HOME, Manchester’s leading hub for contemporary arts, has announced a sprawling new theatre season for 2026. Running from February through July, the programme spans international dance, West End-scale musicals, and hard-hitting fringe theatre, alongside a robust selection of family programming.
High-Profile Headliners and Musical Comedy
The main stage (Theatre 1) kicks off with Company Chameleon’s Obscura, followed by the electrifying The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical in February. Comedy fans are well-served with the world-renowned Mischief team (The Play That Goes Wrong) debuting their first musical comedy, THESPIANS, a riotous reimagining of ancient Greece.
Acclaimed director Emma Rice returns with the high-jinks musical Malory Towers, while Northern Broadsides brings a bold, three-piece ensemble adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Fans of socially conscious drama will welcome the return of the sell-out stage adaptation of Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake.
Intimate Stories and Bold New Voices
In the more intimate Theatre 2, the season explores identity and history. Highlights include:
Bryony Kimmings: The celebrated playwright debuts her new play, Bog Witch.
Nation: A dark fable about national identity from YesYesNoNo.
IDOL WORSHIP: A heartfelt cabaret featuring film icon Mink Stole and drag legend Peaches Christ.
A Grain of Sand: A moving solo show adapted from the testimonies of children in Gaza.
Family Favourites and Community Roots
HOME continues its tradition of term-time family magic with Julia Donaldson’s The Singing Mermaid and Tales from Acorn Wood. These sit alongside circus-theatre in Pirate Princess and the deep-sea adventure The Loneliest Whale.
A crowning moment of the season is The Home We Made, a brand-new production co-created with the people of Manchester. This collaboration with Malandra Jacks celebrates local stories of belonging, reflecting HOME’s deep-rooted commitment to the Greater Manchester community.
General sale tickets are available now. For full listings and to book, visit homemcr.org.
