HOME Manchester

I have been coming to HOME five times for Manchester Animation Festival in 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025! It is the perfect venue for the festival. The cinemas, event space, restaurant and cafe have been outstanding during my visits.

Absolutely outstanding experience here - always!! Theatre Cinema Community involvement Dining Café Socialsing Comedy shows Music performances, bands, new talent Acknowledgements of cultural calendar - Black history month , PRIDE, international womens day, etc. My phone is literally full of good experiences at this venue I highly recommend it 👌🏾 👍🏾

I came here for Japan week to see a theatre performance and it was fantastic. HOME is a nice theatre with a cinema as well, staff are friendly inside and the theatre is small but comfortable, good view of the stage.

My partner and I bought monthly Film Passes only to be told we couldn't book the main film that is on right now (Avatar), because "it isn't included in the film pass"... Is the film an advance screening? No. Is the film in 3D? No. Is the film somehow special, or more expensive than others? No. The showing we wanted was in 3 hours' time and not a single seat had been booked. So I guess Home MCR would rather play to empty auditoriums than honour what they advertised to supporters. Further info: 1. When purchasing the Film Pass, it says "Some special events and screenings are excluded". We didn't think "some screenings" meant the entire run of a movie! How are there not at least off-peak showings available to Film Pass members?? 2. "Excluded screenings will be marked clearly on the website" The film was NOT clearly marked on the website (an asterisk on the title for example). We had already wasted 20 minutes of our time trying to book the seats and assuming there was a glitch in the system before phoning up. The cart page doesn't explain why it's trying to charge you despite being logged in as a Film Pass member, and it's fully possible to book without seeing the exclusion as it's 1 sentence at the bottom of a page that isn't part of the booking process. Really disappointed and genuinely feel scammed.

Really nice atmosphere with a strong focus on independent films & theatre. The venue itself is charming and wellkept & the coffee & croissants from the cafe are a great touch. Definitely worth a visit if you're into the arts & visiting Manchester.

A wonderful place, we saw Mark Thomas and we're blown away that even after catching something from a stranger on the tube he still put everything into his performance. A brilliant venue, lots of helpful staff and volunteers, drinks reasonably priced, everything was nice and clean too. Will definitely go again!

Never been here before, but we'll be coming back. It's a lovely..... Well I don't know what to call it. It got theatres and a cinema, some art, bar, restaurant.... Anyway it's very nice and the staff are lovely too, friendly and helpful. The only negative point is that the benches in theatre 2 are not too comfy. Loads of leg room though.

Pretty small, it takes like 10 to 15 mins to do a whole tour of their gallery

I really like the new Home. The cinema rooms are much better than they were at Corner house, and the food is just fantastic. Home offers a range of discounts, including advance bookings made online, as well as ticket price reduction for members.

When other cinemas are bending over backwards to retain customers, this place penalises disabled people when health problems prevent them from going to see their pre-booked films. As a disabled person, I can't afford to waste money but this place have decided to keep £11 of my money. That money-grabbing, short-sighted behaviour has lost you money in the long-term as I won't be visiting again.

I think, on the whole, we can all accept that HOME will never be a real replacement for the much beloved Cornerhouse. However, as First Street continues to fill up and HOME retains an essence of the unusual through its events and screenings, it's trying its best. A free ticket to TedxManchester bought me in contact with HOME for the first time earlier this year, but it was a quick visit to the afternoon session and then back home (my own, of course) again. It was an efficient visit but did have somewhat of a lasting impression as, when looking for a film to watch recently, we went beyond the usual AMC and had a look at HOME's screenings. Initially looking to go on a Saturday night, the Sunday timings proved a bit better alongside our other weekend plans. So, a 5pm showing of Hunt for the Wilderpeople it was; as an aside, this film is totally worth seeing. We arrived a bit early for a pre-cinema drink and - don't judge - were excited to see that you could take drinks through to the cinema. A craft beer alongside a cult film? Count me in. A pint of the HOME ale outside in the sun and then a can of Beavertown Neck Oil in the cinema with us made for a lovely, relaxed Sunday afternoon out. I've heard positive things about their food selection and it's worth keeping an eye on their website / social media for the latest updates and more unusual goings on.

Visited before when it opened - checked out the gallery on the ground floor and also the whole of the main HOME building. Its a really nice building - I like the interior design. Visited again for first time since then (last weekend) and now things in the surrounding areas of HOME in First Street - have changed. There is Indian Tiffin Room restaurant and also a Pizza Express - plus probably other food places. I went to watch a movie at HOME. It was in screen 2 which I believe is one of the smaller screens (?). There was just about 6 rows so we were close to the screen but at a nice height to the screen. Also since its relatively new and not as popular as likes of AMC, its in much better condition. (I have still not tried any of the food in HOME so cant comment on that).

It is so nice to return to Manchester to discover the wonder that is HOME. It is quite the impressive building - they have really done a good job, even though we all still mourn the loss of the Corner House. I did expect them to change the food menu a little more but most of the same items are still there. I had lunch at the upstairs restaurant with two female family members and we all had the soup. Big portions of tasty carrot and coriander soup were very well received on a cold Manchester day. I'll definitely be coming back to try some of their cake.

I really like HOME, I see what some people mean about it not feeling that "homely" but I thought the upstairs bar was pretty cool with some nice lighting and decent food (I had chicken wings which were decently spicy although not served with blue cheese dip as god intended, and some sweet potato fries which were weirdly massive but nonetheless good). The theatre had a pleasingly retro (70s?) style and line of sight seems good for pretty much everyone; the acoustics were also very good. The play itself I didn't love (Endgame), as it was just as miserable and not quite as funny as promised, but Beckett is probably a step to far into Serious Theatre for me.

So HOME is pretty cool! It kind of feels like the old cornerhouse in general vibe and outlook on life but in a big flashy new skin away from the rest of Manchester. In fact this does seem to be the new way of doing things by the council - let's build things on brown field sites and aim to create a new urban hub around it. With very little passing traffic, it's going to take a while to really become a mainstream destination but it is very easily reached with Deansgate and Oxford Road stations around 5 mins walk. On this occasion I was looking for somewhere to work for a few hours and sat upstairs in their cafe bar grabbing a couple of flat whites and a bacon bap . Not bad all round and pretty quiet on a Monday morning. It did get much busier at lunch time so it's good to see peeps really enjoying this offering! You can sit outside on deck chairs and tables and there's a cafe downstairs just selling drinks and cake.

A+ for ambience (however I didn't partake in any of the arts/theatre bit, simply came to work during the day in the cafe - will update this review when I do so). I absolutely love the interior of this building, HOME has quite an eye for design. Large, linear planks of wood mixed with the apparent yet subtle use of concrete. Very cool! There are three levels, all with their own respective cafe which I loved because it didn't overcrowd the ground cafe. I had a delicious cappuccino, listened to some funky great jams, and worked on a few school projects for 3-4 hours. It was very comfortable and you didn't feel pressured staying there for an extended period of time. This is definitely the place to come for catching up with a friend, or simply to have an afternoon tea/coffee.

TL;DR - Perhaps not as charming as the Cornerhouse, but a worthy successor. So the Cornerhouse is gone and it's been replaced by HOME, a modern replacement which lacks some of the charm and character of its predecessor but is certainly an impressive venue. HOME is split across several floors with the ground floor featuring the box office, a bar, a theatre, a small gift shop and a gallery (the last of which, at the time of writing, hasn't opened yet). The first floor features another stage and a table service restaurant, then the third floor is home to an event space (again, not ready yet) and 5 cinema screens. The building itself is very nice - lots of clean lines and exposed wood, although it's difficult to know at this stage if any of that will change as they finish off the outstanding bits of work around the place. We attended the showing of Blade Runner and were impressed by how many people HOME is already attracting. The cinema screen we were in was large with comfortable seating and was neither too warm or too cold. The sound system was impressive too, easily on a par with the big commercial chains. Independent cinemas are something we need to treasure, and as heart breaking as it is to see the Cornerhouse empty as it is now, HOME is more than just a functional replacement - it's a nice building in its own right and one with much more space. Yes, it may not have the quirky charm of the Cornerhouse, but Manchester is very lucky to have it.

HOME is a brand spanking new theatre/cinema/restaurant all in the same building right in the centre of the city centre of Manchester, its absolutely brand new and the welcoming open space of the box office and the ground floor buzzing bar. On the first floor you have a really cool open spaced restaurant/bar area with striking huge glass windows, this place is so cool and i haven't even mentioned the amazing theatre inside it! There are two auditoriums one large one and then a smaller one, we had visited the larger one and its very intimate. I had a look around each level and all offered a fantastic view of the stage. They also have a cinema on the top floor! all the staff are really friendly and its a very welcoming addition to the theatre scene in Manchester.

Okay I will agree that HOME doesn't particularly make me feel at home, nor is the interior and decor homely - but just because the name doesn't necessarily fit the concept do they deserve to be scolded? No. I personally love the concept of a multi-functional space that allows a spot for you to; come for a show, have a nice but affordable lunch, use the as a spacious meeting spot or just come to grab a cuppa. I've done all the above besides watching a show and thats why I've been hesitant to post a review as I feel that would be the final egg in the HOME basket that would allow me to be fully trusted on this review. However, I have visited 10-15 times since I first popped in in June, so I reckon thats a good enough ratio to have a fair insight into the place. I usually just stop in to enjoy a nice place to do some work and have a coffee between meetings however last week I needed a place to both work and have a quick lunch, so I popped to HOME and ate upstairs in the cafe/restaurant. It's a perfect spot to enjoy a drink or have a quick bite before a show! More to follow after future visits :)

Great place for a relaxing coffee or a meeting. Food is really good in the restaurant. Visited here a few weeks ago and had the Fish Chowder. It was delicious. Service is good. Prices are reasonable for central manchester. The ale is good too, they have a good selection of craft ales which I love. Great coffee too!

I didn't know that in British English, theater and cinema are not synonymous. This place has both live performances and movies, as well as really nice spots to eat indoors and outdoors. I saw an independent film here on a weekend afternoon, and the screening was just fine in terms of quality and sound and the seats were comfortable. I'd like to give the folks at the second floor cafe five plus stars for serving five of us an excellent quick meal in 20 minutes. We didn't plan out our adventuring, and so we were starving before the film but didn't have much time. I explained our situation to the host, who recommended to avoid the specific items that take a longer time (burgers, steaks). The service was friendly and speedy, and everyone was pleased with the meal and the movie. Perfect!

Weirdly this is never my first choice/first place that comes to mind for food, yet every time I get here I think it's great and have no idea why not. I have been on a few occasions, one as a large group for drinks and food and again as a table of 2 looking for food before a gig at nearby Gorilla. Both times have seen excellent service, atmosphere and food. They quickly accommodated a last minute large party of 10 on a Saturday with no fuss and the service did not suffer. More recently we were reminded of Home from the hostess at Gorilla as the were already full. We arrived and were acknowledged and informed by a very welcoming host that they had a table in a few minutes. Unfortunately the table was a little wobbly and despite our best endeavours to try to stabilise it we were reseated quickly, no fuss and drinks and food orders taken. Staff are incredibly friendly but not to the detriment of efficiency. They are set up for prompt service for people awaiting shows & films and thankfully they have a menu that allows this with out any compromise on the quality. The short rib beef ragu is just the thing right amount of heart warming food to fill your belly. The toasted almonds on the olives are pure genius. Please remind to come again!

I do love a good Sunday lunch, in this case roast lamb with all the trimmings. Home is as good as I expected, however much I wish they had names themselves something a little more sensible to prevent have to explain having a part in Home is not my place of living :). Anyway my roast was stunning, the service was impeccable. My companion had a vegan gluten free option which made her happy, we partook in the non-alcoholic cocktails which were equally lovely. I really like that Home provide you with a jug of water these days without being asked to do so, I as do many of my friends tend to get a drink or two, but also like to drink water. It was really good being able to chat without excessive noise around us, I can't even remember if there was music playing, I am a fan of going somewhere and being able to talk. I can see how this location will be good for first dates and date nights. Since Home opened its doors I have been here at least twice a month, and suspect it will remain a favourite location for the future.

I'm into serious "art cinema", meaning that I go to the movies many times a week expecting to see films from all over the world. Coming from a massive city with plenty of options in this regard, Manchester's art cinema options left me unsatisfied. As a student I used to see "world cinema" several times a week, and this rhythm remains more or less the same nowadays, if I have the time. Sometimes I have a compulsion and I get to see up to three movies a day, meaning that I spend a lot of time and MONEY buying cinema tickets. This is affordable in a city like mine (Mexico City), but it left me broke and heart broken in Manchester, where I had to stick to a film per week. I knew what the deal with HOME was as soon as I approached the building, coming from Whitworth St. HOME is a hipster building with a fancy gourmet section and some cinema theaters added to the equation. You can guess the tickets have the same over-priced logic, although I have to say a lot of the locals consider this place "cheap". I guess it is if you compare it with blockbuster type of cinemas, but it's simply not affordable for serious and compulsive cinephiles, even if you acquire the membership. The theaters are inexcusably small for such a large building, with only 6 or 7 rows, and small screens, following the architectural logic of huge cinema complexes that want to add as many rooms as possible, instead of building a proper cinema room with a properly sized screen, like the good old days. The good thing is that the programmers know their business, and I got to see some really good movies, such as the late great Chantal Akerman's No Home Movie. Apart from HOME, I was never able to find a good place for movies, not even the student unions.

Searching for a good Sunday roast on a student budget, we found Home. They didn't disappoint my taste buds with their beautiful leg of lamb. The new building is modern and artistic creating a great atmosphere for an evening meal.

Reviewing "The Reel Deal" option, which is £15 for a pizza, drink and a movie. My first visit to the new "Cornerhouse", now that it is HOME. Enjoyed this deal at the previous "home" and the pizza's were always good, and they don't disappoint here either ! With your pizza, you can have a glass of house red or white wine, soft drink or a lager. The restaurant area is really nice and spacious and with a lovely view over the new Tony Wilson Place as the sun went down on a early/mid-Monday evening. Service was good and we just had to show our combined meal/cinema tickets for the options available on "The Reel Deal". I would happily return to check out the restaurant and bar areas or visiting the facilities that are available.

This is not a review of the surrealist modern dance piece 32 rue Vandenbrandon which I came to see but of the very disappointing theatre space offers by Home theatre. The bulk of seats are in the stalls which are all on one level giving a comprehensive view of the backs of audience heads and a relentless struggle not to miss what's happening on stage. This is no accidental theatre space or converted hall but Home's much vaunted purpose built venue - an unforgivable design flaw which the Greeks managed to crack 3000 years ago. A disappointing experience and a major fail. All the more sad as Home is hosting original show pieces which I would think twice about now before buying tickets.

The new HOME of art in Manchester is an interesting place and clearly has the potential to driver exciting performances. It combines and bar with outdoor seating downstairs, a bar-restaurant on the first floor and I think another bar upstairs. Of course you have the theatre which is a state of the art facility which we discovered for the rendition of Neck of the Woods - the play was very disappointing but the facility offers undeniable benefits for creative playwrights and directors. We had a bite to eat and a couple of beers from the restaurant before the play. Some of the beers, the ales they got brewed specially for them, were not the most exciting but they have the Outstanding range which is alright. I know most of the wines on the menu and they're decent choices too. I would say the food was not the most spectacular but decent. The pizza, when you have Honest Crust as a standard, was disappointing but my pasta with beef ragu was actually quite nice and flavoursome, lacking maybe in the Italian touch of fresh herbs and seasoning. Service was hesitant but overall ok. No tables were available when we arrived so they took our numbers and sent us a text when our table was ready. There are clearly operational flaws in the system but no doubt these will be ironed out. It's a good looking venue though provided you enjoy highly-urban landscape, bare concrete walls and Scandinavian 70s furniture.

I was a massive fan of the Cornerhouse before they moved down the road and became HOME. And what a lovely new home it is! The new venue has a downstairs bar which opens up to the outside, there also a bar in the other two levels where the first floor functions nicely as the restaurant now with more seating. The interior is minimalistic which look amazingly huge with their high ceilings and giant glass front of the building. It still has the bookshop on the ground floor but now has two theatre spaces and five, yes FIVE, cinema screens so there'll be more art house movies to choose from!

an ok arts venue which is on three levels but feels only average to visit

I really like Manchester's new art, cinema and theatre space. Situated in First Street, Home has a really modern feel to it without losing any of the relaxed casual atmosphere of the old Cornerhouse. There is a bar and comfy seating downstairs as well as a bar and café upstairs. We ate at the café which was very good. The service was friendly and the menu was quite varied and interesting. There were salads, pizzas, mezes and comforting meat and veggie dishes. I ordered the pizza which was good and my friend's chicken and avocado salad looked really fresh. There are also 2 cinema screens showing arthouse and foreign films as well as a theatre and a small art gallery. Home is a fantastic addition to the Manchester entertainment scene. It will also be interesting to see what happens to the area surrounding it called First Street as it has lots of potential for development.