Return to the Forest

  • A dancer wearing a light brown costume and puppet mask, moves in a glowing forest of tall blue and golden trees, surrounded by floating firefly-like lights.

    A magical forest comes alive through dance, puppetry and play – inviting us to reflect on what we treasure and how we connect.

    Theatre-Rites are renowned for creating playful and meaningful experiences for children and adults alike. For Return to the Forest, they collaborate once again with the award-winning South African Choreographer Gregory Maqoma on a new puppetry and dance show for families and children aged 8+.

    Find out more

Super Duper Family Festival – The Studios

  • A large crowd of families dancing in the Warehouse with a screen that reads 'Super Duper Family Festival'

    The Super Duper Family Festival returns to Manchester. Get ready for four days of free half-term fun!

    This February, Manchester turns into a playground for all with a series of FREE Play Zones to explore – including The Studios in St. Johns.

    See Manchester’s public spaces, squares and venues transformed into exciting Play Zones with games, dancing, activities, crafts, movies, performances and more to enjoy.

    Find out more

Explore: 10 Facts About...

A new series for kids, young people and anyone who wants a quick introduction to the artists we work with at Factory International.

10 Facts About... Shaun the Sheep

10 facts about Shaun the Sheep, his Flock and the iconic Aardman show. How many do ewe know?
Shaun the Sheep with his Flock

10 Facts About... The Moon

10 mysterious facts about the Moon and its cultural influence
The Moon

10 Facts About... David Hockney

Who is David Hockney? 10 facts about the world-famous artist, his artwork and his dogs
David Hockney sat on a striped arm chair with his two dogs. The wall behind him is filled with his paintings of the dogs.

10 Facts About... William Shakespeare

Who is William Shakespeare? 10 facts about the playwright and his most famous play Hamlet
Portrait of Shakespeare wearing a gold earring

How to get here

Train and tram

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 and active means

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.

Bus

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.

Car

There is 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.
    Our information desk which is in a large orange box structure
  • Access Information

    Find out about our access provision at Aviva Studios
    Photo of a visitor walking into the Social
  • FAQS

    Coming to see us and got a question? Check out our FAQs
    Visitors in Aviva Studios sitting down in the social area.

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. Sunday 25 Jan
    Closed
  2. Monday 26 Jan
    Closed
  3. Tuesday 27 Jan
    Closed
  4. Wednesday 28 Jan
    Closed
  5. Thursday 29 Jan
    10AM – 5:30PM
  6. Friday 30 Jan
    10AM – 6PM
  7. Saturday 31 Jan
    10AM – 6PM