Fashion fans will get the chance to walk inside a huge immersive world of runways and haute couture as Vogue's Inventing the Runway show comes to Manchester for the first time. The immersive event is being brought to life by Lightroom, the people behind the hugely popular David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away) exhibition, which will also return to Aviva Studios this December it has been announced today. Alongside Vogue and David Hockney, film star Tom Hanks narrates an epic experience The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks, which will also play in repertory from the Lightroom team at Aviva Studios . All three shows will run from December 16 through to January 4, with tickets going on general sale from Friday, June 20. Vogue: Inventing the Runway uses Vogue’s archive and fashion network to present an experience created in collaboration with Anna Wintour and Vogue editors, exploring the history of the fashion runway show, narrated by Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett. From the intimate couture salons of the early 20th century to the unforgettable pop-culture events of the present, Inventing the Runway reveals how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision, and at times, a walking expression of their identity. The experience brings together the industry’s leading voices with first hand interviews and a rich mix of media. Original animation, immersive sound design and a score fusing classical and pop music combine to evoke the world of fashion and the moments when iconic shows shifted the cultural landscape. Mark Guiducci, Creative Editorial Director, Vogue said: "Runway shows have reflected society and its values for more than a century. We hope that Inventing the Runway gives audiences a better understanding of how those shows mirror the changes not only in fashion, but also culture at large—the arts, entertainment, technology, politics, and the ways that they’re all intertwined." Anna Wintour, Global Editorial Director of Vogue, said: "At Vogue we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves. "This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.” Inventing the Runway will feature the work of the most significant creative minds in fashion history, including: Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney.Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. Meanwhile The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks will see the movie star narrate an epic experience offering a unique perspective on humankind’s past and future voyages to the moon. Co-written by Tom Hanks and BAFTA-nominated writer-director Christopher Riley, The Moonwalkers provides a gripping account of the Apollo missions of the 1960’s and ‘70s at spectacular scale, blending original NASA footage and breathtaking images from Andy Saunders’ Apollo Remastered. Also looking ahead to the next chapter, the production features newly filmed interviews between Tom Hanks and astronauts from the current Artemis programme, offering audiences a glimpse into the future of crewed surface missions to the moon. The production is co-directed by Nick Corrigan and Lysander Ashton of 59 Productions, and is accompanied by an original orchestral score by Anne Nikitin, recorded by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the iconic Abbey Road Studios. Tom Hanks said: “As a youth, I was deeply affected by the Apollo missions finally taking us to the moon for the first time in human history. I would have gone myself, given the chance. "I’ve worked on many projects to re-create those times and to bring alive the scale, the risks, and the accomplishment of the voyages; the dedication and commitment of the human being who made each journey, the story of each chapter of Apollo. "The extraordinary, unique production capabilities of Lightroom have allowed me, alongside writer Christopher Riley, directors Nick Corrigan and Lysander Ashton, and composer Anne Nikitin, to tell what we believe is the most visceral and enthralling version to date. "We can include everyone on humanity’s journey beyond our earth of fifty years ago and for those about to come with a prelude to the next time human beings will walk on the moon: the Artemis missions.” Following its success in 2024 in both Manchester and London, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) returns from 16 December – 11 January. Narrated and created by the artist himself, paired with an original score by Nico Muhly, the experience affords unparalleled access to the mind of one of Britain’s most loved artists. Taking audiences on a personal journey through 60 years of his art, Hockney’s process is revealed in a cycle of six chapters featuring some of his most iconic images. Audiences hear from Hockney as they watch how he experiments with perspective, uses photography as a way of ‘drawing with a camera’, captures the passing of time in his photographic collages and the joy of spring on his iPad–and shows us why only paint can properly convey the hugeness of the Grand Canyon. Running alongside Lightroom, in the Hall, leading performance company Circa Contemporary Circus and animation studio Aardman have also announced today they will collaborate on the UK premiere of Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show (11 December – 4 January). Aardman’s classic, slapstick, comedy character Shaun the Sheep is combined with live circus performance, simultaneously blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus for a visual spectacle packed with wit. The winter programme of events at Aviva Studios have been announced today, with tickets going on pre-sale to theatre members from Wednesday, June 18, before going on general sale from Friday, June 20.