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.
The K’s book Castlefield Bowl for their biggest ever headline show
Danny Jones
High-flying indie rock outfit, The K’s, are set to play a landmark headline show right here in Manchester, as the local lads have been confirmed as the first act for Sounds of the City 2026.
The cult favourite working class heroes from down the road in Newton-le-Willows have had an incredible couple of years, climbing their way up the ranks around the North, playing bigger venues and festivals up and down the country, and now they’re on a fully-fledged European tour.
It’s been brilliant to watch their rise thus far, and we couldn’t be more buzzing to hear that they’ve booked none other than Castlefield Bowl for the single largest standalone gig of their careers to date, and you can bet The K‘s army will be out in full force.
Announced alongside another massive outdoor venue this week, the toast of Earlestown will be one of several artists set to play the Sounds of City (SOTC) concert series next year.
We are absolutely BUZZING to announce our biggest ever headline show to date at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester on 03.07.26 as well as a huge headline show @ThePieceHall , Halifax on 08.08.26!Tickets for both shows will be on general sale this Friday 19th September 2025 at 9.30am 🩷 pic.twitter.com/lft55eeEbG
Confirming Castlefield Bowl alongside the magnificent Piece Hall in Halifax for summer 2026, the four-piece will make their way from Merseyside, not only down the M62 to Manchester but over to Yorkshire for what is one of the most stunning outdoor venues in the country.
These two incredible atmospheric amphitheatres are not only incredible spaces for live music, but in the case of our very own city centre stunner, Castlefield Bowl boasts a capacity of approximately 8,450 – making it comfortably The K’s biggest show yet.
Speaking of Kendal, we were in the field ourselves when the group got to revel in the moment of announcing their second album, Pretty On The Internet, had reached number one just in time for their main stage set.
Official artist presale access will be available this Wednesday, 17 September from 9:30am by signing up to their mailing list, but general admission tickets for both dates will go live at 9am the following Friday (19 Sep).
Once again, we can only say well done on the number one; having been there to discuss their debut record’s release while they threw plastic balls around a room, we couldn’t be more gassed to see how far they’ve come.
Featured Images — Press shot (supplied)/Audio North
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Lewis Capaldi announces huge outdoor Manchester gig at Wythenshawe Park next summer
Emily Sergeant
Lewis Capaldi has announced a run of huge outdoor shows next summer, and he’ll be stopping off here in Manchester.
After unprecedented demand saw one of the biggest-ever rushes for tickets across both pre-sale and general sale earlier this year, Lewis Capaldi is currently blazing through a triumphant 200,000-ticket sold out 17-date UK arena tour as we speak – and is set to take to the Co-op Live stage for two huge Manc gigs this weekend.
But he shows no signs of slowing down soon, as he has today announced his biggest ever UK and Ireland headline gigs for next summer.
Wythenshawe Park is fast becoming one of Manchester‘s go-to outdoor gig venues, and Lewis’s visit next summer is only helping the reputation, as the Scottish 28-year-old will be headlining the park for one night only next August.
The announcement of the run of summer outdoor shows comes amid Lewis’s first return to touring in two years following his triumphant Glastonbury 2025 return after an extended break to take care of his mental health break, and following the release of his comeback track ‘Survive’, which shot to the top of the UK charts and became the fastest-selling single of 2025.
The response to Lewis’s current tour has been ‘electric’, according to critics, who have been unanimous in their praise for him.
Prior to his comeback, Lewis played a run of Scottish warm up shows in May that saw him return to the stage as a guest of mental health charity CALM, in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Lewis Capaldi – Summer Outdoor Gigs 2026
Wednesday 24 June – Marlay Park, Dublin
Friday 26 June – Thomond Park, Limerick
Sunday 28 June – TX Maxx presents Live at Powderham, Exeter
Tuesday 30 June – Blackweir Fields, Cardiff
Saturday 4 July – American Express presents Roundhay Festival, Leeds
Saturday 11 July – American Express presents BST Hyde Park, London
Thursday 20 August – Vital, Belfast
Saturday 22 August – Wythenshawe Park, Manchester
With no pressure and no level of expectation, the shows allowed Lewis the space to gauge his comfort and emotional response before returning to the spotlight – a move which ended up proving nothing short of a triumph.
Lewis Capaldi will be coming to Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on Saturday 22 August 2026, and tickets go on pre-sale this Thursday 18 September at 9am, before general sale commences the following day (Friday 19 September), again at 9am.
Danny Jones -
16th September 2024 
