Aviva Studios and HOME: Contemporary Arts in Manchester

If you have moved to Manchester from abroad and want to know where the city goes for new theatre, film, music and art, this guide is for you. You will find out what Aviva Studios and HOME offer, how to get to them, and which parts suit adults and which work for children.

• Two venues, two kinds of evening
• Aviva Studios: programme and opening hours
• HOME: cinema, theatre and galleries
• What works for children and what is for adults
• Getting to Aviva Studios
• FAQ

Two venues, two kinds of evening

Aviva Studios is the venue run by Factory International on Water Street. It puts on exhibitions, gigs, classical concerts and large staged productions, so it is usually the place for a planned night out. HOME combines a cinema, a theatre and galleries under one roof. You can catch a film at lunchtime, look round an exhibition in the afternoon and see a play in the evening without leaving the building.

Both venues change their programmes all the time. Treat the titles below as a snapshot of what their websites listed when this guide was written, not a permanent line-up. Always check the venue’s own listing before you plan around a particular event.

Aviva Studios: programme and opening hours

The Aviva Studios page on the Factory International website listed Application 39, David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs and It’s a Sin. It also listed gigs and classical music at the venue. The venue page does not give dates or prices for individual events, so open the full what’s on section for those details before you book.

The site has a section called Aviva £10 Tickets. The venue page does not explain who qualifies or which shows it covers, so read the conditions on the Factory International site before you rely on it.

The venue is open to the public on most days, but its hours change. Factory International says every night there is different and asks visitors to check opening hours before they come. For the week starting Sunday 11 October, the page listed these hours:

• Sunday 11 October: noon to 6pm
• Monday 12 October: closed
• Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October: 9am to 7pm

Those hours are for that week only. Evening shows and gigs may run on their own timings, and the event listing will show them. The site also has sections on facilities, food and drink, the shop, access information and FAQs, which are worth reading before a first visit.

HOME: cinema, theatre and galleries

The HOME website shows its cinema listings first, and that is a good sign of how people use the place. On the day we checked, the films included Babystar (12A), The Lost Children of Tuam (12A), Derek vs Derek (15) and a 4K re-release of 24 Hour Party People (18) for its 24th anniversary. If you are new to the UK, the letter or number after each title is the British age rating, so check it before you book for a family. Some listings also carry AD and CAP labels. The film’s own page explains what these mean for that screening.

If you watch a lot of films, look at the HOME Film Pass. HOME describes it as a way to see new releases at HOME, any time, as many times as you like, for £18 a month. The homepage does not give the full terms, so read them before you sign up.

In the theatre, HOME listed August Wilson’s Pulitzer-winning play Fences from Tuesday 3 November to Saturday 7 November. It also listed The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a new musical by Richard Hough and Alexander S. Bermange, directed by Kirk Jameson, from Friday 27 November to Saturday 2 January.

The galleries were showing To See and Be Seen by Conor Collins, a new body of work inspired by the Queer Up North archive that looks at queer identity, visibility and belonging. Alongside it was Young and Queer Up North, running from Tuesday 25 August to Sunday 6 December. HOME also featured the Honouring Our Communities Art Trail and Black Creative Trailblazers.

HOME has a bar, a cafe and a restaurant on the first floor, so you can eat before a show or stay on afterwards. The homepage does not give its address or opening hours. You will find both on the venue’s own site.

What works for children and what is for adults

HOME was showing Gruffalo Granny Celebration, rated U and presented by MLF, which is a good first cinema trip for younger children. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which HOME calls a magical new musical, runs through the Christmas period. HOME has also published a guide called “Christmas shows at HOME: Which one is right for you?”, which helps if you are choosing between seasonal shows with children.

At Aviva Studios, the Plan Your Visit section includes pages on families and on schools and learning, including schools bookings. Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs sounds like an obvious choice for children, but check its listing for age guidance before you book.

For adults, the 18 and 15 rated films at HOME and the plays in its theatre are the main draw. At Aviva Studios, the gigs, the classical concerts, David Bowie: You’re Not Alone and It’s a Sin are aimed at grown-ups. If you have just arrived and want to meet people, a weekday film or exhibition at HOME followed by a drink at the bar is an easy way to start.

Getting to Aviva Studios

The full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ. The what3words address is chop.feeds.chase.

Train and tram: Salford Central rail station is a 10-minute walk via Red Rose Way and Irwell Street. Deansgate rail station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop are a 12-minute walk via Liverpool Road. St Peter’s Square tram stop is also within walking distance via Quay Street. Manchester Oxford Road rail station is a 25-minute walk. From Piccadilly or Victoria, frequent trams run to Deansgate-Castlefield.

Bus: The free bus 1 links Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Deansgate stations with stops on Liverpool Road and Quay Street. It runs every 10 minutes during the day, Monday to Sunday, and is wheelchair accessible. The 33 runs from Shudehill via Piccadilly Gardens to Liverpool Road every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday. The 35, 36 and 38 stop at Bridge Street, a seven-minute walk away. From Victoria, the 8, 67 and 100 also go to Bridge Street.

Bike and on foot: There are 40 bike parking spaces, including space for two accessible bikes, and Starling Bike docking stations on Quay Street, New Quay Street and Liverpool Road. If you are walking from Quay Street, the venue recommends the cut-through opposite Gartside Street to avoid construction works. Visitors with a visual impairment are advised to approach via Water Street from Liverpool Road.

Car: The NCP Manchester Spinningfields car park on New Quay Street, M3 3BE, is about 0.25 miles (400m) away and has 35 accessible bays. There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces on Water Street and Quay Street.

FAQ

How much do tickets cost at Aviva Studios and HOME?

Neither homepage lists general ticket prices, so check each event on the venue’s own site. Two figures are published: HOME’s Film Pass costs £18 a month for new releases, and Factory International runs a scheme called Aviva £10 Tickets, with conditions explained on its website.

Is Aviva Studios open every day?

Not always. For the week starting Sunday 11 October, it was closed on Monday 12 October, open from noon to 6pm on the Sunday and from 9am to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday. Factory International asks visitors to check opening hours before each visit, because they change.

What is the cheapest way to reach Aviva Studios?

The free bus 1 connects Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Deansgate stations with stops on Liverpool Road and Quay Street, close to the venue. It runs every 10 minutes during the day, Monday to Sunday, and is wheelchair accessible. Walking from Salford Central takes about 10 minutes.

Can I take children to films at HOME?

Yes, as long as you choose by the age rating shown next to each title. HOME was showing Gruffalo Granny Celebration, rated U, as well as titles rated 12A, 15 and 18. Check the rating and the film’s own page before you book.

Official sources: factoryinternational.org · homemcr.org

Last checked: 11 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.