Royal Exchange Theatre
ENTRY
from £12
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Manchester
What it’s like
A working theatre in the city centre where you can watch a show, but also just wander in for a coffee and a quiet sit-down.
This isn't a soft play or a farm, it's a proper theatre, and the main thing on offer is watching a performance. Tickets start at £12, which feels fair for a night out, though the £20 access ticket price is worth knowing about if you need one. There's also a King Lear run priced for schools and colleges at £15, but that one comes with a 16+ guidance note, so it's not one for younger kids.
What's less obvious from the outside is that you don't need a ticket to use the building. The doors open at 12 noon and you can just come in, use the toilets, get a coffee, or sit in the public lounge, which has comfy seating, books and some toys for younger ones. If you've got a toddler who needs a change of scene on a wet afternoon in town, that lounge is doing more work than most people realise.
Food-wise there's a café doing hot drinks, cakes, sandwiches and soup, and you can bring your own snacks in as long as you're not carting anything hot or smelly into the actual performance space. The cloakroom is £1 an item and card only, so don't turn up with just coins if you're planning to dump coats. Parking isn't an issue, there are thousands of spaces within a ten-minute walk, and step-free access with a lift means a buggy or wheelchair won't be a fight to get in.
The catch is timing. If there's a show on, the Great Hall closes and rehearsals can make things noisy, so a quiet browse isn't guaranteed every day. Arrive around half an hour before curtain up if you've got tickets, evenings kick off at 7.30pm and matinees at 2.30pm.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- Online, by phone or in person
- Parking
- Over 3000 spaces within 10-minute walk
- Food
- Café serves hot drinks, snacks, cakes, sandwiches, salads and soups
- Wheelchairs
- Step-free access with lift at St Ann's Square entrance
- Getting there by bus or train
- Metrolink: Market Street, St Peter's Square, Exchange Square (10 min walk)
- Worth knowing
- Homecoming Pass: 10% discount on tickets for up to four tickets per show, priority booking, no fee on exchanges, 10% discount in bar
- The public lounge with books and toys is free to use even without a show ticket
- Cloakroom is £1 per item, card only, no cash
- No hot or smelly food allowed in the performance spaces
- The Great Hall shuts when a show is on and rehearsals can get loud
- Q-Park Deansgate offers a discount code for pre-booked parking
Plan your visit
How much are tickets?
Standard tickets are £12. Access tickets are £20, and there's a £15 rate for schools and colleges seeing King Lear.
Do we need to book?
Booking's needed for performances, either online, by phone or in person. If you're just popping in to use the building, you don't need a ticket for that.
Is it OK to bring a toddler even without seeing a show?
The theatre and café are open from 12 noon and you're welcome to just come in. There's a lounge with comfy seating, books and some toys for younger ones.
What time should we arrive for a performance?
The building opens at 12 noon on show days. They suggest getting there about half an hour before the performance starts.
What time do shows start?
Evening performances start at 7.30pm and matinees start at 2.30pm.
Can we bring our own food?
Yes, though hot or smelly food isn't allowed into the performance spaces, and café tables are meant for people buying from the café.
What food is available?
The café does hot drinks, cakes, sandwiches, salads and soup, and the bar does drinks with pre-order for the interval.
Is there parking nearby?
Over 3000 spaces within a ten-minute walk, including a partnered car park at Q-Park Deansgate with a discount code.
Is it wheelchair and buggy friendly?
Step-free access with a lift at the St Ann's Square entrance. Free Personal Assistant tickets are available too.
Is King Lear suitable for kids?
It carries a 16+ guidance note, so it's not really one for younger children.
Is there a cloakroom?
Yes, £1 an item, and it's card payments only, so don't rely on cash.
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