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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.
Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Danny Jones -
16th September 2024 
