The legendary venue is where many people discovered a love for alternative music and spent countless nights out in their formative years as university students.
Based on the stories sent to The Manc, Fifth Ave was the venue where people met their wives and husbands and celebrated some serious milestones.
Even the bad bits – like the way your shoes would aggressively stick to the floor and the toilet doors never locked – now seem like part of its charm.
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Fifth Avenue on Princess Street. Credit: Google Maps
It also had its own microclimate, with the sweat from the dancefloor turning into condensation across the ceiling and dripping back down on revellers. Lovely.
Across the board, the nostalgia is real, and as Joe commented: “So, my youth is officially dead.”
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Some people are so upset, they’re actually calling on Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to save the club.
Here are some of our favourite tales from this cornerstone of Manchester’s nightlife scene.
Will wrote: “Arctic Monkeys getting rinsed in 2007 when they broke through! Such good times with three VKs in hand.”
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Mark said: “First ever nightclub i went in when it was Legends in 1988.Remember going in and Blue Monday ’88 booming out.”
Bev posted: “Indie night on Thursday was a great night. Another icon of Manchester closing , very sad.”
Chelsey added: “Friday nights, university, sticky floors, finding love for alternative/rock music. Getting excited if they threw in a bit of Skrillex.”
Claire said: “Spent many a Thursday night there in the early-mid 90’s during my student days! The best indie tunes.”
Shelly remembers the indie music too, saying: “Was mostly a great place to work during the indie revival in the early naughties x”
This one’s funny – Mark said: “I remember going to lean against a wall, and only realising it was a fire escape when a bouncer was picking me up off the floor and pulling me back into the club.”
Jude said: “Ahh gutted! Creep and I Am The Resurrection playing at the end of the night, about 2002 maybe? Quality nights sticking to the floor and getting dripped on from the sweaty ceiling!”
Melissa on Twitter said: “RIP throwing vodka Red Bulls over myself whilst screaming Mr Brightside hysterically at 2am on a Thursday.”
Chris wrote: “Spent most Friday nights in there around 2007. £1 Vodka Redbulls and an amazing set list every time. You could never forget you’d been there as your jeans and trainers absolutely stunk of Red Bull the next day.”
Jude said: “The security guard asking us if we’d been ‘on the rob’ when he found shot glasses from a vodka bar in our bags, picking up pound coins from the dance floor after ‘Jump Around’ had been played (paid for my night out several times), leaving the club one frigid New Year’s Eve and standing out in the middle of the icy road in a strappy dress and heels trying to flag literally ANY car down to get a ride home!”
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Yvonne wrote: “Vodka and a cheap equivalent of red bull, shoes always stuck to the floor. 75p a drink and never, ever remember leaving the club as was too intoxicated. Christmas bank holidays were always good! Oh and the candy floss machine in the middle of the dancefloor.”
Fifth Ave was pretty significant to Stephen, who said: “When it was legends night club met my 1st wife 1984. Great club with all the mirrors and lights.”
Andrew met his other half too – he wrote: “Met me wife of nearly 10 years in there, awesome memories of cheap drinks, sticky floors and good music!”
Jamie, too, said: “Met a girl there one night, now we are married and have a baby girl!”
Adam said his career started there, writing: “Fifth nightclub offered me my first ever residency as a DJ, played my first ever DJ set in the mezz (if you know you know) met some amazing people along the way staff and regulars. Fifth Nightclub will always have a special place in my heart.”
Sara said: “1/ throwing up all over my now husband’s James t shirt on only our second date ( never drink tequila then beer) and getting thrown out by the bouncers and 2/ arriving there for my hen do having a fab time dancing with friends to find husband to be and all his group were also there on his stag do (they couldn’t get into 42nd st apparently).”
Chris seems to be having an existential crisis about the whole situation, writing: “Weird how somewhere can be such a big part of your life for so long and then one day you go for the last time and don’t even know it. And then next thing you know a decade has passed and it’s gone for good.”
Phoebe Bridgers announces long-awaited return with HUGE phones-free arena gig in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s official, Phoebe Bridgers is back on earth.
More than six years since her last studio album, Punisher, was released to the world, cementing her status as one of indie folk’s leading figureheads, Phoebe Bridgers has given fans the news they have been waiting so patiently for.
A new tour North America and EU tour is on the horizon, and she’ll be stopping off here in Manchesterlater this year for a huge arena gig.
Following a sold-out acoustic show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden last night (4 June), Phoebe has now revealed details of ‘The Lost Tour’ for 2026.
Other than the series of surprise pop-up acoustic shows that have wrapped around the country over the last few weeks – beginning in Roswell in New Mexico on 8 May, and continuing on to smaller venues in other US cities before culminating in last night’s dazzling MSG show – this upcoming full band tour marks the first Phoebe Bridgers shows since early 2023.
Phoebe will be taking to the stage at Co-op Live here in Manchester for one night only on 26 November 2026 – with tickets going on sale next week.
And just like the pop-up shows, the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other recording devices will be strictly prohibited on this tour, encouraging fans to be more present in the moment.
This means the Co-op Live event will utilise secure pouches to store all devices during the performance.
Phoebe Bridgers is playing a huge arena gig in Manchester on her UK tour later this year / Credit: Supplied | Raph PH (Wikimedia Commons)
Upon arrival, all phones, smartwatches, and related accessories will be secured in these pouches, the pouches will be unlocked at the conclusion of the show, and any guest observed using a non-permitted device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.
If the news of Phoebe’s return wasn’t exciting enough for fans as it is, she won’t be the only one making a highly-anticipated return to the stage, as support on the UK & EU leg of the tour is to be provided by former Black Country, New Road frontman, Isaac Wood.
Wood stepped away from the ensemble band – and the limelight as a whole – right before the release of BCNR’s critically acclaimed second studio album, Ants From Up There, in 2022, citing mental health reasons.
Phoebe has also partnered with PLUS1 so that €1/£1 from every ticket sold on the European tour leg goes to local organisations throughout the EU/UK working to support those impacted by sexual assault and violence.
Phoebe Bridgers will be playing Co-op Live as part of ‘The Lost Tour’ on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Tickets officially go on sale first through the Phoebe Bridgers Pass Presale via Fan3, and Co-op Member Presale starting at 10am on Wednesday 10 June, before general sale then begins on Friday 12 June, again at 10am.
UB40 at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
British-based reggae band UB40 are coming to Manchester for a celebration of all their greatest hits live at AO Arena.
Formed in Birmingham in the late 70’s, this predominantly dub and reggae band has gone on to achieve much success, including 50 UK charting singles.
UB40 have also sold over 100 million records, as well as keeping a consistent line-up for almost 30 years, before lead vocalist Ali Campbell decided to leave the band.
Now, the band’s lead vocalist is former Kioko lead singer Matt Doyle, who’s taken on this role since mid-2021 and is ready to soundtrack your night while you enjoy some ‘Red Red Wine’.
There’s no official setlist confirmed for their latest tour, however, this 11-piece band have played an array of European dates with a pretty consistent roster of tracks:
Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
Maybe Tomorrow
Homely Girl
Sing Our Own Song
One in Ten
Home
Please Don’t Make Me Cry
Many Rivers to Cross
Higher Ground
The Way You Do the Things You Do
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
Cherry Oh Baby
Johnny Too Bad
Red Red Wine
Food For Thought
Forever True
Kingston Town
Can’t Help Falling in Love
What are the stage times for UB40 in Manchester?
Anyone up for seeing UB40 play out at Manchester’s impressive 19,000-seater AO Arena will have to get there a tad early.
Doors will open at 6pm with a gig start time of 6:45pm due to the special guests who will be taking to the stage before them.
Make sure you get down early, as you really won’t want to miss the phenomenal duo Aswad, as well as standout vocalist Maxi Priest – It really is a reggae revolution.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Daisy Jackson -
16th February 2022 
