Venues welcome back Manchester with major reopening campaign
The roadmap is proceeding and culture venues right across the city are reopening. #HereForCulture is urging people to rediscover these places after 200 days shutdown.
Arts organisations from across Manchester have joined forces for a major campaign to encourage people to rediscover the city’s culture after almost 200 days of venue closures.
From May 17, more COVID-19 restrictions are being relaxed in England – enabling bars, restaurants, theatres, libraries and cinemas to welcome back guests indoors.
To celebrate the momentous step, local venues have launched a #HereForCulture campaign supported by the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund – portraying culture as the beating heart of Manchester; inspiring confidence that venues are safe; and reminding people that a cultural experience can have a transformative effect.
A major poster, radio and digital campaign goes live today – with designs by Manchester’s Instruct Studio featuring emotive imagery and uplifting poetry to highlight the range of cultural experiences on offer in the city.
Chehtam’s School of Music Architecture is among the venues reopening to the public
#HereForCulture will run throughout the summer and into autumn, with multiple arts organisations involved including Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Chetham’s Library, Contact, GM Independent Artist Initiative, HOME, Hope Mill Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Camerata, Manchester International Festival, Manchester Libraries, Manchester Museum, Music Venues Trust, National Football Museum, Palace and Opera House Theatres, People’s History Museum, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Exchange Theatre, Science and Industry Museum, The Stoller Hall, The Whitworth and Z-arts.
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The campaign is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Tourist, Oxford Road Corridor, Manchester City Council, NHS and Network Rail.
The Royal Exchange will welcome back customers after a long period of closure
Dave Moutrey, Director of Culture at Manchester City Council, said: “It’s been a long road to get here, but from today cultural venues across Manchester begin to reopen and they couldn’t be more ready or more excited to welcome back audiences. This new joint campaign is backed by some wonderful organisations and its message is very clear: come visit our venues and embrace what’s on offer.
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“Whether you want to keep the kids busy throughout the holidays, have a shared night out with friends, or just enjoy a day of solo reflection; immersion in culture has been proven to help improve mental health and our arts venues and organisations are returning a brilliant selection of shows, exhibitions and events, with something for everyone.”
Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said: “Last month when we moved to Step Two of the Government’s roadmap, it was a big moment for operators in our retail and hospitality sectors who were given a chance to reopen and welcome people back safely; however, that same opportunity was held back for museums, galleries and theatres, meaning many venues have gone over 200 days without audiences.
“That changes today and it’s fantastic to see so many venues working together to celebrate the value of cultural experiences in Manchester. It’s a fun and inspiring campaign and we’re proud to be hosting some amazing content on visitmanchester.com and promoting our strong cultural offer.”
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More information is available about the campaign online.
Featured Image: #HereForCulture
Art & Culture
The Warehouse Project named one of the best nightclubs in the world
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester can add another big blue ribbon to its already richly adorned totem of music heritage, as The Warehouse Project has been named one of the best clubs in the entire world.
Not that we’re the least bit shocked, to be honest.
That’s right, our very own Warehouse Project – or WHP to use the more commonly thrown around shorthand – isn’t just the great successor to the likes of The Haçienda, Jilly’s Rockworld and many more Manc live music institutions, it’s become a raver’s rite of passage in its own right.
So it’s no surprise that it landed itself in the International NightLife Association’s best 100 clubs on the planet – but where exactly on the list did it land?
As you can see from the full NightLife International rankings for 2025, Warehouse Project didn’t just make it into the 100 club or even the top half; WHP broke into the best 30 clubs in the whole world.
Finishing in 27th position, specifically, Mayfield Depot‘s major tourist attraction was sandwiched between Ibiza’s Amnesia nightclub and the equally iconic Ministry of Sound in London.
Not bad company to keep, eh?
Writing in the caption, the organisation said: “From Ibiza to Singapore, Miami to Marrakech, and every nightlife capital in between, this year’s ranking showcases the venues that continue to elevate global nightlife with innovation, quality, and unforgettable experiences.”
“Cheers to all the clubs that made it onto the list”, they continued, thanking sponsors, artists and collaborators alike before adding, “Your commitment drives the industry forward.”
With the likes of Worried About Henry, Homobloc, Barry Can’t Swim, and the first-ever winter edition of Repercussion having already passed this year, the 2025 programme really has been electric.
But they’re not done yet; you can see the rest of what is on this year’s lineup down below.
One of the biggest dates on the current WHP calendar is, of course, their massive New Year’s Eve Party, which returns for 2025.
The team behind Warehouse is yet to respond to the prestigious international recognition, as they’re clearly still too busy putting on some of the best nights not just in town or the UK, but anywhere around the club.
You can get a closer look at the in-depth list of NightLife International’s top 100 clubs HERE.
Speaking of Manc nightlife, it’ll be interesting to see where a returning cult favourite will place itself on the leaderboard when it makes its full comeback very soon…
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied via WHP)
Art & Culture
Kendal Calling reveals fantastic 2026 lineup, including Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, The Kooks and more
Danny Jones
The lineup for Kendal Calling 2026 has been officially revealed in full, and let’s just say the list of headliners alone is absolutely box office.
It feels like we say this every year, but this could be one of their best to date.
With the likes of Scottish rock legends Biffy Clyro (after years of courting them), Mercury Prize-winning Wolf Alice, as well as indie veterans The Kooks and Two Door Cinema Club topping the bill on the main stage, next year’s Kendal Calling is shaping up to be a tasty one.
Next summer will mark the 21st year of the annual music and arts festival, and after a wonderful 20th anniversary edition in 2025, we have every faith the KC crew are going to nail it yet again.
Announcing a total of 120 acts – yes, this lineup is already STACKED – the roster is packed with everything from timeless indie stalwarts, Northern favourites, some pop surprises and plenty more.
For instance, we were genuinely buzzing to see not only the one and only Scissor Sisters, but also Gabrielle, and even noughties throwback, Vanessa Carlton.
We’re now hoping and praying she doesn’t pull out and quite literally travels ‘A Thousand Miles’ over to the Lake District.
After making their own comebacks this year, the likes of The Libertines, Deaf Havana, Hard-Fi and several others have joined the lineup, which is spread across more than a dozen stages, including non-musical acts and other bits of live entertainment.
We were very much spoilt for choice for our favourite festivals this year, but you only have to read our review of ‘KC20’ to know how much it meant to be there.
You can see the Kendal Calling 2026 lineup poster down below.
‘26's Adventure Revealed! 🙌 Like & RT for your chance to win VIP upgrades, boutique camping & a £200 bar tab!
Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, Scissor Sisters, The Libertines & more head to the Lakes! pic.twitter.com/HoI0qpgrxQ
If you look closely, you can also see that there’s a special guest slot thrown in there, too, though we’re stumped as to even the slightest hint of who it could be.
We’re sure you’ll have your theories and guesses in the chamber already, but let’s just say that after seeing how well they’ve done with surprises in the past, we cannot wait.
Commenting on the drop, co-founder Ben Robinson said: “I’m so excited to reveal next year’s line-up! Our brilliant team has secured a line-up worthy of the jaw-dropping faith the Kendal Calling family puts in us each year.
“Selling 98% of the tickets before announcing a single artist is the biggest compliment we could ever receive, so here’s an early Christmas present to say thank you!”
Like the man said, most full weekend passes have already gone, but if this lineup tickles your interest, you can still register for the final release of Kendal Calling 2026 tickets right HERE.
The Manc -
17th May 2021 
