NEWS: Manchester's iconic Palace Theatre and Opera House are back in business again!

The Palace and Opera House Theatres are set to re-open in August, we can now confirm! After our

venues were unexpectedly closed in March 2020, we’re thrilled to be able to announce our re-

opening dates. 

We have a packed season full of award-winning musicals, plays, dance and music that

we are eager to welcome audience members back with. This has been a time like no other for

theatre and live entertainment and we are striving to return better than ever.

At the Opera House we kick start the season on the 20 th August with Adam Kay’s This is Going to

Hurt (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor) seen by over 200,000 people across absolute sell-out UK

tours, Edinburgh Fringes and West End runs. His book of the same title was a Sunday Times number

one bestseller for over a year and is soon to be a major BBC drama.

The Palace will be opening on August 23rd with the electrifying The Woman In Black, a show that

has been thrilling audience members for over thirty years in the West End and has become a true

classic for theatre lovers. It’s the perfect show to breathe chilling life back into our darkened Palace

Theatre.

Our re-opening season features award winning musicals coming to Manchester from the West End

for the time with Heathers, Waitress and School of Rock and three brand-new musicals Bedknobs

and Broomsticks, The Cher Show and The Osmonds will land in our theatres in the coming months.

This season also sees the return of much-loved musicals with the likes of Dirty Dancing, Hairspray

and Grease to the rock and roll anthem filled Bat out of Hell and Rock of Ages. Winter sees the

return of the phenomenal hit The Book of Mormon. We’ve got all this and much more awaiting our

fantastic audiences as we launch our return.

Sheena Wrigley, Theatre Director, Palace and Opera House Theatres says:

“It is thrilling to be able to welcome people back into our theatres. Not being able to share the joy of

live theatre together has left a huge gap in the lives of many people across the region and country.

Our staff, production teams and the committed tenacious producers we work with have pulled

together and supported each other through the pandemic to ensure we have great shows and a safe

environment for audiences to return to this summer. We understand the huge importance of continuing to keep our staff, audiences and performers as safe as possible. We are therefore implementing new safety procedures to make sure that anyone walking back through our doors can do so confidently. Cut from here We’ll have new routes through the building in place, offer at seat services for food and beverages, and will be deep cleaning the venue before and after each performance. Masks will not be mandatory, but we will be encouraging audience members to wear them alongside our staff."

This has felt like a very long period of closure and a hiatus in the lives of so many. Over the last few

months, behind the scenes, we have been busy working hard to be able to bring you a truly special

season that will hold particular significance for all of us as the curtains rise once again. To our

audiences we say, “We have missed you, welcome back”