Nightclubs in Manchester

Sarah Lane

Some might say the nightclubs in Manchester just ain’t what they used to be. And I’d agree. Long gone are the days of one-genre-fits-all. Manchester today offers such a variety of venues at which to feel young and alive, you’d be a fool not to check out the city’s solid-gold after hours scene.

There are plenty of places to get your groove on and if you’re in the mood for a bit of cheese, house or commercial dance then make your way down to Deansgate Locks or Canal Street, both of which offer an array of options for you to shake your tail feather ‘til the sky turns blue. And if it’s live music you’re after, see our gig guides for suggestions catered specifically to your taste.

But if you’re looking for a slightly less sleek slice of Mancunian atmosphere, shimmy over to one of the spots on this ‘ere guide. We’ve got the pick of the bunch from funk n soul through classic indie right down to yer proper rave-ups. So if you’re looking for somewhere to have a few drinks and dance the night away til the wee hours, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are our picks

  • 1. The White Hotel, Salford

    Creative Tourist

    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.

  • 2. Hidden

    Courtesy of 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.

  • 3. Progress Centre

    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.

  • 4. YES

    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.

  • 5. The Deaf Institute

    Pimped Fries

    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.

  • 6. Band on the Wall

    Manchester music venue, Band on the Wall

    Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 5JZ - Visit now

    Band on the Wall, with its 200 year history, has been transformed. The capacity of the main room has been extended to 500, the bar’s had a major facelift, and there’s more DJ nights on the line-up than ever.

  • 7. Soup

    Image of Soup Kitchen in Manchester's Northern Quarter
    Ben Williams

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

    Though the bar has been around for a while, and during the day Soup is a decent place to go to for a Northern Quarter, communal-style lunch, the basement plays hosts to some excellent club nights. As a room, it’s a little bit dingy, but it more than comes to life when there are 150 people stuffed inside.

  • 8. Victoria Warehouse

    Victoria Warehouse, Victoria Warehouse, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M17 1AB - Visit now

    Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse is an event and gallery space close to The Quays, home to more than its fair share of wild club nights.

  • 9. South

    Courtesy of South

    South, 4a King Street, Manchester, M2 6DQ - Visit now

    Bite-size basement dive South alternates techno-house and indie nights. This stalwart of the Manchester music scene that can be found just off Deansgate next door to St Ann’s Square.

  • 10. The Ritz

    The Ritz Manchester live music venue

    The Ritz, Whitworth Street West, Manchester, Great Manchester, M1 5NQ - Visit now

    The Ritz is a historic music venue whose springy dance floor plys (bouncy) host to all manner of live gigs and club nights.

  • 11. Joshua Brooks

    Joshua Brooks, 106 Princess Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 6NG

    Long-established Manchester bar and nightclub, Joshua Brooks is just off student hotspot Oxford Road, open until 4am on the weekends with regular DJ-led club nights.

  • 12. FAC251

    FAC251, 118 Princess St, Manchester , Greater Manchester, M1 7EN - Visit now

    Boasting premises that once housed Manchester’s legendary Factory Records, FAC251 @The Factory is now home to a nightclub bursting with freshers across all three floors of hits across the spectrum.

  • 13. Albert’s Schloss

    Alberts Schloss
    Albert Schloss

    Albert’s Schloss, 27 Peter Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 5QR - Visit now

    You’ll find this self-confessed ‘bohemian pleasure palace’ on the ground floor of established music venue the Albert Hall. This Bavarian-themed den of delights is well known for the glamorous entertainers and frequent dancing on the tables.

  • 14. Rebellion

    Rebellion, 2B Whitworth Street West, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 5WZ

    Live music and 4am nightclub venue Rebellion provides a rock-heavy alternative with smatterings of bass, across from the Manchester’s Deansgate Locks.

  • 15. Bar Pop

    Bar Pop, 10 Canal Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 3EZ

    Nightclub identifying as an ‘IndieDiscoElectroHomoMadHiphopBritPopFunkyKindaShagtasticQueerThing’, Bar Pop on Manchester’s vibrant Canal Street is known for its friendly atmosphere.

  • 16. G-A-Y

    G-A-Y, 63 Richmond Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 3WB

    Smack bang in the centre of Manchester’s Canal Street, colourful club on the corner, G-A-Y, is popular with a youngish crowd looking for pop tunes, cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere. And there’s a rooftop terrace for the smokers.