The 6 Best Costume Rental Companies in Manchester

Whether you are planning a photoshoot, video production, hen do, or any other type of event — great attire is key! Costume rental companies in Manchester offer everything from gorgeous period pieces to silly-themed party costumes. Here are some of our favorite places to go to find the best costumes around Manchester!

Once you have your costume and theme lined up, what about your venue? Peerspace has you covered there, too! After all, we are the largest digital marketplace for event venues that you can book by the hour or day. Just check out all the incredible spaces we have available in Manchester that you can rent today. From elegant penthouses to rustic warehouses, you’ll find it all on Peerspace’s easy-booking platform.

1. The Royal Exchange Theatre, St. Ann’s Square

One of the best places to find the perfect costume is at the theatre! After a production, The Royal Exchange Theatre collects many of the costumes and accessories used and offers them up for rent at their Costume Hire Department. They have a vast selection of handmade and beautifully crafted clothing, jewelry, hats, and shoes from a wide range of historical periods. And The Royal Exchange offers you more than just a costume — they provide fitting and styling services, too!

Whether you are searching for matching period pieces or would just like some advice from a costume expert, the staff at Royal Exchange can help. If you are looking to outfit a large group in costumes, the theatre also offers a “Ready to Go” scheme. They prepare costumes in advance based on your group’s needs and the measurements you supply, making the process of costume fitting and selection quick and easy! Special rates are available for schools, colleges, charities, and amateur dramatic societies.

2. The Costume Department, Media City, Salford Quays

The Costume Department is Manchester’s first professional production costume hire company. Originally, it was the actual costume department for Granada Television, and has now evolved into its own shop and hire service. In addition to its 50,000 costumes on hand, they also offer a fitting room and makeup station for hire, a tailor shop staffed with professionals, and a reference library and some fashionable inspiration.

The Costume Department has created clothes for such productions as Peaky Blinders, Benidorm, Creeped Out, Eaten By Lions, and Harlan Coben’s Safe. With 60 years in the biz, you can rely on this hire shop for your ready-made and custom costume needs.

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3. Hidden Corner Fancy Dress, Manchester Arndale Unit 29

For family-run costume rental companies in Manchester with years of experience, look no further than Hidden Corner Fancy Dress. Hidden Corner has been active in the clothing industry for over 50 years. The majority of their clients include an array of local businesses, like clubs and universities. And in fact, they even offer holiday-themed fancy dress and outfits for a fun hen or stag party. Hidden Corner offers props, make-up, wigs and more and can usually also deliver within three to five working days of your online order.

4. American Graffitti, Union, Albert Square

Looking for a silly and fun dress-up night with friends? Check out all the hilarious and colorful costumes offered at American Graffitti. Whether you’re hosting a Hawaiian-themed luau party or a groovy 70s event, American Graffitti has your perfect costume.

This fancy dress shop prides itself on being able to find you the best costume for a theme night. And if you have no idea what to wear, their team will happily style you to perfection. Pop in for a visit on the second floor of Afflecks and see if you can find the perfect costume, wig, shoes, or accessories for your next retro party.

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5. Celebration Party Shop, 515 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton

If you’ve been searching for costume rental companies in Manchester that also offer decorations and venue dressing for your event, stop by Celebration Party Shop! They offer a variety of children’s and adults’ fancy dress costumes and the accessories you need for the party. Celebration Party Shop also offers the option of decorating your venue for you. This is a genius service if you don’t have the time to set everything up yourself.

Their decorations include banners, favors, tableware, confetti, and everything else you need to make your party come alive!

6. RS Prop Masters, 20 Haigh Park, Stockport

If you are looking for handmade Star Wars-themed costumes and props that are nothing short of perfection, contact RS Prop Masters. The small but elite team of prop masters at RS dislike inaccurate and badly made replica props! With their passion, you can ensure the items they make you are the gold standard. Brian Muir, the artist behind Darth Vader’s helmet, even wrote them a review for how great their replicas are! 

Bonus: Charades Theatrical Costume Hire, Bold Lane, St Helens

Though Charades is technically outside of Manchester, just west in St Helens, its superb selection and history make it far worth the short drive. The gifted costumers at Charades have worked with amateur and professional stage productions for the last 30 years, providing costumes and accessories for plays, musicals, and operas. Not only that, but they also provide costumes for events, too, so you don’t necessarily have to be staging a production to get your hands on their amazing costumes.

In terms of professional productions, Charades has created outfits for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Shrek: The Musical, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, to name but a few. You can set up an appointment with them online using their handy diary calendar system, so there’s no need to call or show up unannounced.

Peerspace makes parties and productions better

Once you have the best attire imaginable picked out, make sure you have the right venue to match! Peerspace offers gorgeous and fun venues that are perfect for showing off your fancy dress. Peerspace includes production spaces of all sizes and event venues with amazing amenities.

For instance, you can shoot your period piece at this retro penthouse in the Northern Quarter (pictured above) and then hire this cool basement bar for the after-party. When you use Peerspace, booking unique venues for all your needs is seamless!

Not only that, but by booking a Peerspace venue, you can enlist the help of your venue’s dedicated host. So whether you are planning on shooting a film or hosting a party, Peerspace has an array of great options for you to choose from.

Find unique event venues in Manchester on Peerspace