As one of the largest and most prominent theatres in Manchester and outside London, the Palace Theatre hosts most major musicals, plays, stand up comedy acts and other forms of live entertainment. For example, it has hosted productions such as Chitty Citty Bang Bang, Les Miserables, King Lear, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, Covent Garden Opera and Saturday Night Fever.
The Palace Theatre also hosts some of Manchester’s International Festival’s shows such as world premiers of Damon Albarn’s ‘Monkey - Journey to the West’ in 2007 and ‘The Old Woman’ in 2013. Located in the heart of the city, the Palace Theatre adds to the buzzing atmosphere in Manchester. Boasting a beautiful Victorian interior, with plush reds and golds, the Palace Theatre’s inside aesthetic is one of its most memorable features.
The Palace Theatre Manchester has a relatively large auditorium with a capacity of 1,955 seats. The theatre is divided into the Stalls, the Circle and the Grand Tier. The Stalls has 858 seats, there are 649 seats in the Circle and 511 seats in the Grand Tier.
If you are looking for premium seats, these can be found in the mid-front of each section and especially in rows C-H. If you are looking for an intimate and immersive theatrical experience, then we recommend that you sit in the Stalls as close to the stage as possible.
If you are looking for good value seats then these can be found at the back of each section. You can also enjoy excellent views towards the end of rows which do have some restricted viewing but you can still enjoy the theatrical experience. Given that the Palace Theatre is in a beautiful old Victorian building, there are problems with viewing due to the overhang in the theatre.
Contact Numbers
Telephone Booking*
0844 871 3019
Group Bookings**
0333 009 5390
Access Bookings
0800 912 6971
Stage Door/Admin
0161 245 6600
Opening times
Monday to Saturday: 12:00 - 16:00
The Box Office closes 15 minutes before a performance starts on performance days. It is only open on Sundays when there is a performance.
Getting there
The Palace Theatre is easily accessible by car or by public transport. To Palace Theatre address is:
The Palace Theatre
97 Oxford Street, Manchester
M1 6FT
UK
Car: if you are driving to the Palace Theatre, there are two car parks you can use: Oxford Street and Manchester Palace. You can enjoy a discount on your parking ticket, just validate it in the cloakroom.
Train: the nearest train station to the Palace Theatre is Oxford Road train station which is opposite the theatre. You can also easily reach the theatre from Piccadilly train station, which is also a short walk.
Bus: you can reach the Palace Theatre on all of the main bus routes since the Palace theatre is situated on one of the main streets in Manchester, Oxford Road. Both of these train stations have national rail services to and from most major UK cities.
Access
The Palace theatre has a designated Access ambassador Abigail Henry. You can contact her via email on abigailhenry@theambassadors.com
Access to venue
The Palace Theatre’s box office is on street level and easily accessible because it is on street level. The Palace theatre has four wheelchair spaces available which are located on row R of the Circle section of the theatre. You can easily access the Circle using the lift from the foyer level. The Circle, and particularly the rear end of this section of the theatre, is the recommended area of the theatre for patrons as it is easily accessible and there is plenty of legroom. The stalls are easily accessible but you must go down 15 steps and has no lift access available so it is not recommended.
The Palace Theatre features a new technology called Sennheiser which feeds the sound of the productions using the theatre’s access point. If you use the Sennheiser technology, you can use a live stream sound through the mobile connect app whilst using the Wi-Fi available in the Palace theatre. Please make sure to arrive 45 minutes before the show starts so that the team will be able to assist you.
You can also a dual channel infra-red sound enhancement system which is available at the Palace Theatre. One of the theatre’s headsets can be used or one worn around the neck to boost the volume of the show. Please collect the theatre headsets from the theatre cloakroom for a 10 pound returnable deposit. To ensure that you can enjoy the best possible experience using this system, try to that you avoid the rear stalls when booking seats.
Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs
All Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome inside the Palace theatre auditorium. When you book your ticket, please tell the box office beforehand if you wish you bring your Guide Dog or Heading Dog in the theatre. You are welcome to have the dog sitting with you in the aisle or staff are happy to look after it during the performance.
Access toilets
The Palace Theatre has fully accessible toilets available on the Circle level of the theatre.
Originally named the Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street, the Palace Theatre was designed by architect Alfred Darbyshire and was built in 1891. In 1913, the Palace Theatre’s interior was renovated by Bertie Crewe and then reopened with a smaller seating capacity of 2,600 seats. During World War 11, the Palace Theatre was bombed in the blitz by a direct German bomb which destroyed the building.
Since then, the Palace Theatre Manchester had a bit of a bumpy time. During the 1970s, The Palace Theatre struggled to stay open and audience numbers decreased significantly. However, in the 1980s it was supported by the Arts Council and underwent a dramatic refurbishment including increased seating capacity. Today the Palace Theatre is thriving and is one of the best equipped theatres outside London.
Loading...