterside Arts Centre can welcome you to their Sup Bar & Coffee House.
There are also eateries at Watersale Plaza.
With loads of great places to eat in Manchester and decent pre-theatre menus, you should check out our Manchester Restaurant site here!
Sup Bar & Coffee House within Waterside arts is a great place for a re show drink.
There are also bars on Waterside Plaza.
Manchester is full of great bars and pubs and some decent ones close to the venue. check out our Manchester Bar site here!
Either use the map at the side of the FAQ section as it has all types of accomodation or click here for hotels in Manchester
You can also check out the recommended local accomodation by Waterside Arts.
If you need further information, you can contact the Waterside team directly.
Please note that ManchesterTheatres.com isn't the venue itself. We promote what's on at the Waterside and all other venues in Manchester and the local region. Feel free to contact us if you need more help though and we'll do our best to support you.
Most Popular Shows and Events at Waterside, Manchester
