What’s on in January?
05 Jan 2026
Welcome to January’s edition of ‘What’s on?’. Here you will find everything you can get involved in for free each month, ranging from cultural, extracurricular and celebratory events and activities.
Events
Starting Well: Do one thing to support your mental health
Get a free Active Manchester membership this January, get involved in mental health webinars and visit our free pop-up Health Check Clinic across campus.
- Get involved in our activities this January
New Year Swap Shop and Bake Sale
Buy a bake and swap unwanted gifts with our ASESD Wellbeing Champions. All proceeds will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Little Green Sock Project.
- Come and visit on Thursday, 8 January 11am to 2pm at the University Place Atrium, first floor
Hidden Disabilities: Inclusive communication and Sunflower Telephone line webinar
Discover how you and incorporate inclusive practices into your communication at work, led by The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
- Book your place on Thursday, 8 January 3.30pm to 4.15pm online
Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP) development and training
Build your confidence, expand your skills, and advance your career in higher education with AHEP’s online events this month, covering AI and NSS insights.
- Book your place on Wednesday, 14 or Thursday, 29 January 12pm to 1pm online
Our cultural institutions
Manchester Museum
Tuesday, 13 January (12pm to 1pm): Shared Reading
Sunday, 25 January (11am to 1pm): Decolonise!: deconstructing the nostalgia of colonial Hong Kong
Tuesday, 27 January (12pm to 1pm): Shared Reading
Saturday, 31 January (12pm to 4pm): Dino Draw-athon
Whitworth Art Gallery
Most Thursdays: Artist in Residence – Sally Hirst
Sunday, 11 January (3pm to 3:45pm): Friends of the Whitworth Sunday Concerts
Thursday, 29 January (6pm to 8pm): Stitching for Change: Crafting Conversations on Drug Policy
Friday, 30 January (11am to 12.30pm): Make Art: Manchester
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Throughout January: Printing Press Demonstration, Rare Reads and Rylands Discovery Tour
Tuesday, 20 January (12.30pm to 3.30pm): Research Cafe: Unlocking Historical Archives with AI - Opportunities and Challenges
Friday, 23 January (2.10pm to 3.20pm): Peterloo: The Aftermath Collections Encounter
Our community
Religious celebrations and traditions
Rohini Vrat (Jain) Thursday, 1 January
Mahayana New Year (Buddhism) Saturday, 3 January
Epiphany (Christianity) Tuesday, 6 January
Lohri (Hinduism, Sikhism) Tuesday, 13 January
Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayana, Maghi (Hinduism, Sikhism) Wednesday, 14 January
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christianity) Sunday, 18 to Sunday, 25 January
Guru Gobind Singh Birthday (Sikhism) Tuesday, 20 January
Basant Panchami (Saraswati Panchami) (Hinduism) Friday, 23 January
Holocaust Memorial Day (Judaism) Tuesday, 27 January
Rohini Vrat (Jain) Wednesday, 28 January
Awareness days
World Braille Day – Sunday, 4 January
Groups and societies
Book club
This month’s book is The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. We will also recap The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.
You don't even need to have finished the book (although there will be spoilers!).
Why not head over to our Viva Engage (yammer) group for more reading inspiration. Looking forward to a good discussion!
- Please contact Fiona.Lynch@manchester.ac.uk for the zoom link for Friday, 30 January 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Want to feature your event next month?
If your event is free and open to all colleagues at the University, you can advertise it here next month!
Submit your suggestion to uninews@manchester.ac.uk by 25 of each month to feature in the following month. Please send us a short description (max 30 words) and any relevant links you may have too.
Please note that we unfortunately cannot guarantee your submission will feature, but we will do our best to feature as many as we can.
The deadline to feature in February’s ‘What’s on?’ is 25 January. Any questions, just drop us an email!