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Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

The Abbey

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Visit now

The Abbey

Guildhall Close, Manchester, M15 6SY
01612262052
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  • Monday11:00am - 11:59pm
  • Tuesday11:00am - 11:59pm
  • Wednesday11:00am - 11:59pm
  • Thursday11:00am - 11:59pm
  • Friday11:00am - 1:00am
  • Saturday11:00am - 1:00am

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Visit now
The Old Abbey Taphouse
The Old Abbey Taphouse
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Now Wave – the team behind YES and some of the best independent gig programming in the city – have taken over a Victorian pub on Guildhall Road in Hulme, restored it and added a dedicated live music space at the back. Farewell, Old Abbey Taphouse. Welcome, The Abbey.

The building has been here since 1890, and its history earns a mention. In 1953, boxer and activist Len Johnson walked in with friends and was refused service because of the colour of his skin. He launched a campaign, the Lord Mayor and Bishop of Manchester got involved, and over three days more than 200 people gathered outside in protest. The colour bar was overturned. Johnson – who was teetotal – was invited back in and shared a drink with the publican.

Now it’s got to be said, there’s something to mourn in the loss of the Old Abbey Taphouse – a community hub with a radio station, pay-as-you-feel meals, refugee outreach, and a genuinely generous ethos towards grassroots promoters. But generosity, alas, doesn’t keep the lights on. If anyone was going to take over the place as a live venue, Now Wave are a safe bet, and the opening programme – emerging and independent artists, carefully chosen – suggests the right instincts are in place.

What's on near The Abbey

Ora Cogan by Alexa Black.
MusicManchester
Ora Cogan at The Abbey

Gothic country ballads, psych-folk drones and pedal steel drawn long and slow. Ora Cogan brings her witchy country to Now Wave’s new (old) pub.

From £18.50
jonathan schofield giving tour
Until
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–
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Manchester Open 2026 at HOME

Four editions in, the Manchester Open has become both a biennial survey of the region’s creative output and a genuine leveller for artistic talent.

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