Sankeys is – quite rightly – the stuff of legend, a part of Manchester’s nightlife that will be talked about for decades to come.
While Ancoats 2024 is a maze of bars and restaurants, back in the 1990s Sankeys was the only destination most people bothered with – mostly everything else was a shell of a warehouse.
The doors to the club opened, and closed, and opened again, and closed again, with a few tweaks to its name along the way.
Whether you remember it as the Sankeys Soap that opened in 1994, or the Sankeys that built an actual beach (using 50 tonnes of sand) in 2009, or even if you never made it onto this hallowed dancefloor, you probably have a story about the venue.
It hosted everyone from Boy George to Bjork to the Spice Girls to Daft Punk, but famously turned away a baby-faced Justin Bieber (too shuffley, apparently).
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Yes the rumours are true…we turned Justin Bieber away last night. He shuffles on stage and we can't be having that in Sankeys now can we!!
Nowadays it’s one of many, many converted mill buildings around the neighbourhood, filled with small businesses and apartments.
But Urban Splash, who have repurposed Beehive Mill into a co-working space, have kept many traces of Sankeys alive.
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Building manager Carl Holt, once a doorman at Sankeys, remembers when the entrance – now a wall of glass doors with fingerprint recognition – when it had huge steel doors to deter the cars that used to try and ram their way in.
The entrance to Sankeys is now a fire escape. Credit: The Manc GroupBeehive Mill, which used to be Sankeys nightclubBeehive Mill, which used to be Sankeys nightclub
The foyer of the building proudly displays photographs from the club’s final days, showing off rows of empty spirits bottles, crumpled promotional posters, and sticky dance floors.
Videos from club nights at Sankeys are projected on to the concrete wall that houses the mail boxes.
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There’s even the old safe, which developers drilled open to find years-old contraband confiscated from clubbers.
The old dance floor is now home to the head office of The Prince’s Trust, who store their outdoors equipment (wetsuits and the like) in what was once the smoking area, the jungle-inspired graffiti still covering the walls.
The old wooden staircase of Sankeys is now a fire escape and mostly blocked off from public view, while the former recording studios have been turned into bicycle storage rooms and office spaces.
Important meetings that now take place here are actually in what was Sankeys’ medical room, tending to revellers who’d overdone it a bit.
Carl says: “When Urban Splash bought it, they revamped it from top to bottom.
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“It’s flipped on its head, where there’s now all this business based here. It’s great to see but it is a big change.
The safe Urban Splash found when converting Beehive Mill. Credit: The Manc GroupThe old Sankeys medical room. Credit: The Manc GroupFamiliar stairs at Beehive Mill, which used to be Sankeys. Credit: The Manc Group
“I find it quite satisfying – yes I loved it when it was Sankeys, but I also like it the way it is now.
“Some people say to me ‘No, Sankeys weren’t here, this ain’t Sankeys’, they say they don’t remember, and I tell them ‘You don’t remember for two reasons…’
“In the early days when we were refurbishing it, people used to come here for the history.
“For the cobbles and the bricks and all that. It’s history. I love it.”
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While Ancoats is now often lauded as one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, nowhere will ever quite be able to recreate the cool of the Sankeys days.
Yungblud announces huge Manchester arena gig on upcoming UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Yungblud is heading back to Manchester for a huge gig next year as part of a nationwide arena tour.
The Doncaster-born rock artist is behind songs like Fleabag, Cotton Candy, and Parents, with three studio albums to his name and a fourth set for release this month.
Yungblud, 27, has also collaborated with some of the biggest rock artists in the world, including Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker, and Bring Me The Horizon.
Along the way, he’s built up an incredibly loyal fanbase, who refer to themselves as the Black Hearts Club, and championed individuality and acceptance.
And now Yungblud is finally heading back out on tour, with a massive gig at the AO Arena next spring.
This boundary-pushing artist has announced the tour in support of his upcoming fourth album, Idols, which he describes as being a modern rock opera.
He’s famed for his explosive and energetic live shows, and has even launched his own festival, Bludfest, to challenge the high cost of other live music festivals.
Announcing the UK tour this morning, he said: “UK. It’s been two years! I’m so excited to announce our biggest shows yet.
“Pre-order the album from my official store before Tuesday 10am for early access to tickets/ presale on Wednesday 10am. General tickets onsale 10am FRIDAY 13th. Link in bio. Let’s go.”
As well as his AO Arena gig in Manchester, Yungblud will also play at cities including Leeds, London and Birmingham.
Yungblud will perform at the AO Arena Manchester on Saturday 25 April 2026. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 13 June.
Drake adds extra Manchester date to UK tour after ‘unprecedented demand’
Emily Sergeant
An extra date has been added for Drake’s run of Manchester shows next month following ‘unprecedented demand’.
In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, Drake announced that he’ll be coming to Manchester for two huge gigs next month (yes, literally next month), but now following so-called ‘unprecedented demand’, an extra date has been added.
The GRAMMY award-winning and multi-platinum global artist teamed up with fellow Canadian rapper PARTYNEXTDOOR to release their collaborative album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, on Valentine’s Day earlier this year, and now to celebrate the release, the duo are making their highly anticipated return to the UK and Europe.
The arena tour, aptly named ‘$ome$pecial $hows 4 UK’, will kick off on 20 and 21 July at Birmingham Utilita Arena, before Drake comes to visit us Mancs shortly after.
JUST ANNOUNCED @drake Drake returns for the first time in six years. Bringing the $ome$pecial$hows 4 UK tour to Manchester on 25 & 26 July 2025. Support from @partynextdoor.@coopuk Member Presale: 4 JUNE 12:00 General Sale: 6 JUNE 12:00
The Toronto rapper was already set to take to the stage at Manchester‘s newest live entertainment arena, Co-op Live, on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July, following three nights of headlining Wireless Festival at London’s Finsbury Park.
But now, Monday 28 July has also been added into the mix in Manchester.
Following his three nights in Manchester, the tour will then continue across Europe, with stops in Munich, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and more, all before wrapping up on 23 September in Hamburg at Barclays Arena.
The tour marks Drake’s first return to Europe and the UK in six years, following his 2019 Assassination Vacation Tour.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Drake completed his monumental sold-out 80-date It’s All A Blur Tour across North America, featuring special guests 21 Savage and J. Cole.
$ome $pecial $hows 4 UK 2025 dates:
Sunday 20 & Monday 21 July – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July – Co-op Live, Manchester
Monday 28 July – Co-op Live, Manchester
Breaking more records along the way, Wireless announced Drake as the 2025 headliner for all three nights, each featuring unique setlists and special guests, and the festival sold out within minutes – which is the fastest sell-out in its 20-year history.
Drake will be at Co-op Live on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July, and again on Monday 28 July, and in true last-minute fashion, tickets go on general on sale today (6 June).