What's On Northwest: New Year's Eve

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.

Escape to Planet Kronos
The Kazimier, Liverpool. Thu 31 Dec, 8pm

They've been keeping the lid on the details for this one, but there can hardly be any doubt that Escape to Planet Kronos, the final event ever to be held at The Kazimier, is going to be spectacular, bringing an end to seven years of vibrant and eclectic programming in true Kaz style. Yes this one's long sold out, but we urge you to do whatever you can (err, that's within the law of course) to try and get in somehow. We're going to miss The Kazimier a hell of a lot.

Photo: Danny Ryder

Keep It Unreal
Old Granada Studios, Manchester. Thu 31 Dec, 9pm

The usual Mr Scruff melting pot of everything from jazz, soul, hip-hop and funk to disco, deep house and everything in between is concocted at Old Granada Studios for a special one-off to bring in the new year. Joining the Band on The Wall resident and scene veteran (pictured) over seven hours will be Qool DJ Marv and Kelvin Brown, with MC Kwasi on hosting duties. Get yourself in the mood with Scruff's alternative Christmas playlist made just for us.

The Needle Exchange
24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool. Thu 31 Dec, 10pm

24 Kitchen Street team up an array of their finest residents along with the much-loved No Fakin' crew's own distinguished residents for a New Year's Eve night low on gimmick high on quality. Tickets start at just a fiver in opposition to the highly priced nights in the city centre, while music on the night will showcase the best in underground disco, funk, afro, latin and soul.

Pop Bastard
Fuel Cafe Bar, Manchester. Thu 31 Dec, 8pm

You'll rarely find a better New Year's Eve in the suburbs of Manchester than at vegetarian cafe and bar Fuel, and tonight it's Pop Bastard's turn to host, with a range of regional bands turning their talents to other's music. Liverpool's Organ Freeman promise a set of modern pop bangers, while angular math pop types New Hips are bringing the hits of Madonna to the table. 'Super group' Judas Feast! play hard rock classics while Bummer Squad take on pop hits from the last 50 years.

Superstar Funhouse
Islington Mill, Salford. Thu 31 Dec, 10pm

Islington Mill promise the chance for you to enjoy "a meteoric rise to stardom, and then burn out in blaze of desperate glory all under the watchful eye of the greedy vicious press" in Superstar Funhouse, their latest night of anarchy. Taking over three floors of the Victorian mill, tonight welcomes DJ sets from Stop Making Sense, Drunk at Vogue's Thom Docking, Pumping Iron's Andy Bailey and more, while Brooklyn art collective Cheryl are co-hosting the whole thing.

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Circus Christmas Special
Camp and Furnace, Liverpool. Sun 27 Dec, 5pm

Reputable Liverpool party starters Circus are in no mood to put their feet up after Christmas, and urge you to get dancing again too with the Circus Christmas Special, which features names like Jamie Jones – recently voted 12th in Resident Advisor's Top 100 DJs – as well as German DJ Loco Dice (pictured), one-time MadTech breakthrough sensation Citizenn and more. For the rest of Liverpool's New Year's Eve highlights head here.

Last Night of the Christmas Proms
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Sat 26 Dec, 3pm

For something a little more wholesome than joining the scrum of the Boxing Day sales, head to the Bridgewater Hall where the venue will be bringing the curtain down on their ever-excellent festive programme, with a final afternoon of seasonal favourites and classical mainstays. The Manchester Concert Orchestra will be guiding you through the likes of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel Overture, Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Waltz and much more.

303 NYE
Constellations, Liverpool. Thu 31 Dec, 9pm

Well-bearded DJ and producer Justin Robertson headlines what looks to be a top notch 303 NYE bash at Constellations. The long-time proponent of alien machine funk now well beyond his early 90s acid house leanings to take in pretty much whatever takes his fancy – as his curated playlist for us a couple of years ago proves. He'll be joined by a host of local talent including Mr Paul, Hold It Down and Autocycle.

Photo: Sebastian Matthes

mUmU Boxing Night
New Bird Warehouse, Liverpool. Sat 26 Dec, 9pm

Much like Circus, mUmU don't want to hang around before shedding the festive fat. The house and techno night are throwing a huge Boxing Day party at new spot the New Bird Warehouse, and they'll be joined by Rekids founder Radio Slave – one of Matt Edwards best-known alter-egos thanks to his splicing together of New Order's Blue Monday and Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out Of My Head. Soma's Slam will also be making a mUmU debut among a host of other guests.

Safe
HOME, Manchester. Wed 30 Dec, 6pm, Prices vary

Showing as part of the exhibition Safe: Alienation, Fear, Paranoia and Film Form, Todd Haynes' Safe tells the story of southern Californian Carol White, an alienated housewife who develops a debilitating allergy to the 20th century. The film is the starting point for the exhibition, on until 3 Jan, which features a series of new commissions from Claire Makhlouf Carter, Chris Paul Daniels, Yoshua Okon, 2014 Turner Prize nominee James Richards and more.

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