What's On North 30 Jun-7 Jul: Big Disco

Each week The Skinny team hand pick a selection of the best events from the Northwest cultural calendar to provide you with this here top ten guide to the most exciting goings on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays, and exhibitions, to spoken word, pop-up foodie events, and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and beyond every Thursday morning.

Big Disco
Duke Studios, Leeds. Fri 1 Jul, 3pm

Seize your chance to dance beneath the glow of the world's largest disco ball (two and a half times the size of a double decker bus), which will be suspended above the crowds at Duke Studios to the sounds of DJs Craig Charles and Greg Wilson, along with Skinny fave Justin Robertson – who'll also lead the afterparty at the same venue from 11pm. Meanwhile, across Yorkshire 25,000 others will be dancing to the same track at the same time to create Leeds' biggest D-I-S-C-O ever.

Greater Manchester Fringe
Various venues, Manchester. Fri 1-Sun 31 Jul, times vary

Greater Manchester Fringe returns for its 5th shebang, taking over the whole of July and 23 venues across Greater Manchester with comedy, theatre, discussion, cake raves and more to help nurture new talent. Highlights include Die Diana (pictured), a play about Princess Di in her afterlife, and The Greater Manchester Culture Debate with Dave Haslam, but head on over to The Skinny website for a rundown of what we're most excited about, or browse the full programme here.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Nationwide. Released Fri 1 Jul

THEY'RE BACK SWEETIE DARLING! British cult heroes Eddy and Patsy graduate to the big screen this week, with the release of Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, and whatever your stance on movie spin-offs, we can't deny we've missed this pair's ingeniously grotesque satire of the media and fashion industry. The Odeon Printworks in Manchester will be screening the film with cocktails, drag performers and a red carpet, and Gorilla is on unofficial afterparty duty with Dance Lady Dance, while in Liverpool you can get your fix at FACT Picturehouse, with a glass of Bolly, obvs.

London Road Fire Station Tours
London Road Fire Station, Manchester. From Sat 2 Jul, times vary

One of Manchester's most curious buildings is opened up to the public this week, as the London Road Fire Station braces itself for a series of summer tours with Jonathan Schofield. Taking place every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday throughout July and August, they'll let you explore the great courtyard, engine room and the coroner's court, while listening to stories of those who lived and worked there since the building opened in 1906.

Photo: raver_mikey

Strange Collective Record Launch All Dayer
Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool. Sat 2 Jul, 1pm

In celebration of Strange Collective's anticipated debut EP, Super Touchy, they're throwing a day of garage goodness, where searing tunes come served with BBQ and food stalls throughout the day. Joining them on the bill are Ohmns, Psycho Comedy, Beach Skulls, Sankofa, FUSS, The Floormen, Rongorongo, Lying Bastards, Cavalier Song, Bathymetry, The Probes, Queen Zee and the Sasstones, along with Bernie Connor and folk from Bido Lito! 'pon the decks.

Photo: Stuart Moulding

ADVERTISEMENT: Lakes Alive – Flight
Brockhole, Windermere. Thu 7-Fri 15 Jul

Lakes Alive launches with a new site-specific project in the Lake District, co-commissioned with @1418Now. Flight, by the internationally renowned Geraldine Pilgrim Performance Company, is an evocative promenade performance celebrating our desire to fly. Flight takes off with a series of site-specific performance journeys over four evenings from 7-10 July, and continues with an innovative installation at Brockhole on Windermere until 15 July. The historic house and grounds are given a fully immersive makeover to transport you through the excitement, intrigue and perils of flight. You encounter the performance in a group of 25 people over one hour making it a truly memorable experience. Limited tickets available, and selling fast. Get your tickets now.

Photo: Lead Hugo image

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Sham Bodie Summer Party
Eagle Inn, Salford. Sat 2 Jul, 3pm

Whatever the weather's doing outside, you can rest assured that you'll get to enjoy some sunny, funny goodness from the Sham Bodie boys this weekend with their Summer Party, which features comedy from Skinny Spotlight comedians Chris Cantrill (pictured), Amy Gledhill and Brennan Reece, music from Sally Mason and, above all else, Sham's second annual hot dog eating competition. Gonna be rad.

303 Constellations Garden Party
Constellations, Liverpool. Sat 2 Jul, 12pm

Now, there have been a fair few garden parties knocking around at Liverpool's many music venues, and so far, so good. BUT in a benevolent twist, 303 are leaving the cost of their do at Constellations completely down to you, with all of the ticket money donated to the Whitechapel Centre for the homeless. Along with Gemma Muir, Samuel Lamont and Stuart Hodson, there's also a special guest yet to be announced, so keep those eyes peeled here.

The Skinny presents: The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
HOME, Manchester. Wed 6 Jul, 8.20pm

We're teaming up with HOME for a special screening of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1972 masterpiece, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant. Told by an all-female cast, the film is a study in manipulation, desire and obsession set within the garish boudoir of a fashion designer, and was a deeply personal project for the New German Cinema pioneer, who drew on the raw emotions from his failed love affair with Bavarian actor Günther Kaufmann. This one's part of HOME's Nicolas Winding Refn Presents season, which you can find out more about here.

Saul Williams
Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds. Fri 1 Jul, 8pm

The inimitable rapper, poet, actor and all-round firebrand Saul Williams makes his triumphant return, this time with new project (the first in four years), MartyrLoserKing. Reflecting his signature multi-faceted performance style, MLK isn't just an album, but a cross-format undertaking, also consisting of a graphic novel and a movie – which you can read more about in our interview with Williams here.

FAC51 The Hacienda
Albert Hall, Manchester. Sat 2 Jul, 10pm

Don't have tickets for the sold-out Hacienda Classical concert? Fear not, as straight after, Manchester's famed club night will be firing up over at Albert Hall with Detroit techno innovator Derrick May, plus A Guy Called Gerald (pictured), Justin Robertson and Jon Dasilva. A Guy Called Gerald will also be doing a free in-store performance at Eastern Bloc from 6pm that day, with support from Mr Redley and Bloc residents.

Photo: Fergus McDonald

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Read more news from across the Northwest cultural scene at theskinny.co.uk/news
Find out how you could win some lovely prizes at theskinny.co.uk/competitions

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