Football City, Art United.

  • Multiple floating footballs inside a green room with white goalpost markings on the walls. The perspective and reflections create an illusion of depth, making it appear as if the balls are suspended in mid-air.

    Experience the exhibition of the summer at Aviva Studios! Best of all? Kids go free.*

    Both artists and footballers are known for their flair and their imagination, on the pitch or in the studio. Football City, Art United. brings together 11 pairs of artists and footballers in a playful group exhibition.

    There’s something for everyone to enjoy – from experiencing the walk through the tunnel out onto the pitch to seeing paintings, sculptures, animation, and even having a kick about!

    From icons of the game from years gone by to today's legendary Lionesses, see artworks from Bárbara Sánchez-Kane and Mexico goalkeeper Jorge Campos, Keiken and Lioness Ella Toone, Paul Pfeiffer and Netherlands legend Edgar Davids, Rose Wylie and Lioness Lotte Wubben-Moy, Ryan Gander and Man United icon Eric Cantona, Suzanne Lacy, Man City star Vivianne Miedema and New Zealand captain Ali Riley, Alvaro Barrington and Brazilian icon Raí and Jill Mulleady inspired by the one and only Diego Maradona.

    *Up to 3 free tickets for under 16s per one paying adult.

    Discover more

Free family events

  • THE HERDS Half-term Family Workshops

    27 - 30 May | Got a wild one at home? Let’s turn that creative energy into puppet magic with free, drop-in workshops
  • May Half-Term Family Drop-Ins

    27 - 30 May | Entertain the kids this half-term with free, drop-in creative activities
  • Kushti Cumpenia: A Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Celebration

    1 June | Celebrate GRT History Month with a family-friendly day of workshops, music, dance and storytelling
  • Celebrating Syria: Eid Festival

    8 June | Celebrate Syria and Eid Al-Adha with an afternoon full of culture, music and joy!
  • THE HERDS Summer Family Workshop

    28 June | Got a wild one at home? Let’s turn that creative energy into puppet magic with free, drop-in workshops
  • An Inheritance

    4 Jul - 2 Nov | A historic gift from one generation to another at Manchester Art Gallery, curated by the children of Greater Manchester
  • THE HERDS

    3 July | Life-sized animal puppets take over the streets of Greater Manchester as part of a monumental migration across West Africa and Europe
  • THE HERDS: Pennington Flash

    4 July | THE HERDS abandons the bustling city of Manchester for the residential streets of Heywood, Rochdale
  • THE HERDS: Heywood

    5 July | THE HERDS moves to Pennington Flash Nature Reserve looking for a glimmer of the wild
  • Venture Arts Workshops

    5-20 July | From creating your own fortune teller to making terracotta weasels, join the Venture Arts team in a series of hands-on workshops

How to get here

There are a number of rail and tram stations within the city centre which are just a short distance from Aviva Studios. The closest stations are:

By Bike

There are 40 bike parking spaces at Aviva Studios including space for two accessible bikes.

National Cycling Route 6 passes close to the venue and this TfGM webpage can help with route planning.

You can also hire bikes from on-street docking stations across the city centre. The closest docking stations to our venue are currently on Deansgate by Liverpool Road and (400m from the building) and by King Street (500m from the building). Take a look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s webpage for advice on cycle hire.

By Walking and Other Active Means

Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street via Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

If you're coming from Quay Street, the safest route to avoid construction works is via the cut-through opposite Gartside Street and past Booking.com.

All footways in the surrounding area are well lit and there are appropriate crossings across all main roads.

Pedestrians with visual impairment are recommended to approach the building via Water Street, from Liverpool Road. This route has traditional carriageway and footway design with fixed street furniture which should help with navigation to the entrance.

A footbridge at Left Bank in Spinningfields provides an accessible link across the River Irwell to Salford Central station, and a further footbridge also links Aviva Studios with the Salford area of Middlewood Locks.

Free bus

The free bus 1 service connects Piccadilly Station, Oxford Road and Deansgate rail stations, as well as other areas of the city centre to Aviva Studios.

The service stops on both Liverpool Road and Quay Street, close to the venue. Buses operate every 10 minutes during the day from Monday to Sunday and they are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus 1 route and timetable, please visit the Bee Network website.

Bee Network services

Piccadilly Gardens is situated in the heart of Manchester and there are a number of bus services that will take you on to Aviva Studios. The 33 bus which starts at Shudehill, calls at Piccadilly Gardens and will take you straight to Liverpool Road. Services operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday.

Alternatively, you can board either a 35, 36 or 38 bus to Bridge Street bus stop which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

Coming into Manchester Victoria rail station? Head on over to Shudehill Interchange (which is a seven-minute walk via Hanover Street) where you can catch the 33 bus to Liverpool Road.

Alternatively, you can board either an 8, 67 or 100 bus from Manchester Victoria to Bridge Street bus stop, which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

There is a car park approximately 0.2 miles (350m) from Aviva Studios at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.25 miles (400m) away from Aviva Studios at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.

There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.

For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.

Plan your visit

  • Facilities

    View our facilities information at Aviva Studios to help you plan your visit.
  • Access Information

    Find out about our access provision at Aviva Studios
  • FAQS

    Coming to see us and got a question? Check out our FAQs

Opening Hours

With a venue like ours, every night is different. Make sure to check our opening hours ahead of your visit to get the most up to date times.

  1. Wednesday 21 May
    10AM – 8PM
  2. Thursday 22 May
    9AM – 10PM
  3. Friday 23 May
    10AM – 10PM
  4. Saturday 24 May
    10AM – 10PM
  5. Sunday 25 May
    10AM – 10PM
  6. Monday 26 May
    Closed
  7. Tuesday 27 May
    10AM – 6PM
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