This spring sees Manchester host a range of exhibitions, whether it be galleries, studios and museums presenting art from both new and renowned artists, or installations that really get you thinking and immersed in the experience. Manchester is a cultural hub and you’ll find plenty of exhibitions showcasing the likes of art, photography, memorabilia, sculptures and historical artefacts across the city to discover during your free time. So switch off from the everyday and become fully absorbed in these exhibitions taking place in Manchester this spring, many of which are free to visit.
Art & design exhibitions in Manchester
1. L.S Lowry Exhibition, The Lowry
Of course, the largest collection of L.S Lowry‘s work has to be on display at his namesake gallery, and The Lowry boasts its most comprehensive selection ever. Lowry’s so-called ‘matchstick men‘ populate his paintings based on locations around the North West where he spent most of his life, especially Pendlebury, Lancashire, and often evoke a familiarity in northerners, whether through the industrial landscapes they portray, or familiar activities such as ‘Going To Work‘ or milling around a ‘Market Scene‘.
In addition to his paintings, the gallery also houses an extensive archive of photographs, press cuttings and exhibition catalogues associated with Lowry, providing critical and curatorial analysis of his work for a deeper look at the person behind the easel. This permanent exhibition is perfect for anyone familiar with his work who wants to get a real-life look at their favourite pieces, but also newbies keen to take in some North West culture at the true home of L.S Lowry.
🚪 Permanent exhibition.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, Manchester M50 3AZ.
2. LOWRY360, The Lowry
Speaking of the man himself, this spring will see The Lowry turn his iconic ‘Going to the Match‘ painting into an immersive experience, where visitors can walk along with the matchstick men, before going to see the real thing. LOWRY360 promises to be a powerful journey into the world of football, community, and culture – themes that define both L.S. Lowry’s art and everyday life in Salford.
It headlines a celebratory anniversary programme that combines high profile shows that will excite audiences with bold and adventurous productions, while a transformation of The Lowry’s galleries and spaces will create a brand new experience for visitors.
🚪 Opens 3rd May, 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, Manchester M50 3AZ.
3. Spaces Up-Above, Printworks
This April, Manchester will be illuminated like never before as world-renowned light artist Rupert Newman unveils his first-ever Manchester exhibition, ‘Spaces Up-Above‘, at Printworks. Step into a breathtaking digital art experience that redefines light and space. For one month only, witness awe-inspiring, large-scale digital artwork projected across Europe’s largest digital ceiling – an unmissable, free spectacle unlike anything seen before.
Inspired by the vibrancy of summer, ‘Spaces Up-Above’ will bathe visitors in a mesmerising display of vivid hued waves, tropical fish, and coral-inspired patterns. Bold colours, hypnotic movement and dynamic visuals will transform the state-of-the-art LED screens into a constantly evolving dreamscape, delivering awe-inspiring moments at every glance. Running throughout April and the Easter holidays, the exhibition offers the perfect day out for families, art lovers and experience-seekers alike.
🚪 Open 1st April – 1st May, 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, Manchester M4 2BS.
4. Outrageous Women: Marriage, Religion and Culture: Stories told by the Desi Grannies, Imperial War Museum North
IWM North invites visitors to discover ‘Outrageous Women: Marriage, Religion and Culture: Stories told by the Desi Grannies’, a new display created by a Manchester-based group of Indian Punjabi women known as the Desi Grannies, exploring their perspectives on family, marriage, religion, and the role of women within their culture.
The Desi Grannies have transformed the IWM North Waterway space using a dupatta – a long scarf, traditionally worn around the head, neck and shoulders – as a canvas. To accompany the display, the exhibition will present a short film detailing the creative process of the artists. Forming part of IWM’s outreach with the local community, ‘Outrageous Women: Marriage, Religion and Culture’ provides a platform to share personal stories relating to IWM’s collection and work from a different perspective.
🚪 Open from 21st March, 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1TZ.
5. 40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality, Castlefield Gallery
Launching with Matthew Wood’s multisite commission ‘40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS’, Castlefield Gallery Associate and Manchester Open Awardee Kay Shah will transform the lower level of Castlefield Gallery’s Manchester venue into an immersive environment. Shah’s ‘40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality’, will be a large-scale installation simultaneously operating as a multifunctional space.
Shah’s work delves into the artist’s relationship with culture and identity; the spaces they create are a way to explore bi-cultural identity from an intercultural perspective. ‘Degrees of Duality’ will incorporate motifs drawn from different cultural traditions. References will include the fleur-de-lis, predominantly used in Europe, appearing alongside geometric and tessellated patterns that are more often found in Pakistani architectural design.
🚪 Open until 13 April 2025.
🎟️ Castlefield Gallery is free to enter.
📍 Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt St, Greater, Manchester M15 4GB.
6. Re-thinking the Grand Tour, Manchester Art Gallery
For 200 years the Grand Tour set the standard for western culture. In the 1700s and 1800s, it established forms of privileged travel and cultural tourism to Greece and Italy − a la Colin Bridgerton. Many western European artists took inspiration from classical antiquity. Ruins in idyllic landscapes, nymphs, and goddesses defined the classical fantasy as the pinnacle of taste.
Beneath the refinement of the Grand Tour is a story of empire and cultural appropriation. As the scope of European tourism extended to the Middle East and Asia, a colonial viewpoint prevailed. Artefacts were taken back home in private collections and were later acquired by museums. Manchester Art Gallery maintained this classical fantasy, purchasing Grand Tour artworks during the mid 1900s.
Two decades after this gallery was installed, the Grand Tour is being reassessed. Four contemporary artists have selected works from Manchester Art Gallery’s collection, responding to the legacy of the Grand Tour through the theme of migration, with a focus on empire and colonisation, trade, heritage, gendered experiences, and feelings aroused by the comfort of home.
🚪 Ends December 2025.
🎟️ Entry is free.
📍 Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley St, Manchester M2 3JL.
7. JMW Turner: In Light and Shade, The Whitworth
Marking the 250th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition will explore the work and technique of legendary British landscape artist JMW Turner. Presenting a rare opportunity for audiences to see the Liber Studiorum in its entirety for the first time in over 100 years.
Turner is renowned for the vitality of his landscape paintings and the Liber Studiorum is a compelling visual manifesto in print, widely regarded as his most ambitious series of landscape engravings. The exhibition will pair Turner’s evocative Liber prints with a series of his watercolours from the Whitworth’s collection, as well as loaned works from public and private collections. Visitors are invited to explore Turner’s artistic legacy and the significance of his prints.
🚪 Open until 2 November 2025.
🎟️ Entry to The Whitworth is free.
📍 The Whitworth, Oxford Rd, Manchester M15 6ER.
8. Show XL, INNSiDE Manchester
Instagram post via @heads_uk
INNSiDE Manchester has launched SHOW XL, an exciting year-long celebration of artistic talent in partnership with HEADS Creative. This open-call initiative spotlights the work of local Manchester artists, ensuring a dynamic and ever-evolving art experience for both guests and the local community.
HEADS Creative has been at the forefront of fostering Manchester’s creative community, and the collective commented: “Our partnership with INNSiDE started 1 year ago with the joint vision for providing a space for artists to be seen and celebrated. We couldn’t be happier to continue our collaboration with the team into 2025 for another year of showcasing more talented artists and the pieces they have created that deserve to be showcased.”
🚪 12-month rotating exhibition.
🎟️ Entry is free – find out more here.
📍 INNSiDE Manchester, 1 First St, Manchester M15 4RP.
9. Chila Welcomes You, Imperial War Museum North
In an immersive and playful assemblage of images, patterns, voices and sound, Chila Kumari Singh Burman threads memories of her childhood through a wider exploration of migration and the Indian independence movement. The exhibition features light-based neons installed on IWM North’s façade, Burman’s first ever work in tapestry, explorations of photography, a neon corner shop sculpture and ready-made treasures taken from her studio – plus much more.
🚪 Open until 31st August.
🎟️ Free to enter.
📍 Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1TZ.
10. Connecting Spaces, Manchester Craft & Design Centre
Manchester’s creative spaces are more than just buildings—they’re communities. Whether it’s the echoes of our industrial past in the architecture or the shared spirit of the artists within them, the Craft & Design Centre believes in supporting each other and championing local creativity. This exhibition is a celebration of that shared heritage and the artists who make this city so special.
🚪 Opens 12th April – 23rd August 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 Manchester Craft & Design Centre, 17 Oak St, Manchester M4 5JD.
Cultural exhibitions in Manchester
11. Reverb: Report to the Dancefloor: Clubland Visions 1988-2025, Hilton House
Manchester’s rich clubbing history comes alive in Reverb, an electrifying new exhibition that captures the raw energy, spirit, and creativity of underground dance culture from the 80s to the present day. Opening at Hilton House in the Northern Quarter, the show runs until July 9th, offering an immersive journey through the art and history of legendary nightlife. Featuring the work of Mark Wigan and Lord Beastly, Reverb brings together two unique artistic perspectives on dance culture.
“The club scene has always been a melting pot of music, fashion, and art. I wanted to capture the energy and creativity of these spaces, where people came together to express themselves freely,” says Mark Wigan, whose Clubland Chronicles documents iconic clubs such as Wigan Casino, The Hacienda, The Wag, The Mud Club, Brain Club, and Boys Own Parties. His artwork, originally published in i-D magazine (1984), has since appeared on record covers, flyers, and fashion, cementing his legacy as a key visual historian of club culture.
🚪 Opens 11th April – 9th July 2025.
🎟️ Free entry – book your place here.
📍 Hilton House Gallery, 26-28 Hilton Street, Manchester M1 2EH.
12. Our lives, our privacy: the 40 items that shaped 40 years of privacy rights, Manchester Central Library
From the Cambridge Analytica raids and MPs expenses scandal to the development of smart devices, AI chatbots and even Pokemon Go, this Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) exhibition displays a collection of 40 items that tell a tale of how privacy has been at the centre of some of the biggest events over the past 40 years.
🚪 Opens 2nd April – June, 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍First Floor, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD.
13. Don Tonge: Bolton in the 1970s, Bolton Museum & Art Gallery
Instagram post via @britishculturearchive
As part of Bolton‘s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, Don Tonge‘s photographs of Bolton in the 1970s are on display at the Art Gallery & Museum, which capture the industrial landscape of a working-class town.
Tonge’s rich archive features the daily life of Boltonians, some of them his friends. Like many great documentary photographers, Tonge has focused on what he knew and could relate to, which shines through in his images. The exhibition is in collaboration with the fantastic British Culture Archive, which believes Tonge’s work is up there with some of the best British documentary photography of the 20th century. Powerful images, some humorous; they all tell a story of life in a northern town.
🚪 Open until 15th June 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 Bolton Art Gallery & Museum, Le Mans Cres, Bolton BL1 1SE.
14. Shadow and Void: Buddha, esea contemporary
esea contemporary and MAO (Museum of Asian Art), Turin, are pleased to present ‘Shadow and Void: Buddha‘, an innovative collaboration between the UK’s only non-profit gallery dedicated to East and Southeast Asian contemporary art and one of Europe’s foremost institutional collections of Asian art.
Curated by Xiaowen Zhu, Director of esea contemporary, and Davide Quadrio, Director of MAO, this exhibition intertwines scientific studies, contemporary art, and spirituality by showcasing recently restored Buddhist sculptures from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries CE, on loan from MAO, alongside contemporary works by Shigeru Ishihara, Lee Mingwei, LuYang, Sun Xun, Sinta Tantra, Wu Chi-Tsung, and Zheng Bo, including three new commissions created specifically for ‘Buddha’.
🚪 Open until 20 April.
🎟️ esea contemporary is free to enter.
📍 esea contemporary, 13 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1EU.
15. Benji Reid: Find Your Eyes, Aviva Studios
Combining photography, choreography and theatre to make striking and surreal images, Benji Reid is an artist like no other. For MIF23, Benji drew from the well of his life experiences – exploring vulnerability, tragedy and triumph through the photographers’ lens. Now ‘Find Your Eyes‘ returns to Manchester after a string of international dates.
‘Find Your Eyes’ takes you behind-the-scenes on an emotional rollercoaster where conflict meets beauty and the stage becomes Benji’s studio. Watch as he opens up on some of the most moving episodes of his life, and uses them to inspire his art. ‘Find Your Eyes’ draws on Benji’s work both as an award-winning photographer and pioneer of hip hop theatre – bringing dancers and photography into the fold to create images in real time in front of his audience.
🚪 Opens 25th – 30th May 2025.
🎟️ Get your tickets here.
📍 Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ.
16. Ukraine: Our Ordinary Lives, Imperial War Museum North
Spanning the period since the 2022 invasion, IWM North’s Big Picture Show uses powerful real-life stories to highlight the experiences of 15 young Ukrainians, exploring their lives as they try to find normality, living their ordinary lives through extraordinarily challenging times. Told through their own social media posts, their stories are shared through images and footage capturing the reality of what everyday life is like for young Ukrainians caught up in war.
It forms one of six ‘Big Picture Shows’ on permanent display at the museum and is a 360-degree immersive experience projected onto the 27-ft high walls of the main exhibition space, and plays once daily.
🚪 Permanent display.
🎟️ Entry is free.
📍 Imperial War Museum North, Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ.
Historical exhibitions in Manchester
17. The Collectors, The Cameraman, The Poets and the Pits, Working Class Movement Library
Opening to coincide with its 4oth anniversary, the Working Class Movement Library‘s unique and fascinating exhibition explores the Miners’ Strike 1984/85 using contemporary artefacts, photographs and poetry. The artefacts are all from the Library’s own collections, with photographs taken by John Harris, who operated ‘behind the lines’ during the dispute, capturing events from the strikers’ viewpoint.
Almost all the poems were written by women during the strike, many of the them miner’s wives, and published in works now in the library’s archive. Together they provide a powerful insight into the strike from the perspective of those who were there.
🚪 Open until 25th July, 2025.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent, Salford M5 4WX.
18. People’s History Museum
Manchester’s People’s History Museum is the UK’s only museum entirely dedicated to sharing the stories of the revolutionaries, reformers, workers, voters and citizens who strive(d) for change. We recommend checking out the entire collection at PHM as it’s ever-growing and truly fascinating. From suffragette banners and badges, to political posters and artwork, the PHM tracks the political and community history of Manchester, focusing on those who have, and still, fight for justice and equality.
🚪 Exhibition durations differ.
🎟️ Free entry – donation encouraged.
📍 People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Manchester M3 3ER.
19. Lily Parr display, National Football Museum
Instagram post via @nationalfootballmuseum
Lily Parr – one of football’s first female superstars – gets a new permanent museum display dedicated to her life and legacy. It features never-seen-before photographs of Lily and her teammates – which were found in an old suitcase hidden in a loft for four decades. Emerging in the 1920s as part of Preston’s Dick Kerr Ladies, Parr scored nearly 1000 goals in a three-decade career. She played in some of the world’s first women’s international matches and was a trailblazer for women footballers the world over.
🚪 Permanent exhibition.
🎟️ Free entry.
📍 National Football Museum, Cathedral Gardens, Todd St, Manchester M4 3BG.
20. At Home with the Pankhurst Family, Pankhurst Centre
Ever since No.62 Nelson Street was saved from demolition in the 1980s, the Pankhurst Centre has endeavoured to protect and preserve this important historical building and ensure the story of Emmeline Pankhurst is told to inspire and motivate the next generation of radical activists. This engaging and immersive exhibition explores the extraordinary achievements of the Pankhurst Family in the house where they lived and where the very first meeting of the Women’s Social & Political Union took place in 1903.
🚪 Permanent exhibition.
🎟️ Entry is free – book your slot here.
📍 The Pankhurst Centre, 60-62 Nelson St, Manchester M13 9WP.
Immersive exhibitions in Manchester
21. An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, The Whitworth
Originally created in her prefabricated East London house in 1976, the remake of Bobby Baker‘s ‘An Edible Family in a Mobile Home‘ accompanies ‘Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990’, opening simultaneously. This major artwork contains five life-size sculptures of family members made from cake, biscuits and meringues, which will be steadily eaten by the public.
Alongside the refurbished dressmaker’s dummy mother, the figures of a daughter, son, husband, and baby will be made out of garibaldi biscuits, meringue, and various flavours of cake (including a vegan option). The house is papered floor-to-ceiling in newspaper pages and magazine clippings dated to the mid-Seventies adorned with icing decorations. In the bathroom, music from the era emanates from a vintage radio and in the sitting room, the father watches 1970s comedy on TV.
🚪 Open until 20th April, 2025.
🎟️ Entry is free.
📍 The Whitworth, Oxford Rd, Manchester M15 6ER.
22. Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, Science and Industry Museum Manchester
From 5 – 21 April, the Science and Industry Museum is exploring the world of senses, inspired by the museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition, ‘Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You‘. Visitors will encounter the surprising superpowers of the animal kingdom by putting their own senses to the test.
Young animal lovers will discover what life is like for their furry friends by challenging their sense of touch in a special agility course. Live science shows led by the museum’s expert Explainers will explore the senses of curious creatures. Families can take a break in the bat cave to learn more about the nocturnal creatures’ super senses and make their own bat to take home.
🚪 Opens 5th – 21st April, 2025.
🎟️ Book tickets here.
📍 Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Rd, Manchester M3 4JP.
23. Museum of Illusions
If you’re a regular TikTok user, you’ve probably stumbled across the global sensation that is Museum of Illusions before. It promises a captivating experience for visitors of all ages, immersing them in a world of optical illusions and interactive exhibits designed to challenge perception, spark curiosity, and stimulate the imagination. Museum of Illusions Manchester aims to offer a mind-bending, immersive experience that combines entertainment with education, pioneering the innovative concept of “edutainment”.
This one’s for all the family, with mind-boggling, Manchester-inspired exhibits including The Reversed Room – a Manchester tram illusion where guests appear to hang upside down from a Metrolink tram; The Following Eyes Illusion – where a famous Manchester persona can’t get their eyes off of guests; and The Building Illusion – where visitors can appear to hang from an iconic Manchester building.
🚪 Permanent exhibition.
🎟️ Get tickets here.
📍 Museum of Illusions, 58-66 Market St, Manchester M1 1PW.
24. Power Up, Science and Industry Museum
Play the very best video games from the past five decades and try out over a hundred different consoles in this ultimate hands-on gaming experience. There’s something for everyone, from Pong to Pacman, Sonic to Street Fighter and Mario to Minecraft, plus a selection of games created in Manchester.
Face off against friends and families in multiplayer showdowns, rediscover your childhood favourites and test out some of the latest virtual reality experiences. Game on!
🚪 Open every Saturday & Sunday in term time and daily during school holidays.
🎟️ Tickets £8 here.
📍 Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Rd, Manchester M3 4JP.