Clubs in Manchester

Demi Sheridan, Editorial Assistant

Manchester’s club scene runs late and loud – from basement sweatboxes to warehouse raves, there’s always somewhere to lose track of time. While the city’s big-name venues draw the headlines, it’s the underground clubs that really set the pace. This is our top 10 guide to the city’s underground club scene – the venues that operate just outside the mainstream, in basements, in backrooms… with nights curated by people who actually give a shit.

From gritty rave spots hidden in industrial estates to late-night sanctuaries soundtracked by selectors who know their craft, these are the places where Manchester’s real nightlife pulses loudest.

Expect an eclectic mix of spaces: intimate basement dens for vinyl-only selectors, atmospheric warehouse rooms where industrial beats bounce off raw brick walls, cosy backroom bars hiding off-grid after-hours sessions, and sprawling converted spaces where live DJs, visual artists and lively crowds collide. You’ll find everything from post-punk all-nighters and left‑field disco to deep techno. These are the bars that choose character over polish, the nights that build a community you can’t help but become a part of.

If you want to know how to spend your next open ended evening the in city, you’re in the right place.

Our top picks

The White Hotel, Salford

The White Hotel, Salford, Unit 3
Dickinson Street, Manchester, M3 7LW - Visit now

This self-proclaimed sin slide is one of the most exciting clubs the North West has to offer, its reputation travelling internationally. Located in an unhipstered industrial zone in the shadows of Strangeways prison, it’s sort of in the middle of no-where, and it makes the most of that fact by throwing some of the wildest parties around, club nights regularly running until unmentionable o’clock.

Burnt Retinas at The White Hotel
JJ.

The Loft

The Loft, Unit One, New Street, Manchester, M40 8AW - Visit now

It’s the kind of venue where the crowd arrives early and actually dances – none of that influencer crap. Stomp, sing, square dance if you really want to, the venue’s Funktion-One sound system has got you covered.

The Loft
Luke Asquith

Hidden

Hidden, Downtex Mill, 16-18 Mary St, Manchester, M3 1NH - Visit now

The techno-aficionados behind Hidden have had resounding success with this Salford club. A reliably authentic raver haven is a previously neglected textile mill, rejuvenated with the healing vibrations of heavy bass. Every weekend in the wee hours happy partygoers spill out into the barren industrial surrounds, all danced out with smiles aplenty.

Progress Centre

Progress Centre, Progress Centre, Charlton Place, Manchester, M12 6HS - Visit now

Having served two summers of temporary parties, Progress Centre has been reinvented into a new permanent outdoor club in central Manchester, which is hosting a string of massive parties this summer.

PROGRESS
Progress.

Soup

Soup, 31-33 Spear Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, Manchester, M1 1DF - Visit now

SOUP’s basement is its beating heart – a stripped-back, low-ceilinged space with a loyal following and a big sound. Programming spans live music, club nights and experimental happenings. It’s sweaty, intense and intimate – the kind of room where the energy is in your face and the barriers between crowd and performer all but disappear.

Soup Kitchen venue
Sasha Shuttleworth

The Peer Hat

The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday Street, Manchester, M1 1BE - Visit now

Hailed as something of a cry back ‘to the way the Northern Quarter used to be’, The Peer Hat is Old English styled and yet determinedly celebrates current grassroots musicians in its basement gig room and club space.

the peer hat manchester
the peer hat manchester

YES

YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB - Visit now

The apple in Now Wave’s eye, YES is a music venue located in a former auctioneers house on Charles Street. It boasts four floors for live music and DJ’s, two food outlets, plus an outdoor roof terrace.

Islington Mill

Islington Mill, James Street, Salford, Greater Manchester, M3 5HW - Visit now

There aren’t many venues in Greater Manchester that feel so creatively alive as this place. Operating under a steadfast belief in the DIY maxim, Islington Mill is fiercely independent, supportive to artists of various disciplines, and creative in every respect.

Stage & Radio

Stage & Radio, 43 Port Street, Manchester, M1 2EQ - Visit now

Stage & Radio is probably the most important venue in Manchester nightlife right now. It’s tucked away at the end of Port Street, next to Port Street Tavern, far from the main Ibiza-style Stevenson Square strip, and attracts a cutting edge crowd of next year’s main players when it comes to DJing, promoting and all things clubland.

Stage and Radio

The Deaf Institute

The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 7HE - Visit now

Covering no less than three floors head in on the ground floor and pick up a drink before choosing between the sweaty upstairs dancefloor and the cosy basement. The cocktail list reads like an old-school sweet shop and there’s plenty of craft beers if you’ve more of a taste for grapefruit than bubblegum.

Where to go in

The Loft
Manchester
Music venue
The Loft

The Loft is an intimate, industrial-style club tucked away on the edge of Manchester city centre. Known for its impeccable sound system and low-key vibe.

The Engine Room Notice Board
Southport
Event venue
The Engine Room

The Engine Room is a creative community hub in Southport’s Wayfarers Arcade, offering co-working space, cultural events and collaborative opportunities for artists, freelancers and educators.

Image of the outside of Altogether Otherwise at night with people inside
Manchester
Event venue
Altogether Otherwise

Altogether Otherwise is a haven of activity where all are encouraged to make, do, dance, read and enjoy pursuing creativity with no pressure.

A 350-capacity space, permanent live music venue at 75 Argyle Street. This community venue will bring some of today’s most exciting new national and international artists to Wirral, while at the same time providing key early performance opportunities for emerging local musicians.
Wirral
Event venue
Future Yard

Future Yard is the Wirral’s most exciting music venue providing a stage and opportunities for musicians and the local community.

music 2
City Centre
Music venue
Rough Trade

The largest of Rough Trade stores, it’s record shop, event space and concert venue in the heart of Liverpool, complete with its own gift shop

music 2
Liverpool
Music venue
Round the Corner

Round the Corner provides excellent drinks, local music and good vibes, with a rooftop bar and an event space in Liverpool’s Fabric District.

music 3
Music venue
QUARRY

QUARRY is a grassroots music venue that works with and for the community, providing a platform for local musicians and other creatives.

Manchester Factory international Festival - People enjoying Festival Square in the city centre
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Factory Square

Factory Square is a huge beer garden, on the banks of the River Irwell, with top-quality drinks and street food selections.

The Feel Good Club exterior
Manchester
Event venue
Feel Good Club

Our flagship Feel Good Club in Manchester, open 7 days a week, providing a beautiful friendly environment for coffee, brunch, lunch, cocktails and beers with an amazing selection of non alcoholic beverages too.

The Edge exterior
Wigan
Event venue
The Edge, Wigan

Opened in September 2017, The Edge Arena is Wigan’s performance, conference and event venue.

Bradford
Theatre
Tapestry Arts

Tapestry Arts is a live-music venue and bar, arts complex and theatre all rolled into one.

Visitor Guides

Mottram Hall
Hotels in Cheshire

To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to the best hotels in Cheshire, including Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.

Ossett Brewery Exterior
Brewery Tours in Leeds

Leeds has long been a city built on beer — from its industrial-era brewing giants to the new wave of craft innovators reshaping the scene today.

SB_BreweryTour- Distillery Two
Brewery Tours in Manchester

A growing number of breweries and independent tour operators now offer behind-the-scenes access to the city’s thriving beer scene.

Afternoon Tea in Manchester

The finest places in Manchester to sip Darjeeling, eat dainty finger sandwiches and slap extra clotted cream on a freshly baked scone.

Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds
Museums in Leeds

Discover the treasures waiting to be discovered as you work your way through our hand-picked selection of museums in Leeds.

Restaurants in Leeds

Discover the best food in Leeds by using our handy expert guide to the finest restaurants in Leeds and its surrounding areas

Leeds Central Library Literary Places in Leeds.
Literary places in Leeds

There's plenty to spout about when it comes to literature in Leeds, including a number of regular nights and a thriving festival scene.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Theatre in Manchester and the North.
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.