From Kinky Boots to Rocky Horror, there are plenty of big-name musicals coming to Manchester.
Nothing quite beats a musical. With joyous sing-a-longs, killer choreo and wholesome storylines, there’s a lot to love. If you can’t get enough of musicals, you’ll want to check out this list. Here’s our round-up of the best musicals heading to Manchester’s theatres in the next 12 months. Get practising those lyrics!
Calamity Jane
Carrie Hope Fletcher stars in this thrilling new tour of Calamity Jane, stepping into the iconic role made famous by Doris Day in the 1953 film. Set in the Wild West, the story follows the adventurous Calamity Jane and folk hero Wild Bill Hickok.
Expect toe-tapping songs like ‘It’s Harry I’m Planning to Marry’ and the Academy Award-winning ‘Secret Love’ as the pair restore order to Deadwood City, with romance and rivalry along the way. Yeehaw!
Calamity Jane is on at Manchester Opera House from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th January 2025.
NOW That’s What I Call a Musical
Credit: Pamela Raith
Relive the nostalgia of your youth with this brand-new musical comedy celebrating 40 years of NOW’s iconic and chart-topping compilation albums. You’ll follow the story of school friends Gemma and April who have to tackle their worst nightmare – the school reunion!
With a killer 80s soundtrack including hits like ‘Gold’ and ‘Tainted Love’ and direction and choreography by Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, this is one Manchester show you won’t want to miss.
NOW That’s What I Call a Musical is on at Manchester Opera House from Tuesday 28th January to Saturday 1st February 2025.
Kinky Boots
Credit: ATG
Broadway and West End phenomenon Kinky Boots is strutting into Manchester for a can’t-miss stint at the Palace Theatre. After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price – until he meets Lola.
Starring Strictly Come Dancing icon Johannes Radebe and lyrics from the legendary Cyndi Lauper, this joy-filled musical celebrating individuality is guaranteed to make you feel good.
Kinky Boots is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 4th to Saturday 8th February 2025.
Here You Come Again
This heartwarming new musical follows Kevin, a devoted Dolly Parton fan who channels his idol to help him navigate life’s challenges. With her iconic wit, charisma and charm, Dolly teaches Kevin a thing or two about life, love and how to pull yourself up by the bootstraps.
Fresh on the back of several successful runs across the United States, get ready to sing along to a host of Dolly’s biggest hits, from ‘Jolene’ and ‘9 to 5’ to ‘Islands in the Stream’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’.
Here You Come Again is on at Manchester Opera House from Tuesday 4th to Saturday 8th February 2025.
Dear Evan Hansen
Credit: ATG
Meet Evan, a socially anxious high school senior who wants nothing more than to fit in. But here’s the twist – while trying to fit in, he didn’t quite tell the whole truth, and now his life is spiralling out of control.
Featuring some of the biggest musical theatre hits of the last decade, this award-winning musical has been hitting all the right notes, and it’s sure to set Manchester stages alight.
Dear Evan Hansen is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd February 2025.
Bat Out of Hell
The ultimate rock experience is back! Bat Out of Hell’s triumphant return to the UK sees a stop-off at Manchester’s Palace Theatre for a rendition of all of Jim Steinman’s and Meatloaf’s greatest hits.
The breathtaking performance features live music from an eight-piece rock band, with an all-star cast performing all the hits, from ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’ to ‘Two Out of Three Aint Bad’.
Bat Out of Hell is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Monday 24th February to Saturday 8th March 2025.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
It’s one of the all-time classics, and X-Factor winner Joe McElderry is back as the pharaoh in the smash-hit London Palladium production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Get ready for sing-a-longs aplenty as the cast recite all the big hitters, from ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and ‘Close Every Door’ to ‘Go, Go, Go Joseph.’
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is on at Manchester Opera House from Wednesday 26th February to Sunday 9th March 2025.
Cruel Intentions
Credit: ATG
Based on the 90s cult film and inspired by Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions is a brand new smash-hit musical from Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, and it’s coming to Manchester in March.
Follow cunning step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil as they engage in a cruel bet, soundtracked by pop classics from Britney Spears, Natalie Imbruglia and more.
Cruel Intentions is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th March 2025.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
This brand-new production of the much-loved family musical is flying into Manchester for one week only. With Ore Oduba as Caractacus Potts, Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts and The Vivienne as the Childcatcher, it’s set to be a wild ride.
Packed with unforgettable songs like ‘Toot Sweets’, ‘Hushabye Mountain’ and ‘Truly Scrumptious’, it promises fun and laughter for the whole family.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 11th March to Sunday 16th March 2025.
Mary Poppins
Credit: Danny Kaan
Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s spectacular production of the classic musical Mary Poppins is coming to the Palace for a huge five-week stint. Featuring wonderful choreography, epic special effects and a timeless score, it promises joy and nostalgia in equal parts.
Stefanie Jones shines as Mary, treating the audiences to all the biggest hits, from ‘Jolly Holiday’ and ‘Step in Time’ to ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and ‘Feed the Birds’.
Mary Poppins is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Wednesday 9th April to Saturday 17th May 2025.
A Knight’s Tale
Based on the hit Heath Ledger film from 2001, A Knight’s Tale is a brand new comedy musical that’s charging into Manchester Opera House for a thrilling world premiere! Don’t miss your chance to be one of the first to see it.
From the producers of recent hits like 2:22 A Ghost Story and 101 Dalmatians the Musical, expect a rip-roaring performance brought to life by jousting, heroes and villains and a rocking soundtrack.
A Knight’s Tale is on at Manchester Opera House from Friday 11th April to Saturday 10th May 2025.
Rocky Horror
Credit: ATG
Tights at the ready, because Richard O’Brien’s classic musical Rocky Horror is back at Manchester’s Palace Theatre in May. With Australian superstar Jason Donovan as the legendary Dr Frank-N-Furter, it promises big laughs, cross-dressing and plenty of naughty moments.
Follow Brad and his fiance Janet and prepare to sing your heart out to all the hits we know and love, from ‘Damn it Janet’ and ‘Sweet Transvestite’ to the one and only ‘Time Warp’.
Rocky Horror is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Monday 19th to Saturday 31st May 2025.
Come Fall in Love
West End meets Bollywood in this joyous stage adaptation of India’s longest running blockbuster movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. You’ll meet Simran, a young British woman who embarks on an adventure around Europe ahead of her upcoming arranged marriage – only to find romance on the way.
Directed by the film’s original director, Come Fall In Love will take you from Paris and Rome to the vibrant yellow mustard fields of Punjab, all to the beat of 18 new songs written especially for the stage.
Come Fall in Love is on at Manchester Opera House from Thursday 29th May to Saturday 21st June 2025.
Moulin Rouge
Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film is stunningly brought to the stage in the multi-award-winning Moulin Rouge. Expect a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and love in what’s set to be one of the longest-running musicals in Manchester in 2025.
Glitzy, electrifying and undeniably romantic, this jukebox musical brings together a breathtaking mix of contemporary and classic pop songs for a high-energy theatrical experience.
Moulin Rouge is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Wednesday 20th August to Saturday 4th October 2025.
Miss Saigon
Powerful and Poignant, Miss Saigon transports you to the closing days of the Vietnam War, where 17 year-old Kim is forced into the dark underworld of a Saigon nightclub, only to fall in love with Chris, an American G.I.
Combining epic storytelling with intimate emotion, the hit musical features original songs like ‘The Heat is On in Saigon’, ‘The Movie in My Mind’ and ‘The American Dream’.
Miss Saigon is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 4th to Saturday 15th November 2025.
TINA
Credit: Matt Crockett
West End blockbuster musical TINA is coming to Manchester’s Palace Theatre in winter 2025 as part of its first-ever UK tour. The musical tells the tale of Tina Turner’s journey from Nutbush, Tennessee, to becoming a multi-award-winning global superstar.
Experience her inspiring story live on stage in an exhilarating celebration packed with all the hits, from ‘Simply the Best’ to ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’. And, of course, there’s a riotous performance of ‘Proud Mary’.
TINA is on at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 25th November 2025 to Saturday 3rd January 2026.
Cover image credit: Danny Kaan
