Alternative Christmas Things To Do (Manchester & Beyond)

Manchester is packed with festive shows at this time of year, but some of us like our December with a twist. If you’re craving something fresher and a little off the beaten track, you’re in good company. There’s a whole world of creative, unexpected and brilliantly unconventional events happening across the region.

So this year we’re looking past the usual baubles and Baileys to find the weird, the wonderful and the surprising. Here’s The Culture Club’s guide to filling the December deadzone with something far more interesting.

1.Gallifrey Cabaret Presents: It’s Behind Who! at HOME

Gallifrey Cabaret return to HOME with a fabulously chaotic festive special - a queer, sci-fi, drag-infused explosion of lip-sync, burlesque, comedy and intergalactic panto nonsense. Big performances, wild energy and strictly for grown-ups.

2.Uncurbed Collective: Tiny Tim at Contact

Tiny Tim isn’t a retelling, it’s a rebellion. Uncurbed Collective rip up Dickens’ story and rebuild it from the ground up, giving Tim a voice that’s bold, funny and completely unapologetic. This disabled-led reimagining ditches pity and sainthood in favour of karaoke, chips and a piña colada, challenging how disabled characters have been written for centuries. A brilliant, defiant alternative to the usual festive fare.

3.Lightwaves at Salford Quays

Salford Quays lights up with one of the most atmospheric winter art trails in the North West. Large-scale digital artworks, glowing installations and interactive moments make this a brilliant alternative to the Christmas markets. It’s entirely free and perfect for cold winter nights. The route is around 1.5km, fully accessible, and dog-friendly too.

4.Debut 2025 at New Adelphi Theatre, Salford

A showcase of new writing, performers and bold emerging talent. Debut promises unexpected stories and sharp creativity - ideal if you want contemporary theatre untouched by Christmas clichés. Final-year students from across Theatre, Technical Theatre, Media and Comedy Writing at the University of Salford present devised pieces, short films, scripted work, comedy and more throughout the New Adelphi Theatre and Studio spaces.

5.Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show at Aviva Studios

Aardman have spent nearly 50 years delighting the world with characters like Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and, of course, Shaun the Sheep. Now Shaun leaps from screen to stage in an acrobatic, laugh-out-loud circus adventure created by Australian ensemble, Circa. This show is full of physical comedy, smart choreography and that unmistakable Aardman warmth - a brilliant winter treat if you're looking for something lively without the Christmas overload.

6.Eggs Collective: Dark Nights at Bradford Loading Bay

A late-night, womxn-centred mix of cabaret, storytelling and messy magic from the brilliant Eggs Collective. It’s warm, salty, a tiny bit chaotic and very much about finding humour and connection in the dark of winter. Gather for the final part of their trilogy - a solstice-themed blowout at Bradford Loading Bay.

7.Roadhouse: Eleanor Sikorski & Lewys Holt at Yorkshire Dance

Roadhouse is one of Leeds’ favourite alternative nights - an improvised, unpredictable blend of contemporary dance hosted by Eleanor Sikorski and Lewys Holt. Each night features a fresh line-up of performers and a riot of movement, text and spontaneous energy. A brilliant pick if you want something relaxed, unexpected and entirely unscripted.

8.New Animals presents Imitation at DBA, Cheetham Hill

Manchester grassroots collective New Animals are leading the fight against AI-generated art. Imitation is an anti-AI art and music rave that promises a full-on celebration of hard graft, real talent and real human creativity. The line-up is stacked: Metrodome, Amen Sage, G Spot, Vispera and Frisko, with visual artists like Jaymus, Gratis Catharsis, Antichristies and more. Expect photography, sculpture and live visuals too; it’s not just a party but a reclamation. The fight between AI and music starts here.

9.Not Too tame: A Christmas Fair at Chadderton Town Hall

Festive, but not as you know it. Oldham Coliseum team up with the legendary Jim Cartwright and Not Too Tame’s Jimmy Fairhurst to bring gig-theatre swagger to Oldham. Expect live music, big characters and scrappy Northern warmth. This isn’t sit-back-and-watch theatre; it’s up-close storytelling that makes you feel part of the action, complete with a real-life Christmas fair featuring stalls and a Santa’s grotto during the interval. Loud, a bit cheeky and a perfect alternative Christmas night out.

10.The Sunday Boys: The Bells at Midwinter at The Stoller Hall

Manchester’s LGBTQ+ low-voice choir return with a beautifully atmospheric winter concert. The Bells at Midwinter is a 30-minute choral ghost story experienced entirely blindfolded. Surrounded by singers in the dark, you’re enveloped in harmonies, sound and a quietly unsettling tale that drifts somewhere between folklore and ritual. Haunting, beautifully crafted and proudly non-traditional - a magical way to mark the longest night.