Get your Manchester show in front of local audiences.

If you've got a show, gig, performance or one-off event happening in Manchester's culture scene - theatre, comedy, dance, spoken word, cabaret, or anything that doesn't fit neatly into "gig" or "exhibition" - you can get it onto MCR.CITY's culture calendar. There isn't a self-serve upload form live yet, so submissions currently go through the events submission page or by email via the contact page.

What makes a listing worth publishing quickly: the venue name and address, date and start time, what the show actually is in a line or two, ticket price and a link to buy or reserve, and a contact email in case we need to check a detail. If it's part of a longer run rather than a one-off, tell us the full run of dates rather than making us guess. A production photo or poster helps the listing stand out once it's live.

This works for anyone - a solo performer doing a fringe show, a community theatre group, or an established venue with a full season. You don't need to be a major institution to get listed; you need a real show with a real date and a way for people to actually see it.

Once it's published, your show sits on the Culture hub and in the citywide events calendar, and if your venue is in an area we cover in depth - like Northern Quarter or Ancoats - it can surface there too.

What actually counts as "culture" here. This section covers theatre, comedy, dance, spoken word, cabaret and the kind of performance work that doesn't fit neatly under music or nightlife. If you're not sure which vertical your show belongs in - a gig with a strong theatrical element, a comedy night at a music venue - submit it anyway with a clear description and we'll place it correctly rather than you having to guess.

Fringe, festival and one-off work. Manchester has an active fringe and independent theatre scene running well beyond the big producing houses, and one-off and short-run shows at smaller venues are exactly the kind of listing this calendar is useful for, since they're the events that don't already have strong existing coverage elsewhere. Don't assume a show is too small to list - a five-night run in a fifty-seat room is as valid a submission as a month at a major venue.

Updating a listing after it's live. If a date changes, a venue moves, or you add extra performances to a run that's already listed, get back in touch through the same route rather than submitting a duplicate entry - it's quicker for us to update an existing listing than to spot and merge a second one.

Photography and credit. If you send a production photo, make sure you actually have the rights to use it - credit the photographer if you have that information, since we'll publish whatever credit you give us alongside the image.

Why there's no self-serve form yet. A proper submission form needs decent spam and abuse protection before it can be left open to the public, and we'd rather build that properly than launch a form that immediately fills up with junk entries that then need manually clearing anyway. Reviewing submissions by hand in the meantime means every listing that goes live has actually been checked, which is worth the extra day or two of turnaround.

Cross-posting with other verticals. If your show has a strong visual art or design element - an immersive production, a set built as an installation, a piece that blurs into gallery territory - it's worth also checking our exhibition listing guide, since some work genuinely belongs in both calendars rather than just one.

FAQ

Is listing a show free? Yes, there's no charge to submit or to be published.

How long does it take to go live? Submissions are reviewed by hand right now rather than published automatically, so give it a few days rather than submitting the morning of the show.

Can I list a whole run of dates at once? Yes - send the full run rather than one date at a time and we'll list it as a run.

Do you sell tickets? No. MCR.CITY lists the show and links to wherever you're already selling tickets or taking bookings.

What if my show is a comedy gig at a music venue? List it here anyway with a clear description - we'll place it based on what the event actually is rather than where it happens to be held.

Can amateur and community theatre groups list here? Yes. This calendar isn't restricted to professional or established venues.

Do you list touring shows passing through Manchester? Yes, if the run is happening in the city - send us the venue and dates the same as any other listing.

Is there a minimum run length to be listed? No. A single one-off night is as valid a listing as a month-long run.