City Guides
Manchester
Nightclubs
Manchester has been home to a thriving and innovative club culture for many years. Jimmy Savile, and Tony Prince (a member of Savile’s staff at his Manchester club) have both variously been credited with being the first club DJs. Manchester led the way with Northern Soul and house music in the 60s and 80s, respectively, and continues to boast an exciting nightlife.
One Central Street is a funky house and disco club on Central Street in the city centre. Located in the basement of Grade II listed building, the club is an exclusive venue with no dress code but a selective door policy. Various aftershow parties have been held in the venue. The bar serves a range of cocktails, wines and beers. Amongst club nights held at the club are Bugged Out and Ace of Clubs. The club is open from Thursdays to Sundays, closing at 3am. For more information, call 0161 211 9000.
Sankeys is a club on Jersey Street, offering deep house, tribal and break beats on Fridays, and funky house on Saturdays. The club also hosts Club NME, Octopussy and Rejeckt. A recent refurbishment of the venue has seen the club reopen with sleek décor and state of the art sound system. Sankeys has won a number of awards, despite being such a small club, and is rapidly building a reputation as one of the better clubs in Manchester.
Essential is a ‘gay superclub’, based Minshull Street and owned by Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith. Renowned for its strict door policy, the club claims to admit gay-friendly straight people, but gay clubbers are preferred. The décor is grand-kitsch, with spiral staircases, neon lighting and poles for pole-dancing. The venue hosts live music events on Monday nights. Current club nights include Chav Bender, House Party and Sabbath Blue, presenting commercial pop and funky house. Call 0161 236 0077 for more information.
The Birdcage is a cabaret club on Withy Grove, presenting cheesy pop and disco from the 60s to the 80s and live cabaret. Full table service is offered.
5th Avenue is an indie club on Princess Street in the city centre. Club nights present a combination of indie and classical rock with dance and hip-hop. Cheap entry and drinks offers make the club very popular amongst the student population, and there are usually very long queues on student-only nights. The club is open six nights a week, closed on Sundays, licensed until 3am.
Jilly’s Rockworld is based on Oxford Road. The club offers rock, metal and goth music in its four rooms from Thursdays to Sundays, and live music on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays. Thursday night is Cheapskates, with cheap entry and drinks offers, and on Friday night the club is open until 7am. The club has an enviable reputation among the alternative crowd, and came third in Kerrang!’s list of the top hundred UK nightclubs. Call 0161 236 9971 for more information.
South is another popular rock and indie club, this one based on South King Street in the city centre. The club has been open since 1995, and presents rock, indie and dance classics.
Band on the Wall is perhaps one of Manchester’s most famous venues. The premises were built in 1862, and became home to Band on the Wall in 1975. The club takes its name from the performance area, once a room in the next-door property, high up on one of the walls, where the bands performed. The venue is currently closed for refurbishment and due to reopen towards the end of 2007 as REBIRTH.
One Central Street is a funky house and disco club on Central Street in the city centre. Located in the basement of Grade II listed building, the club is an exclusive venue with no dress code but a selective door policy. Various aftershow parties have been held in the venue. The bar serves a range of cocktails, wines and beers. Amongst club nights held at the club are Bugged Out and Ace of Clubs. The club is open from Thursdays to Sundays, closing at 3am. For more information, call 0161 211 9000.
Sankeys is a club on Jersey Street, offering deep house, tribal and break beats on Fridays, and funky house on Saturdays. The club also hosts Club NME, Octopussy and Rejeckt. A recent refurbishment of the venue has seen the club reopen with sleek décor and state of the art sound system. Sankeys has won a number of awards, despite being such a small club, and is rapidly building a reputation as one of the better clubs in Manchester.
Essential is a ‘gay superclub’, based Minshull Street and owned by Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith. Renowned for its strict door policy, the club claims to admit gay-friendly straight people, but gay clubbers are preferred. The décor is grand-kitsch, with spiral staircases, neon lighting and poles for pole-dancing. The venue hosts live music events on Monday nights. Current club nights include Chav Bender, House Party and Sabbath Blue, presenting commercial pop and funky house. Call 0161 236 0077 for more information.
The Birdcage is a cabaret club on Withy Grove, presenting cheesy pop and disco from the 60s to the 80s and live cabaret. Full table service is offered.
5th Avenue is an indie club on Princess Street in the city centre. Club nights present a combination of indie and classical rock with dance and hip-hop. Cheap entry and drinks offers make the club very popular amongst the student population, and there are usually very long queues on student-only nights. The club is open six nights a week, closed on Sundays, licensed until 3am.
Jilly’s Rockworld is based on Oxford Road. The club offers rock, metal and goth music in its four rooms from Thursdays to Sundays, and live music on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays. Thursday night is Cheapskates, with cheap entry and drinks offers, and on Friday night the club is open until 7am. The club has an enviable reputation among the alternative crowd, and came third in Kerrang!’s list of the top hundred UK nightclubs. Call 0161 236 9971 for more information.
South is another popular rock and indie club, this one based on South King Street in the city centre. The club has been open since 1995, and presents rock, indie and dance classics.
Band on the Wall is perhaps one of Manchester’s most famous venues. The premises were built in 1862, and became home to Band on the Wall in 1975. The club takes its name from the performance area, once a room in the next-door property, high up on one of the walls, where the bands performed. The venue is currently closed for refurbishment and due to reopen towards the end of 2007 as REBIRTH.
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