The best: Classical music concerts around Manchester in 2025

From intimate renditions of Mozart masterworks to large-scale orchestral takes on Ibiza club classics, Manchester’s 2025 classical concert schedule boasts a thrillingly diverse array of live performances from the nation’s most celebrated musicians.

Here are some of the best classical shows around the city this year.

BBC Philharmonic: The Voice of Nature | Bridgewater Hall | Sat 14 Jun | 7.30pm | From £16

Featuring Mahler’s jaw-dropping Symphony No. 3, described as a wondrous paean to love and the natural world, the BBC Philharmonic’s The Voice of Nature concert provides a fitting finale to their Bridgewater Hall concert season with performances from contralto Jess Dandy and the choral forces of the Hallé Choir, the CBSO Children’s Chorus and CBSO Youth Chorus.

The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley St, Manchester, M2 3WS

RNCM Christopher Rowland Chamber Ensemble of the Year | Mon 16 Jun | 7.30pm | £13

Devised to celebrate the best in chamber music at the RNCM while honouring the eponymous quartet leader and architect of the school’s Chamber Music department, the Christopher Rowland Chamber Ensemble of the Year concert sees leading student ensembles take the stage to compete for the prestigious annual prize on Mon 16 Jun.

Keep up to date with the full line-up of finalists and book your tickets below.

124 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9RD

The Hallé Summer Concert: Choral Classics | Bridgewater Hall | Sat 26 Jul | 7.30pm | From £16.50

Led by Choral Director Matthew Hamilton, the Hallé marks the height of summer with a triumphant full-force concert packed with soaring harmonies, electrifying orchestration and a rich, vibrant blend of timeless favourites.

This year’s Summer Concert programme includes Handel’s Zadok the Priest, Parry’s I Was Glad, Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture, Verdi’s Force of Destiny Overture and many, many more.

Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS

Manchester Collective x The Marian Consort: Wintering | Stoller Hall | Thu 27 Nov | 7.30pm | £24.50

On Thu 27 Nov, the endlessly innovative Manchester Collective joins forces with the versatile Marian Consort vocal ensemble to offer an enchantingly serene reprieve from the festive frenzy with Wintering at Stoller Hall.

Inspired by Katherine May’s titular bestseller, the intimate and restorative concert features a new piece from Samantha Fernando which imagines a world where we abandon our huddled hostility and make peace with the cold, dark days of winter.

Hunts Bank, Manchester M3 1DA

Pete Tong: Ibiza Classics | AO Arena | Sat 6 Dec | From £47.75

This December, DJ, broadcaster and global dance titan Pete Tong returns to Manchester with another instalment of his blockbuster Ibiza Classics show, backed by long-time collaborator Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra.

Having debuted in 2015 as part of BBC Radio 1’s Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, Ibiza Classics has entertained retired ravers and music-lovers of all tastes around the nation. The unmissable live concert promises a night of unbridled joy and halcyon White Isle nostalgia with a 10-year celebration of the world’s most famous orchestral electronic music event.

Victoria Station Approach, Hunts Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M3 1AR