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Date spot in Manchester

Royal Exchange Theatre

See a play in the round, in a glass-and-steel theatre pod that sits inside the great hall of Manchester's old cotton exchange.

The Royal Exchange Theatre's steel-framed pod with stairs up its sides, inside a hall of marble columns

St Ann's Square, city centre

St Ann's Square, Manchester M2 7DH

Why it's a good date: Every seat is close to the action, and the hall is a sight before the play even starts. Book ahead for the big productions and make a night of it in town.

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Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Manchester guide

  • HOME's glass-fronted building lit up at night, with its ground floor glowing behind the windows and a tree on the square in front

    HOME

    Tony Wilson Place, First Street

    2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN

    Catch an independent film, a play or an exhibition at Manchester's arts centre, with a bar and restaurant downstairs.

    Why it's a good date: Film, theatre and food under one roof, so the whole evening's sorted without moving. Take turns picking something the other wouldn't usually choose.

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    Photo: Leonv010, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  • Inside Mackie Mayor, diners at long tables beneath a glass roof held up by curved iron arches

    Mackie Mayor

    Eagle Street, Northern Quarter

    1 Eagle Street, Manchester M4 5BU

    Share plates from a handful of independent kitchens at the long tables of a restored Victorian market hall.

    Why it's a good date: You each order what you fancy and swap halfway through. The glass roof and ironwork make it feel like an occasion, and it gets busy at weekends, so go early for a table.

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    Photo: Duncan.Hull, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

  • Afflecks' tall red-brick corner building, with arched windows and metal sculptures climbing the wall

    Afflecks

    Church Street, Northern Quarter

    52 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PW

    Rummage through four floors of independent stalls selling vintage clothes, records, posters and oddities.

    Why it's a good date: Set each other a small budget and a challenge, like finding the other the best thing for under a tenner, then compare your finds over a drink nearby.

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    Photo: Ivor Josephson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

From our guide to date ideas in Manchester

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