JANE WEAVER | Gullivers | Fri 13

Liverpudlian singer, songwriter and guitarist is described as 'abusing, evading and obliterating 20 years of whimsical pop trends as a truly independent and resilient female artist'. Jane’s latest album The Silver Globe is, in Janes own opinion, her most complete and realised commitment to vinyl to date. 

JaneweaverportraitJane Weaver 

WHITWORTH OPENING WEEKEND | Whitworth Art Gallery | Sat 14 Feb

The newly refurbed and extended £15m Whitworth Gallery relaunches on Saturday 14 February with ten opening exhibitions. This includes a major solo exhibition from one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, Cornelia Parker. Amongst some of Parker's signature works, including Cold Dark Matter (1991), will be many new works including two new commissions. Another installation comes from New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, a man renowned for his work with gunpowder including the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Unmanned Nature (2008) includes a 45-metre long, four metre-high gunpowder drawing, and this will be the first time the installation – first commissioned by the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art – has been shown outside Japan. Take a first look here.

Cornelia ParkerCornelia Parker

THE KERRANG! TOUR | Manchester Academy | Sat 14 Feb

Kerrang! the UK’s biggest selling music weekly magazine have announced dates for the Kerrang Tour 2015. Headlining the twelve date tour will be Don Broco who will be joined by main support We Are In The Crowd.

PHOENIX NIGHTS LIVE SHOWS | Manchester Arena | Sat 14 - Mon 16 Feb

Phoenix Nights has returned for the first time in fifteen years, reuniting the full original cast from the award-winning comedy since the shows creation in 2000, with a very special live show at the Manchester Arena in aid of Comic Relief. Surprisingly, there's still a few tickets left too.

Phoenix NightsPhoenix Nights

FREE PANCAKE DAY | All Star Lanes | Tues 17 Feb

It’s pancake day on the 17 February, don’t let it crêpe up on you (gerrit?). Book to eat at All Star Lanes and enjoy a stack of American pancakes between two - best of all,the pancakes are completely free and you don't have to flip them yourself. Each stack comes served up with maple syrup, blueberry compote and topped with whipped cream (one pancake stack per couple).

Pancake PhotoAll Star Lanes Pancake Day

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS | City Centre Wide | Thu 19 Feb - Sun 22 Feb

Manchester will welcome in 2015's Year of the Ram with what is expected to be one the city's biggest and most colourful Chinese New Year celebrations to date. You may have already spotted the thousands of red lanterns adorning the city streets in preparation for the big celebration on Thursday 19 Feb. The festivities will include a light shows, a Chinese street food market, music, film, martial arts and the increasingly popular Dragon Parade and fireworks finale. 

Red LanternsRed Lanterns

RIOT JAZZ PRESENTS GEORGE THE POET | Antwerp Mansion | Fri 20 Feb

The incredible wordsmith comes to Manchester for the first time on his first national tour with his live band. George The Poet is one of the most unique new artists to emerge in the UK in recent years. He has regularly appeared on the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky TV, blending poetry, rap and social commentary to hypnotic effect, and over four million people have watched him on YouTube. The poet will be performing in the direlict Rusholme mansion with the talented house band, Riot Jazz, for a stunning one time performance. 

BRIGHT OLD THINGS TALKS | Selfridges and Whitworth Gallery | Thu 19 Feb

In a twist on its Bright Young Things scheme, Selfridges is readjusting the lens with which we view exciting new talent and removing the age restrictions and celebrating the Bright Old Things. As part of the campaign, the Whitworth is in residence at Selfridges Exchange Square with a specially commissioned exhibition and talks that feature artists who found success in their later years. The Bright Old Things exhibition continues in-store this month (until 28 February), with talks lead by Anne Karpf (a writer, sociologist and Reader at London Metropolitan University) to discuss her most recent book, How to Age, which challenges society’s fear of ageing, and photographer and artist Johnnie Shand Kydd will conduct a talk as he opens two exhibitions in Manchester (one at Selfridges and a larger show at the new Whitworth).

HelenstoreyHelenstorey

ROSS NOBLE'S TANGLEGENTLEMAN | The Lowry | Thu 19 - 21 Feb 

Following fourteen sell-out tours, the king of improvisational comedy is back with another mind-blowing UK tour. Ross Noble will be showcasing his talent in brand new UK show, Tangentleman. With an on-stage presence like no other, his exuberance, spontaneity and cerebral style have established him as one of Britain’s best-loved comedians. The master surrealist uses an infinite imagination and plenty of tomfoolery, which is sure to have audiences in fits of laughter.

Ross-Noble-ImageRoss Noble

IBEYI | Night and Day Cafe | Sun 22 Feb

Singing in French, English, Spanish and Yoruba, Ibeyi count among their primary influences Nina Simone, Meshell Ndegeocello, James Blake and their late father, the celebrated Cuban jazz percussionist Miguel “Anga” Diaz.