Palace Theatre
Historic touring theatre hosting West End productions on Oxford Street.
The Palace has been pulling touring West End shows through Manchester since the 1890s. The auditorium still has ornate plasterwork and red velvet seats from the early 20th century, though the sightlines have been fixed and the projection updated over the decades. Plays run here for a week or two before moving on to another regional theatre.
It's also the main venue in Manchester for big pop-concert residencies - if a band does multiple nights in the city, they'll often split between here and the O2. The foyer fills up completely when a show lets out, which tells you something about the house capacity and ticket demand.
It's worth checking what's on at the Palace if you catch wind of a touring production you want to see. The location is solid if you're coming from Piccadilly station, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby on Oxford Street to extend an evening.