Entertainment in Preston

A main cultural hub in the city, the Preston Guildhall and Charter Theatre is one of the best places to catch live music. With two rooms to choose from – the 738-seater Charter Theatre and the 2,034 seat Grand Hall – a variety of travelling bands have played here, including The Cribs, 70s punk band The Skids, Paul Young and Madness frontman Suggs. Tickets for all the shows can be booked direct from their website, while the theatre also has an impressive programme of other music events including West End musicals and travelling orchestras.

A sprawling entertainment complex, you can eat and drink on site as well, with everything from street food, locally made ice cream, Italian classics and pre-show cocktails on offer. And, as ever, we’re well placed to take in the action, with our Preston Central hotel just half a mile away.

Alternatively, head down to the 1,500 capacity 53 Degrees (named after the club’s latitude). A hub for current bands, big names like Kasabian, Calvin Harris and Dizzee Rascal have played there over the years. And as part of the university campus, it’s always popular with students.

Whilst you're here, be sure not to miss the iconic Lytham Festival! Enjoy live performances from music legends at this five-day event in St Annes. After the show, rest your head at one of our comfy nearby hotels.

Preston is blessed with several cinema outlets, but if you’d like a trip in time alongside your storytelling, make the Palace Cinema your first stop. One of the north-west’s oldest cinemas, dating back to 1860, they’re so old-school they sell ice creams at the front of each screening and serve mugs of tea – perfect for a wet and windy Preston day. Sadly, that retro approach means you can’t reserve seats in advance, but with tickets cheaper than the multiplex options, that can work in your favour.

If you fancy a few more mod cons, then head to the Vue or Odeon cinema complexes. The Odeon is closest to our Preston Central hotel at 1.3 miles away and has nine screens, while the Vue complex is two miles from our Preston South (Craven Drive) hotel. Also home to nine screens, it maybe wins over the Odeon, as every theatre is replete with leather recliner chairs, meaning you can catch the films in a relaxed style.

If theatre is your go-to entertainment, you’ll be well served by Preston, with its two high-class outlets.

We’ve rounded up the Preston Guildhall and Charter Theatre and the Preston Playhouse Theatre on our dedicated Preston theatre page.

Pub quiz, hot shot – which is the fourth most successful team in English league history? Yup, you guessed it, Preston North End. A force to be reckoned with since the late 1880s, the team have also played the second highest number of league games. The facts and stats just keep on coming, as they were the first ever league champions, winning the cup and league double that year without conceding a goal in the cup or losing a game in the league, giving them the hard-earned nickname The Invincibles.

Currently battling hard in the Championship, the second tier of English football, they’ve never quite hit those heights since, plummeting to the fourth division in 1985 despite being managed by World Cup winners Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles.

They can boast some illustrious ex-players including Sir Tom Finney, their record goalscorer, with David Moyes a manager as recently as 2002.

Deepdale Stadium has been their home since 1887 and is now a 23,404-capacity ground with an impressive range of facilities and strong home support. Local rivalries include Blackpool, Burnley and Blackburn, while no trip to Deepdale is complete without trying one of their famous butter pies; a melt-in-the-mouth mix of buttery mashed potato and onions with a thin pastry crust. Alcohol is served at the ground, but isn’t allowed into the stands. The stadium is walkable from our Preston Central hotel at 1.7 miles, but getting a taxi or parking in the streets nearby is probably your best option.