WinterWhat’sOn2025/26
JohnAdams|MatteoBocelli|TheBoomtownRats|GraysonPerry RussellWatson|NicolaBenedetti|AkikoSuwanai TheBootlegBeatles|JeannetteSorrell|RobBrydon|KateRusby AntonduBeke|TonyHadley|VarnaInternationalBallet SirKarlJenkins|AnnaLapwood|JuliusAsal|LucindaWilliams
We are delighted to bring you our Winter What's On Brochure as we enter our busiest, most exciting period. Within this guide, we have a wide selection of fantastic events sure to entertain you as the winter nights draw in.
As a highlight from the International Concert Series, Nicola Benedetti returns on her first solo tour in more than a decade. The Hallé and BBC Philharmonic also continue their respective seasons with a variety of concerts over the next few months.
Also gracing the stage are big name acts from the world of rock and pop, including 80s stars The Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant and Tony Hadley, folk songstress Kate Rusby and one of the world's best acoustic guitarists, Tommy Emmanuel CGP.
With a very festive offering throughout December, including traditional carol concerts, Christmas films with orchestra and not just one but two of the most famous ballets of all time Swan Lake and The Nutcracker it promises to be the most magical time of the year!
The year ends with our fabulous New Year's Eve: Love Is In The Air Featuring some of the most iconic and uplifting tunes ever written.
The Bridgewater Hall continues to offer world class entertainment, in one of the finest auditoriums in the world. We hope to see you soon.
Andrew Bolt Chief Executive Officer
The Bridgewater Hall
Box Office: 0161 907 9000
www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
The Bridgewater Hall gift vouchers are a wonderful way to share the joy of live music.
They can be purchased in any amount and redeemed at the Box Office, by phone or online, giving your friends and loved ones the freedom to choose a performance that inspires them.
Please note all prices featured in this brochure include a booking fee of either £3.25 or £4.25.
To be added to the waiting list contact the Box Office at supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call 0161 907 9000.
Cover Artist
Nicola Benedetti
Enjoy the very best seats in our Premium location, with access to The Lounge before the concert and during the interval*
With your Premium Experience, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of The Lounge:
• Access for 60 minutes before the concert and during the interval
• Two drinks from our house menu (wine, spirits, Prosecco, beer, soft drinks, tea or coffee)
• A selection of snacks
• Interval ice cream
• Welcome Host service
• Cloakroom facilities
Prefer to sit elsewhere?
You can still make your evening extra special by adding The Lounge to your booking at checkout, or choose one of our dining upgrades:
The Lounge from £37 per person
The Lounge + 2 course dinner: from £62 per person
The Lounge + 3 course dinner: from £67 per person
* See individual concert pages for Premium Experience pricing. Interval access does not apply where the concert does not include an interval.
John Adams conductor Leila Josefowicz violin
Saturday 1 November 7.30pm
John Adams Scheherazade.2
John Adams The Chairman Dances
John Adams The Rock You Stand On (Hallé co-commission / UK premiere)
It was Leila Josefowicz, superstar violinist and wellknown champion of John Adams’ compositions, who gave the world premiere of Scheherazade.2, a dramatic symphony for solo violin and orchestra, with the New York Philharmonic in 2015. John Adams wrote the piece especially for her, having been struck with inspiration following his visit to an Arabian Nights exhibition at the Arab World Institute, Paris. With the solo violin part representing Scheherazade, and her endless inventing of stories to spare her from her murderous husband, the work is an effective illustration of women’s persisting struggles in a patriarchal society. The Chairman Dances is a ‘foxtrot for orchestra’ – written as an ‘outtake’ to his popular opera Nixon in China it is
a masterful display of minimalist music filled with texture, layers, chugging rhythms and romantic melodies. Rounding off John’s time with The Hallé in Manchester, the concert concludes with The Rock You Stand On – a brand-new commission and the opportunity to hear John Adams bring this new music to life in its UK premiere. This is going to be a very special evening.
Tickets £23.50 to £43.50
Concessions and discounts available
Concert sponsored by Manchester Airports Group Tuning Up! event at 6.30pm in the auditorium
Matteo Bocelli
Sunday 2 November 7.30pm
Classical crossover star Matteo Bocelli makes his debut at The Bridgewater Hall as part of his ‘Falling In Love’ world tour for 2025.
The tour will see Matteo, alongside his full live band, perform songs from his upcoming new album, as well as favourites from his debut.
Tickets £44.25 to £59.25
Scott Brothers Duo
Monday 3 November 1.00pm
Brothers Jonathan & Tom Scott perform in instrumental combinations which cover the entire keyboard spectrum with a busy international concert schedule of performances across the UK, as well as at major festivals and concert halls all over the world.
Tickets £13.50 Concessions £12 | Students £8.50
Tuesday 4 November 7.30pm
Attendees will hear firsthand about Malala’s path from high school loner to reckless college student to a young woman at peace with her past. Through candid, often messy moments like nearly failing exams, getting ghosted and meeting the love of her life, Malala reminds us that real role models aren’t perfect — they’re human. Finding My Way is an intimate look at the life of a young woman taking charge of her destiny — and a testament to the strength it takes to be unapologetically yourself.
Tickets £59.75 (with book) | £49.65 (with book) | £29.25 (ticket only)
The Hallé – Elder conducts Dvořák
Sir Mark Elder conductor
Dame Imogen Cooper piano
Thursday 6 November 7.30pm
Sunday 9 November 4.00pm
Sibelius Scènes historiques, Suite No.2
Mozart Piano Concerto No.27
Dvořák Symphony No.5
The Hallé's Conductor Emeritus, Sir Mark Elder is joined by friend and collaborator Dame Imogen Cooper to perform Mozart’s final piano concerto. Full of richness and lyricism, it was written, in striking contrast to his other concertos, for a relatively small orchestra. Despite this, it is packed with the charm and beauty so characteristic of the composer’s other works. Dvořák composed his Fifth Symphony in only five weeks. It is quite a dramatic departure from the strident, Wagnerian sounding Fourth; it is lighter and largely pastoral in nature, heavily influenced by the Slavic folk songs and melodies of his native Bohemia. An often overlooked symphony in modern times, it is alive and bubbling with orchestral colour.
Tickets £18 to £51
Concert sponsored by CMS Tuning Up! event at 6.30pm in the auditorium
Happy Birthday Boomtown: Celebrating 50 Rat Years 1975-2025 | Plus support proFESSional
Friday 7 November 7.00pm
This is not just any ordinary tour – it’s a celebration of their musical legacy. Relive the magic of the Rats, with an exclusive Boomtown Rats documentary screening highlighting never before seen footage, taking you on an evocative journey through the band’s extraordinary history. It’s the perfect opener to the uproarious performance that will follow, and an opportunity to create memories with fellow fans.
Tickets £49.25 to £59.25
Mahler’s ‘Titan’
Elena Schwarz conductor
Peter Moore trombone
Saturday 8 November 7.30pm
Debussy La Mer
Dani Howard Trombone Concerto
Mahler Symphony No.1
You’d be hard-pressed to find a programme that is a greater expression of the titanic power of the symphony orchestra. Tonight, more is most certainly more.
From the crashing waves and rushing winds of Debussy’s ode to the might and the magic of the sea, to one of Mahler’s most perfect symphonies, this pair of works both explore hope and the healing power of nature. Between them, Belfast-born, Manchester raised Peter Moore performs the RPS Award-winning trombone concerto by Dani Howard.
Trombone concertos are a rare fixture, but Howard’s virtuosic and ravishing work is appointment listening. Between her lush and minimalist-inflected music, and Moore’s extraordinary artistry (BBC Music Magazine described Peter’s playing as ‘displaying an eloquence and nobility that one might have thought impossible except by the human voice’), this left-of centre work might just be the highlight of this extraordinary concert.
Tickets £12 to £40 Concessions and discounts available
Wednesday 12 November 7.30pm
"Are You Good? A question that I think is fundamental to our humanity. In this show, I will be helping you, the audience, find out if you really are thoroughly good or maybe quite evil, but in a fun way.
I always start out with the assumption that people are born good and then life happens. So, let’s pull back the curtain and see where your morals truly lie. Are you as virtuous as you think? With lots of audience participation (don’t worry, no one leaves unscathed) and a few silly songs we’ll have an entertaining evening and come out with our core values completely in tatters. Is it more important to be good or to be right?
It’s time to update what is a virtue and what is a sin. No biggie." - words by Grayson Perry
Tickets £34.25 to £57.25
Dream Into Action
Plus special guest: Roxanne de Bastion Thursday 13 November 7.30pm
Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of different configurations, including intimate solo shows and dates with his full band set-up.
First bursting onto the contemporary music scene in 1983 with ‘New Song’, his first two albums — Human’s Lib and Dream Into Action — were worldwide hits, the latter featuring the smash hits Things Can Only Get Better, Life In One Day, No One Is To Blame, and Like To Get To Know You Well.
Tickets £42.75 to £59.25
VIP Tickets £159.25
Russell Watson
Friday 14 November 7.00pm
Join Russell Watson for a celebration of his 25-year career as the UK’s most prolific classical recording artist. Known as The Voice, Russell will be performing some of his best-known tracks and favourite pieces, both old and new, including Va, pensiero, Nessun Dorma, Caruso, Where My Heart Will Take Me (from Star Trek: Enterprise), plus new songs Shine and Grow
Tickets £36.75 to £69.25
BBC Philharmonic – Storgårds conducts Shostakovich
John Storgårds conductor Anastasia Kobekina cello
Saturday 15 November 7.30pm
Shostakovich Festive Overture
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor Shostakovich Symphony No.10
This season, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra continue their odyssey through Shostakovich’s symphonies with Chief Conductor John Storgårds, who masterfully captures both the tenderness and ferocity of the composer’s music. Tonight’s programme features Symphony No. 10, premiered after Stalin’s death in 1953. Filled with grief, rage, and manic intensity, it feels deeply autobiographical – a feeling reinforced by the composer’s musical signature, the notes D, S, C, and H, that are furiously seared into the final movements of the work.
In the first half, cellist Anastasia Kobekina performs Dvořák’s Cello Concerto – a heroic, intensely virtuosic work she has made her own.
Tickets £12 to £40 Concessions and discounts available
The Hallé – An Afternoon with the Hallé Choir
Matthew Hamilton conductor
Katie Bray mezzo-soprano
Darius Battiwalla organ
Hallé Choir
Sunday 16 November 4.00pm
Programme includes:
Duruflé Requiem
And music by:
Sir James MacMillan
Galina Grigorjeva
Sven-David Sandström
This very special concert, celebrating the Hallé Choir, offers a thrilling and rare opportunity to hear the full ranks of the Hallé Choir’s dedicated singers performing a cappella or with organ accompaniment whilst the orchestra is away on tour. Comprised of almost 200 singers from around the North West, the Hallé Choir’s performances garner them great acclaim from critics and great affection from audiences. With this handpicked programme, compiled by their inspiring Director Matthew Hamilton, they will explore musical creations celebrating the well-known – and perhaps less well-known – heroes of the choral repertoire. The concert includes a performance of Duruflé’s Requiem: often dramatic, it is filled with resignation, hope and terror, ending with the flight of the soul to Paradise.
Tickets £18.00 to £51.00
Concessions and discounts available Concert sponsored by Siemens
Wednesday 19 November 1.00pm
LSO Conservatoire Scholar Henry Lewis takes you on a journey through tribute, texture, and tradition, performing a solo piano repertoire featuring works by Bach, Kurtág, Saariaho, and Franck.
Tickets £13.50
Concessions £12 | Students £8.50
Nicola Benedetti violin
Plínio Fernandes guitar
Samuele Telari accordion
Max Calver cello
Yume Fujise violin
Wednesday 19 November 7.30pm
Maria Theresia von Paradis Sicilienne
Henryk Wieniaswki Polonaise
Manuel Ponce Estrellita
Pablo de Sarasate Carmen Fantasie
Trad Skye Boat Song
Trad/ Brìghde Chaimbeul A Choille Ghruamach (air)
Trad/ Brìghde Chaimbeul Hacky Honey Reel
Ernest Bloch Prayer
Paganini Cantabile in D Major, Op.17
Paganini Caprice No.1 in E major
Paganini Caprice No.24 in A minor
Debussy Beau Soir
Pablo de Sarasate Navarra
“The country’s favourite violinist” (The Times) returns to Manchester on her first solo tour in more than a decade.
Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation – and we’re thrilled she’s returning to The Bridgewater Hall to perform a special selection of her personal favourites.
Expect romantic classics, virtuoso party pieces and even folk music from her native Scotland at this intimate concert, for which Nicola will be joined by a small group of close friends and collaborators – including brilliant Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes and Italian accordion maestro Samuele Telari. Book early!
Repertoire will include Paganini’s Caprice Nos 1 and 24; Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasie and Navarra, and Wieniawki’s Polonaise arranged by Steve Goss; Bloch’s Prayer and Debussy’s Beau Soir arranged by Simon Parkin; and Maria Teresa von Paradis’ Sicilienne arranged by Juliette Pochin. This full programme will be released on Nicola Benedetti’s next album on Decca Classics to coincide with the tour.
Nicola commented,‘It has been over ten years since my last full tour of the UK, and having recently come off maternity leave, I am particularly excited to perform in so many beautiful venues, reconnect with audiences I haven’t seen in some time, and play for and chat to people in a fun and personal setting. I will be joined by fantastic musicians including guitarist Plinio Fernandes and accordionist Samuele Telari.’
Tickets £20 to £43
Concessions and discounts available
With support from Yee Loi
Friday 21 November 7.30pm
Pop icon, Adam Ant returns in 2025, performing his classic chart-topping hits and personal favourites.
This concert has been rescheduled from Sunday 3 November, 2024. Original tickets are still valid.
Tickets £47.25 to £52.25 SOLD OUT
To be added to the waiting list, please contact the Box Office, 0161 907 9000
Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert - Live to Film
Saturday 22 November 2.30pm & 7.00pm
Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol will be presented live in concert this winter, the film screened in full as its musical score is performed live by an orchestra.
The original score was composed by Miles Goodman (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop of Horrors) with songs by Oscar®, Emmy® and GRAMMY®-winning songwriter Paul Williams (Rainbow Connection, Evergreen).
Tickets £35.75 to £69.75
Jonathan Scott:
The Organ at the Opera
Monday 24 November 1.10pm
The 5,500 pipes of The Bridgewater Hall organ sing as Associate Artist Jonathan Scott performs a programme of some of the greatest music from the world of opera.
Tickets £15.50 Concessions £14 | Students £11.50
The Hallé – Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
Kahchun Wong conductor
Akiko Suwanai violin
Thursday 27 November 7.30pm Sunday 30 November 4.00pm
Verdi The Force of Destiny: Overture Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Mendelssohn Symphony No.4, ‘Italian’
Violin virtuoso Akiko Suwanai joins Kahchun Wong for Tchaikovsky’s characterful Violin Concerto. After winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition at the age of 18, Akiko Suwanai has become a violinist of global acclaim. Following a strident opening with the overture from Verdi’s opera The Force of Destiny, her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is sure to be a highlight. Spirited and technically demanding, the work is a real showcase for the instrument. Mendelssohn wrote his Fourth Symphony after a trip to Italy in 1830. The work is a series of affectionate musical impressions of the country, each movement evoking Mediterranean sunshine, rolling countryside and monumental architecture.
Tickets £18 to £51 Concessions and discounts available
This is Elvis Friday 28 November 7.30pm
With his looks, charm and charisma, Ben is recognised as the world’s leading Elvis tribute artist – he continues to amaze audiences with his stage presence, with fans globally claiming, ‘this is the closest you will ever get to the King!’. Join us for a phenomenal evening with Ben and the Band on this worldwide tour!
Tickets £37.50 to £42.50
Colin Currie conductor
Saturday 29 November 7.30pm
Steve Reich Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards
Laura Bowler New Work (World premiere)
Gabriella Smith f(x)=sin²x-1/x
Steve Reich The Four Sections
In Steve Reich’s endlessly tessellating music, shapes emerge, solidify, uncouple, drift away, and begin to emerge anew. Leading the orchestra through this large-scale minimalist exploration is conductor and percussionist Colin Currie, one of the foremost champions of Steve Reich’s music worldwide, and a close collaborator of this American titan.
The programme features two pivotal works by Reich. Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards (1979) marked his first composition for an ensemble beyond his own, maintaining his signature chattering repetitions amid an unusual musical haze. The Four Sections breaks new ground with one long acceleration – a departure from the usually constant speed of Reich’s music.
Alongside the chance to hear a world premiere by Laura Bowler, the orchestra also performs Gabriella Smith’s f(x)=sin²x-1/x. The title of Smith’s piece describes a curve – a shape mirrored by the music itself.
Laura Bowler’s new work is a BBC Philharmonic Orchestra commission.
Tickets £12 to £40 Concessions and discounts available
Choir
Supporting Young Lives vs Cancer
Monday 1 December 7.30pm
Tuesday 2 December 7.30pm
Under the direction of Stuart Overington and accompanied on the organ by George Herbert and the Greater Manchester Police Band Fanfare Team, the choir will be joined by Broadheath Primary School, Altrincham and St Anne’s R.C. Primary School, Audenshaw on 1 December, and St Joseph The Worker R.C. Primary School, and Queensgate Primary School, Bramhall on 2 December.
Tickets £18.25 to £23.25
Tuesday 2 December 1.00pm
Winners of the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition and the Royal Overseas League Competition, Connaught Brass seek to redefine how brass chamber music is perceived.
Tickets £13.50
Concessions £12 | Students £8.50 Artists supported by Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) Sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin
Wednesday 3 December 7.30pm
This Christmas, the star studded Love Actually — perhaps one of the most quotable and adored festive films around — will be presented live in concert, with a full orchestra playing the score live-to-film. Love Actually in Concert has become an annual festive tradition for many, gathering numerous sold out audiences in previous years.
Tickets £36.75 to £77.75
In association with The Bridgewater Hall Maria Seletskaja conductor
Thursday 4 December 6.00pm
Borodin Polovtsian Dances
Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker: selection
Hear the magic of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, conducted by Maria Seletskaja, Music Director of the English National Ballet. From the ‘Chinese Dance’ (Tea), through the ‘Trepak ’, to the ‘Arabian Dance’, Tchaikovsky’s abridged score of the beloved ballet takes the audience on a magical journey with snowflakes, sweets and – of course – a Sugar Plum Fairy. Before we embark on that journey, we hear Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from his unfinished opera Prince Igor. It is largely thanks to Anatoly Lyadov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov that we can hear any of this wonderful music today; they helped Borodin orchestrate the Polovtsian Dances in just one fraught evening, using pencil (rather than waiting for ink to dry) and covering the score in liquid gelatine to protect their markings.
Tickets £18.50 to £23.50
Concessions and discounts available Concert sponsored by CMS
Friday 5 December 7.30pm
Following the triumph of their last concert celebrating the songs of the Beatles’ iconic five films, The Bootleg Beatles return this year with their focus on another Famous Five; their top five selling albums.
Tickets £38.75 to £46.75
VIP Tickets £79.25 SOLD OUT
Jeannette Sorrell conductor
Carine Tinney soprano
Alice Coote mezzo-soprano
Thomas Elwin tenor
Henry Waddington bass-baritone
Hallé Choir
Matthew Hamilton choral director
Saturday 6 December 6.00pm
Handel Messiah
Grammy winner Jeannette Sorrell is joined by some of the country’s finest opera stars and the Hallé Choir for an innovative and theatrical production of Handel’s classic. In this concert, we’ll explore its dramatic potential to full effect – after all, an oratorio is effectively an opera, just without the staging and costumes – and Sorrell takes the view that a more theatrical production is precisely what Handel intended. Messiah is 284 years old this year and has been performed countless times in that period (the Hallé alone has performed it almost every year – sometimes more than once – since 1859). Tonight’s concert provides a strikingly original take on this muchloved work.
Tickets £18 to £51
Concessions and discounts available
Euan Shields conductor
Hallé Youth Training Choir
Matthew Roughley director
Sunday 7 December 3.00pm
Hop aboard for a musical sleigh ride adventure with the Hallé! With a little help from conductor Euan Shields, your fantastic orchestra, and the brilliant Hallé Youth Training Choir, we’ll explore Christmas music, old and new. Together, we’ll jingle all the way through festive favourites including famous TV and film music…and of course there’ll be some carols and sing-alongs so everyone can join in!
So, grab your jingle bells and your brightest smiles and come and join us for a marvellously merry and magical start to the Christmas season!
Join us in the foyers from 1.30pm for family fun and free activities!
Tickets: Family (any 4, at least one child) £71.25 | Adult £28.50 | Child £18.50
Concessions and discounts available
Concert sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester Hallé Christmas Season sponsor: OCU Group
Hallé Youth Orchestra –
Shostakovich Symphony No.5
Euan Shields conductor
Hallé Youth Orchestra
Sunday 7 December 7.30pm
Katie Jenkins Awakening
Shostakovich Symphony No.5
‘Wow!! What a professional and mature performance was given last night (again). The Hallé Youth Orchestra have grown, concert after concert, under Euan’s thoughtful direction’ – Youth Orchestra Parent
Under the baton of Euan Shields, Director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra and winner of the 2023 Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition, the younger generation of our Hallé family open this concert with Awakening. A musical tapestry, it weaves together the rich and historical sound world of Wales and the vibrant energy of New York City; the two places Katie Jenkins has called home. Commissioned by the Juilliard School for the Juilliard Orchestra’s opening concert of 2024/25, this piece serves as a celebration of the excitement and anticipation of new beginnings. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is one of his most famous, and one of the greatest and most powerful of twentieth-century orchestral works. It was, supposedly, ‘A Soviet artist’s response to just criticism’. It is now known that this popular symphony was composed as a work of defiance so subtle that no-one realised at the time.
Tickets £13.50
Concessions £11
Students and Under 18s £6.50
Concert sponsored by Espirit and Siemen Hallé International Conductors Competition
Rob Brydon and his Fabulous
A Night of Festive Songs and Laughter
Monday 8 December 7.30pm
After a sell out West End performance in 2024, Rob Brydon is taking his celebrated Christmas show around the country. Accompanied by a fabulous eight piece band Rob will usher in the festive season in his own inimitable style with songs, stories and even an impression or two. A wonderful warm hearted evening for all the family.
Tickets £46.25 oming Chri
Kate Rusby
Christmas is Merry
Tuesday 9 December 7.00pm
Kate Rusby celebrates 20 years of festive joy with this year’s tour, ‘Christmas Is Merry’ — a heart-warming tradition for thousands of fans. Her pure, unmistakable voice breathes new life into traditional South Yorkshire carols, winter songs, and Christmas classics, creating an enchanting, magical atmosphere.
Tickets £41.75
Christmas with Anton du Beke
Wednesday 10 December 7.30pm
Embark on a dazzling journey into a festive wonderland as Strictly’s Anton Du Beke brightens up your Christmas with his brand new show!
The Strictly Come Dancing judge joins forces with his dynamic live band, the incomparable vocalist Lance Ellington, and a troupe of extraordinary dancers to bring you a magical evening of music, dance and laughter.
Prepare to be enchanted as Anton delivers a spellbinding performance of his most cherished Christmas songs and captivating dances.
Tickets £42.25 to £66.25
Thursday 11 December 7.45pm
Tony Hadley returns to The Bridgewater Hall with a spectacular celebration of swing and crooner classics, as well as his own hits reimagined.
The Christmas Big Band Tour 2025 will see Tony perform a selection of timeless jazz standards and swing anthems in his distinctive, powerhouse voice, with classics from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Elvis Presley. He’ll also be blending the old with the new by performing stylish reworkings of Spandau Ballet classics, such as True, Gold, and Through The Barricades
Tickets £44.25 to £59.25 SOLD OUT
VIP Package £149.25 SOLD OUT
To be added to the waiting list, please contact the Box Office, 0161 907 9000
The Hallé – Christmas Cracker
Stephen Bell conductor
Katie Birtill and Oliver Tompsett vocalists
Winners of the Hallé Workplace Choir
Competition
Hallé Workplace Choirs
Hallé Ancoats Community Choir
Stuart Overington director
Friday 12 December 7.30pm
Let the Hallé add a little extra sparkle to your festive season with a selection box of your all-time favourite Christmas hits. Deck the halls and get ready for the most wonderful time of the year with the Hallé’s Christmas Cracker – a festive extravaganza bursting with toetapping classics including Merry Christmas Everyone and All I Want for Christmas, the magical sounds of Polar Express, the sultry delights of Santa Baby and nostalgic hits like Last Christmas and Driving Home for Christmas.
Incredible vocalists Katie Birtill and Oliver Tompsett join conductor Stephen Bell, the Hallé Workplace Choirs and the Hallé Ancoats Community Choir, alongside the full force of the orchestra for this massive Christmas celebration.
Tickets £28 to £51.50
Concessions and discounts available
Concert sponsored by Brother Hallé Christmas Season sponsor: OCU Group
Stephen Bell conductor
Hallé Choir
Matthew Hamilton choral director
Hallé Youth Choir
Stuart Overington director
Hallé Children’s Choir
Shirley Court director
Saturday 13 December 3.00pm
Sunday 14 December 3.00pm & 7.30pm
Step into the timeless magic of Christmas with the Hallé’s ever-popular carol concerts. This cherished tradition truly signifies the start of the festive season for many of you, so immerse yourself in the heart-warming music and carols, performed with the Hallé family’s unique splendour and brilliance.
Everyone is welcome, so whether you’re coming solo or with family and friends, let’s all come together, fill our hearts with joy and soak up the true spirit of the season in this musical celebration of hope and unity.
Tickets £28.00 to £51.50
Concessions and discounts available Concerts sponsored by Manchester Airports Group, Siemens and CMS
Monday 15 December 7.30pm
A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heartwarming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!
Tickets £36.75 to £76.75
Tuesday 16 December 7.30pm Wednesday 17 December 7.30pm
Cherished Christmas romcom The Holiday is set to be presented live in concert this festive season. The show will see the film’s enchanting score performed by a complete concert orchestra in perfect harmony with the film on the big screen.
Tickets £36.75 to £73.75
Reimagining Paul Simon’s Graceland
Thursday 18 December 8.00pm
The London African Gospel Choir returns with their critically acclaimed re-imagining of Paul Simon’s iconic album Graceland. Performed with passion, soul, and electrifying rhythm, this concert brings together soaring voices, vibrant harmonies, and an irresistible celebration of African musical heritage.
Tickets £29.25 to £39.25 A Band on the Wall fundraiser
BBC Philharmonic – The BBC Philharmonic Christmas Special
Leslie Suganandarajah conductor
Friday 19 December 7.30pm
Step into a winter wonderland as we bring the magic of Christmas to life with a dazzling evening of festive music. From the enchanting world of The Nutcracker to the irresistible swing of Duke Ellington classics, this is a show that will put a smile on the face of even the most stubborn Christmas grinch!
Joined by a special guest presenter and surprise guests, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra will play their way through an unforgettable night of festive fun. Expect sleigh bells, twinkling lights, and joyful surprises – the perfect way to celebrate the season with family and friends.
Experience the wonder of a symphony orchestra in full swing – because Christmas would not be the same without it!
Tickets £12 to £40
Concessions and discounts available
The Hallé – The Snowman & Shaun the Sheep
Euan Shields conductor
Soloists from the Hallé Children’s Choir
Shirley Court HCC director
Saturday 20 December 4.00pm
Sunday 21 December 11.00am & 1.30pm
Julian Nott Wallace & Gromit: Theme and Chase
Howard Blake The Snowman
Tom Howe/Aardman Animations Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
The Snowman will be walking in the air, followed by a ‘ewe’-nique performance from Shaun the Sheep, as the Hallé brings the captivating music of these beloved characters to life in this enthralling concert for all ages.
Sit back and enjoy the films on the Big Screen whilst the talented musicians of the Hallé accompany The Snowman as he soars through the wintry sky and Shaun the Sheep gets up to festive mischief in The Flight Before Christmas!
For fans of Wallace & Gromit, Julian Nott’s Theme and Chase will bring the beloved duo’s adventurous spirit to the stage, adding to this unmissable family-friendly celebration of music and storytelling.
Tickets: Family (any 4, at least one child) £71.25 | Adult £28.50 | Child £18.50
Concessions and discounts available
Concert sponsored by PZ Cussons and Brothe
Monday 22 December 3.00pm
Carols and classics from Sir Karl’s festive albums ‘Joy to the World ’ and ‘Stella Natalis’ including Silent Night, In Dulci Jubilo, Go Tell it On the Mountain, The First Nowell and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Tickets £31.75 to £52.50
Tuesday 23 December 7.30pm
Back by popular demand and following sell-out performances across the globe, The Definitive Rat Pack brings you an evening of festive classics, including White Christmas, Baby It’s Cold Outside, The Christmas Song and Let It Snow, plus all-time favourites including Mack the Knife, That’s Amore, Mr Bojangles and New York, New York. What better way to get into the festive spirit!
Tickets £33.75 to £40.75
Wednesday 24 December 3.00pm
Led by the inimitable Jonathan Cohen and featuring West End star Louise Dearman, this joyous singalong is packed with festive favourites, timeless classics, and all the carols you love to sing.
Tickets £25.75 to £48.25
Robert Emery conductor
Saturday 27 December 7.30pm
Prepare for an unforgettable evening as two of the greatest film composers of all time go head-to-head in The Music of Zimmer vs Williams.
Tickets £29.25 to £52.75
Christmas
Sunday 28 December 2.00pm & 4.30pm
This December, Horrible Histories is bringing a festive treat like no other. Get ready for a hair-raising adventure through the ages that will have you laughing, learning, and loving Christmas more than ever before.
Tickets £21.75 to £37.25
Monday 29 December 3.00pm
Step back in time for an unforgettable evening of big band brilliance with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. This iconic ensemble brings the spirit of the 1940s to life, celebrating the unforgettable sound of Glenn Miller and the golden age of swing.
Tickets £23.25 to £39.25
Guy Barker conductor
Tommy Blaize, Vanessa Haynes and Joe Stilgoe vocalists
Giacomo Smith jazz clarinet
Tuesday 30 December 7.30pm
Round off 2025 in style and get ready to step back in time for a night of glitz and glamour!
Featuring a full orchestra, sensational singers Vanessa Haynes, Joe Stilgoe and Strictly Come Dancing’s Tommy Blaize, along with the silky sounds of Giacomo Smith’s jazz clarinet and sax, the Hallé is hosting the finest jazz party in town.
With timeless elegance and swinging melodies, including classics such as High Society, Stormy Weather, Top Hat, Puttin’ On the Ritz , Cabaret, The Joint is Jumpin’ and many more, don your finest attire (1920’s costume is encouraged) and get ready to channel your inner Gatsby and Daisy.
This really will be a night to remember!
Tickets £28 to £51.50
Concessions and discounts available
Concert sponsored by Brother Hallé Christmas Season sponsor: OCU Group
Stephen Bell conductor
Soraya Mafi soprano
Saturday 3 January 3.00pm
Programme to include:
J. Strauss II Die Fledermaus: Overture and Adele’s Laughing Song
J. Strauss II Thunder and Lightning Polka
Lehár Giuditta: Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiss
Lehár The Land of Smiles: Overture
Lehár The Merry Widow: Vilja
Lehár Gold and Silver Waltz
Suppé Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna
Zeller The Bird Seller: Roses in Tyrol
J. Strauss II Napoleon March
J. Strauss II Romance No.1
J. Strauss II Pizzicato Polka
J. Strauss II Die Fledermaus: Czárdás
J. Strauss II Emperor Waltz
Celebrate the New Year with an uplifting afternoon of beautiful music full of Viennese charm. Join conductor
Stephen Bell and the Hallé, along with incredible soprano Soraya Mafi for a trip around the ballrooms of Vienna in this much-loved New Year’s concert.
Packed full of favourites, from Strauss’ Thunder and Lightning Polka to Lehár’s Vilya, this is always such a special event full of joy and sparkle. Join us to step into 2026 in style.
Tickets £18 to £51
Concessions and discounts available Hallé Christmas Season sponsor: OCU Group
Varna International Ballet
Varna International Ballet Orchestra
Tuesday 6 January 7.00pm
Wednesday 7 January 7.00pm
The greatest romantic ballet of all time is brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all. From Odile, the temptress in black tulle as she seduces the Prince by spinning with captivating precision to the spellbound purity of the swan queen, Odette as she flutters with emotional intensity, the dual role of Odette/Odile is one of ballet’s most unmissable technical challenges.
Tickets £39.00 to £56.00
Varna International Ballet
Varna International Ballet Orchestra
Wednesday 7 January 2.00pm
This most famous of fantasy ballets for all the family begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. As snowflakes fall outside, the warm glow of the open fire sends flickering shadows across the boughs of the Christmas tree and all the presents beneath. When midnight strikes, we are swept away to a fairy-tale world where nothing is quite as it seems, toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse-king and his mouse-army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins…
Tickets £29.00 to £49.00
Saturday 10 January 7.30pm
The Drifters are back on tour in the UK performing all their classic hits including ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’, ‘You’re More Than A Number,’ ‘Come on Over to My Place’, ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Kissin’ In The Back Row’ and many more!
Tickets £37.25 to £41.25
The Galilee Quartet
Thursday 15 January 1.00pm
The Galilee Quartet is a Palestinian ensemble of four siblings, Omar, Mostafa, Tibah, and Gandhi, named after their home region of Galilee. Drawing on their dual musical influences, they perform a unique blend of Western classical and Oriental Arabic music.
Tickets £13.50
Concessions £12 | Students £8.50 Sponsored by The Haworth Trust
Katharina Wincor conductor
Anna Lapwood organ
Thursday 15 January 7.30pm
Korngold Schauspiel-Ouvertüre (Dramatic Overture)
R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier: Suite Joseph Jongen Symphonie concertante
Katharina Wincor, in her Hallé conducting debut, will be joined by Anna Lapwood to perform Joseph Jongen’s Symphonie concertante, celebrating the ‘king of instruments’. Composed in 1926, this electrifying piece has been cemented as one of the greatest twentieth-century works for organ and orchestra. From resounding opening to blazing end, we have the rare opportunity to hear the magnificent Bridgewater Hall organ take a virtuosic starring role. Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier is a firm audience favourite, and the composer’s influence is woven throughout Korngold’s Schauspiel-Ouvertüre, which opens the programme. Premiering when Korngold was just 14 – having already had huge success with earlier works including his Der Schneemann (The Snowman) ballet at age 11 – the overture has many flavours of his later cinematic works.
Tickets £18 to £51
Concessions and discounts available.
Tuning Up! event at 6.30pm in the Auditorium
Concert sponsored by Manchester Airports Group
Tommy Emmanuel CGP - Living In The
Friday 16 January 7.00pm
Guitar icon Tommy Emmanuel CGP is no stranger to iconic stages from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to London’s Royal Festival Hall and Paris’ L’Olympia. The legendary entertainer has dazzled audiences across the world.
Tickets £41.75 to £49.25
John Storgårds conductor
Paul Lewis piano
Saturday 17 January 7.30pm
Charles Ives The Unanswered Question
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4
John Adams City Noir
City Noir is John Adams’s musical tribute to half-lit rooms, venetian blinds, desperate men, dangerous women, secrets, lies, and the City of Angels. A symphony inspired by the iconography of 40s and 50s film noir, it weaves a dark and swaggering jazz sensibility through its three movements.
Adams’s work is cinematic in its scope. In the composer’s own words: ‘The music should have the slightly disorienting effect of a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters, like those of a David Lynch film –the kind who only come out very late on a very hot night.’
In the first half, we are joined by Paul Lewis, who, in his performance of Beethoven’s crystalline Piano Concerto No.4, might just provide us with an answer to Charles Ives’ opening Unanswered Question.
Tickets £12 to £40
Concessions and discounts available
Sunday 18 January 7.30pm
Adorned in the guise of rock warriors, London Symphonic Rock Orchestra perform whilst immersed in a candlelit fantasy forest. The atmosphere is electric, the musicians are mesmerising and the supersonic, 100% live, wall of sound they create leaves the audience instantly captivated. Expect reimagined classic hits from: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N Roses, Evanescence, Motörhead, Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine, System of a Down and many more.
Tickets £37.25 to £50.75
VIP Tickets £70.75
Lionel Bringuier conductor
Julius Asal piano
Thursday 22 January 7.30pm Sunday 25 January 4.00pm
Esa-Pekka Salonen Helix
Grieg Piano Concerto
Sibelius Symphony No.2
2025’s astounding winner of the Terence JuddHallé Award, Julius Asal, joins forces with returning Hallé conductor Lionel Bringuier to perform Grieg’s exceptional Piano Concerto.
This Scandinavian programme opens with Esa-Pekka Salonen’s enigmatic Helix, described by the composer as a spiralling ‘nine-minute accelerando’. While the pulse of the piece increases gradually throughout, the note values get proportionately longer, creating a fascinating experience, where the work seems to simultaneously speed up and slow down. Sibelius composed his Second Symphony shortly after the successful premiere of Finlandia. The symphony premiered in 1902 to great public admiration, its rousing finale linked by many to Finland’s struggle for independence. Whether intentionally patriotic or not, the symphony’s swelling melodic richness makes for a truly moving performance.
Tickets £18 to £51
Concessions and discounts available.
Friday 23 January 7.30pm
Michael Starring Ben is a hit theatre production starring the UK’s ultimate Michael Jackson tribute star, Ben Bowman. Not only does he look and sound like the King of Pop, but he’s honed his routine so carefully that audiences truly believe they are watching Michael Jackson himself.
Tickets £30.25 to £44.25
Anja Bihlmaier conductor
Jennifer Johnston Judith Kostas Smoriginas Bluebeard
Saturday 24 January 7.30pm
Boulanger D’un soir triste Kodály Dances of Galánta Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle
Seven doors, and behind each one, a crucial piece of a gruesome puzzle…
Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók sits somewhere between a gothic tale of horror and a psychological dissection of a twisted relationship. Alone in a castle, Judith follows a trail of ever more compelling and grisly clues to unlock the truth about her new husband, horror by horror, door by door.
Bartók’s rich orchestration creates a world of shifting colours – glowing warmth, chilling darkness, and eerie suspense. His music is hypnotic, drawing the listener into the unfolding mystery with pulsing rhythms and bold harmonies. More than just a horror story, Bluebeard’s Castle is a deeply human drama about love, trust, and the unknowable depths of another’s soul.
Before the drawbridge lowers, a foreshadowing. Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste was one of her last completed works before she died at the age of just 24.
Tickets £12 to £40
Concessions and discounts available
Monday 26 January 1.00pm
Named 2020 Performing Artist of the Year by the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong-born pianist Sherri Lun is praised for her “pinpoint clarity and convincing bravura” Chicago Tribune. She made her concerto debut at age 10 and has performed internationally with ensembles including the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and Kölner Kammerorchester.
Tickets £13.50
Concessions £12 | Students £8.50
Sponsored by Kirckman Concerts
Thursday 29 January 7.00pm
Featuring award-winning country singer Noel Boland and a band led by Sarah Jory, the world’s number one female pedal steel guitar player, Beautiful Crazy features fan favourites including: Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma, Where the Wild Things Are, Fast Car and Beautiful Crazy.
Tickets £20.75 to £35.75
Friday 30 January 7.00pm
Three-time Grammy Award winner, Lucinda Williams has been carving her own path for more than three decades now. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Williams had been imbued with a ‘culturally rich, economically poor’ worldview. Several years of playing the hardscrabble clubs gave her a solid enough footing to record a selftitled album that would become a touchstone for the embryonic Americana movement – helping launch a thousand musical ships along the way.
Tickets £41.75 to £54.25
Caleb
Young conductor
Saturday 31 January 7.30pm
Chilling and thrilling: experience this cult classic, multiOscar-winning film with iconic soundtrack performed live by the Hallé orchestra.
FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) races against time to stop a serial killer nicknamed ‘Buffalo Bill’. Hoping it may unlock the answers to this case, she interviews prisoner Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a cannibalistic psychiatrist whose fascination with the young agent is as great as his hunger for murder.
As their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own demons, but also an evil so powerful she may not have the courage to stop.
Jonathan Demme’s landmark film remains a gripping, unsettling ride 35 years after its original release with its seminal performances and Howard Shore’s brilliant, atmospheric score.
Tickets £34.50 to £68.50
Concessions and discounts available.
In association with Big Screen Live
Maria Pukhlianko
The Unthanks at 20 An anniversary special with Royal Northern Sinfonia Wednesday 28th January
Disney In Concert: The Sound of Magic Friday 20 February
The Hallé Presents… Jonny Greenwood Thursday 26 February
International Concert Series National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine Monday 16 March 10cc Tuesday 17 March
International Concert Series Galicia Symphony Orchestra with Thibaut Garcia, guitar Monday 13 April
International Concert Series Sir Stephen Hough, piano Tuesday 12 May
Check out our available sessions here
Booking: 0161 907 9000 | www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
Since opening in 1996, The Bridgewater Hall has become a key part of Manchester’s music scene, offering a diverse programme from rock and pop to jazz, classical, and spoken word. With over 300 performances annually and a purpose-built auditorium known for its exceptional acoustics, the Hall is dedicated to delivering artistic excellence.
Our new membership packages provide a unique opportunity to support the venue, enjoy a range of concerts, entertain clients, and access branding and marketing benefits. For more details, contact Philip Murphy, Sponsorship, Corporate & Premium Experience Sales Manager, at philip.murphy@bridgewater-hall.co.uk, call 0161 950 0000, or visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/membership
Visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk where you have the option to select your own seat or choose the best available. You can also add dining and Lounge access to your order where available.
Booking By Phone
0161 907 9000
Box Office, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS
To the Box Office at the address above.
Monday to Friday 10.00am—5.00pm Saturday & Sunday (concert nights only) 2.00—5.00pm Counter service until 8.00pm on concert nights. Please call the Box Office or visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk to check for changes in opening times.
For festive opening times, please check the website.
We are currently in the process of being able to offer digital ticketing. For the time being the delivery method ‘Email’ will be available on applicable events only.
Payment can be made by cash, cheque, Mastercard, Visa or debit card. If paying by cheque, please make your cheque payable to ‘The Bridgewater Hall’.
Prices shown in this brochure include booking fees. A booking fee of £3.25 or £4.25 per ticket applies to telephone and online transactions. No fee applies to tickets bought in person or purchased as part of a fixed or flexible subscription.
For details of ticket exchange, group discounts, concessionary and standby tickets, please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call the Box Office.
Save 15% on the full ticket price when you book 5 or more concerts featuring Please note you cannot apply more than one discount to a booking.
The Bridgewater Hall is fully accessible for disabled patrons. For information on facilities please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0161 907 9000.
Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or rescheduled. Customers who have purchased Booking Protect alongside their ticket purchase may be eligible for a refund under the terms of their protection. If you have added Booking Protect and would like to apply for a refund, please contact Booking Protect directly. The Bridgewater Hall cannot process or discuss refunds for tickets covered by Booking Protect.
The Bridgewater Hall is in the centre of Manchester, easily accessible by public transport and by road.
Metrolink tram passengers should alight at St Peter’s Square or Deansgate-Castlefield.
The nearest bus stops for major routes into the city centre are St Peter’s Square/Portland Street or Deansgate.
Coaches can drop off and pick up outside the main entrance on Lower Mosley Street.
The nearest rail stations are Deansgate and Oxford Road.
The nearest car parks are Q-Park First Street, NCP Manchester Central, NCP Great Northern or NCP Oxford Street. If travelling by car, please allow plenty of time for your journey.
The Bridgewater Hall
Lower Mosley Street
Manchester M2 3WS
