One of the best-loved and longest-standing clubbing institutions in Manchester, Funkademia, is relocating once more as it leaves Mint Lounge after 14 years.
Started all the way back in 1995, there isn’t an older weekly club night in the history of this city, but the local weekend event and raver’s rite of passage is about to leave the cult favourite Northern Quarter venue after nearly a decade and a half and set up shop in another new home.
From its infancy at the old Boardwalk on Little Peter Street and popping up in the Mint Lounge back circa 2014, to the continued residency at Exhibition on Fridays, there have been many iterations of Funkademia and now the next chapter beckons from student-central over on Oxford Road.
It’s the start of a new era and it gets started this weekend.
Following in the footsteps of many famous promotions before them, future Funkademia nights will now be hosted by the legendary Deaf Institute.
ADVERTISEMENT
Celebrating with a launch party on Saturday, 21 September, the iconic event will take over all three floors of the venue; The Music Hall will spin classic funk, disco, and soul beneath the disco ball, while the main bar (a.k.a. The Boombox Room) pumps R’n’B and hip-hop throughout the night.
Then, heading downstairs to the intimate bar and private hire room – regularly used for special events and celebration space – you can expect ‘big boudoir vibes’ and pure grooves spun by an array of special guests every Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mint Lounge home held its final blowout at the venue this past spring bank holiday and they bid a fond farewell to the venue in true Funkademia fashion, but we’re glad it’s found such a wonderful new home.
The Deaf Institute is still one of our favourite venues in Manchester and always will be; plus, with almost three decades of dancing history behind them and no sign of slowing down any time soon, the future of Funkademia is in good hands.
Co-promoter Jamie Scahill said of the relocation: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Funkademia to The Deaf Institute, a venue we’ve all spent many late nights at and have long admired. After an incredible run at The Mint Lounge, it felt like the right time to move to a new home where we can continue to evolve and deliver the unforgettable nights that our crowd has come to love.
ADVERTISEMENT
“There’s nowhere else quite like The Deaf Institute, and it’s the perfect place for us to start this new chapter. We can’t wait to see both familiar and new faces on all three dancefloors.”
As for the new home itself, General Manager Curtis Willson went on to add: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Funkademia to The Deaf Institute. This is a legendary night that has been a cornerstone of Manchester’s nightlife for nearly 30 years, and we’re honoured to be a part of its next phase.
“Our venue is all about celebrating music and creating memorable experiences, and we know that Funkademia will bring exactly that every Saturday night. It’s going to be something special, and we can’t wait for the party to start this September.”
Tickets for Funkademia’s opening night at Deaf and all subsequent dates are available now at just £5 via Skiddle, with 100 early-bird tickets for all September dates still priced for only £3. You can grab yours HERE.
Doors open from 7pm every week, with DJs playing “all killer, no filler, to keep the dancefloor movin’ until 4am” – and believe us, they always stay true to their word.
Chase and Status are coming to Co-op Live on their massive UK arena tour
Danny Jones
Drum and bass giants Chase and Status are officially coming back to Manchester, announcing a massive gig at Co-op Live as part of their huge new tour.
Set to play a series of massive arena dates all over the UK, the kings of all things dance and electronic were only in Manchester this past March for a sell-out show at O2 Victoria Warehouse but they’re already confirmed they’ll be coming back next spring for more.
Not only will this be Chase and Status’ Co-op Live debut but they’ll be the first big act from within the EDM space to play the state-of-the-art arena which has already crossed some frankly gigantic names.
With recent releases like ‘Badadan’, the ‘Gunfinger (Salute)’ collab with IRAH and the latest single with Stormzy ‘BACKBONE’ – an unreal banger and return to their D’n’B roots – we’re more excited than ever to get our raving shoes on.
The London-born and bred duo, real names Saul Milton and Will Kennard, are arguably one of the most influential electronic artists to come out of the UK in the past two decades.
Even in speaking with fellow industry veterans like DJ Fabio, he described them as a “staple” of the scene who have helped bring electronic dance music back to the forefront and get “drum and bass tracks back in the top 40.”
With that in mind, the UK’s largest music-first indoor entertainment arena frankly just isn’t ready for the calibre of live performance these lot are about to drop but we have pure blind faith that it’ll be one of the gigs of the entire year.
Kicking off the huge 2025 tour in Glasgow before coming to Co-op Live on 1 May, with other noteworthy shows including the O2 in London, as well as Birmingham and Cardiff’s Utilita Arenas, these tickets are going to absolutely fly.
Chase & Status have today announced a major UK arena tour, coming to Co-op Live on 1 May 2025https://t.co/fzU6sqRZkU@CoopUK Members get first in line access to tickets
If any of you were at that Victoria Warehouse then you already know how much Chase and Status shows go off, so we won’t dilly-dally any longer.
Pre-sale for official Co-op Members goes live at 10am on Tuesday, 24 September, with general admission available from the same time the following Thursday (Thurs, 26 Sep).
You can be ready to grab yours HERE and if you don’t think we’re ready to fight you over them until we’re left ‘Blk & Blu’, then you’ve got another thing coming.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group
Audio
The Bridgewater Hall is hosting a free dementia-friendly music festival this week
Thomas Melia
A festival which is all about being dementia-friendly is happening at a renowned Manchester music venue this week.
The So Many Beauties Festival – which is presented by and titled after charity organisation, So Many Beauties – has been curated for the Bridgewater Hall, and will see 30 organisations, all of which offer support to people living with dementia across Greater Manchester, descend on the international concert venue for the special music event.
So Many Beauties was founded in 2016 with the goal of championing creativity and helping to make people living with dementia’s voices be heard.
Throughout the duration of the festival, visitors can enjoy many interactive opportunities.
There’ll be live performances, workshops, arts activities, and more – with the event even having support and advice provided by professional organisations who work in dementia care.
The main aim of this musical experience is to use music to better connections, creativity, and wellbeing for people living with dementia.
Visitors can try their hand at screen printing festival tote bags and making themselves a lovely flower crown, while there are also workshops and performances giving people the chance to sing, dance, and make their own music, or just sit back and enjoy some great live shows from professional musicians.
There’ll even be a showcase of new music composed by people living with dementia on the day too.
Outside The Bridgewater Hall at night / Credit: The Bridgewater Hall
Speaking ahead of the event this week, Andrew Nesbitt, who is the Community Engagement Manager at The Bridgewater Hall, said: “Showcasing and celebrating the amazing creativity and music of dementia groups from across Greater Manchester is really special for us.
“We can’t wait to welcome So Many Beauties and the hundreds of participants, performers and festival-goers to The Bridgewater Hall”