The legacy of Night & Day Cafe as it turns 30 years old
We explore the history behind the iconic burgundy venue on Oldham Street that bubbled up from the depths of deep fat fryers to become a Manchester institution: Night & Day Cafe.
On a cloudy afternoon in 2017, Michael C. Hall steps out onto Oldham Street, puffs out his cheeks and stares up at the sky.
Cameras are subtly shooting the Dexter star as he paces the pavement, a pained expression etched into his features.
There’s very little commotion in the area at first. The Northern Quarter is something of a playground for creatives, and people often find themselves weaving around film crews in this part of the city. But when passers-by see which actor is in shot, they do a double-take, halt their stride, and begin prodding one another with excitable nudges of realisation.
A crowd begins to build, and before long all eyes are on Hall – with the exception of the frowning cluster of commuters near Back Piccadilly who remain stoically huddled together at the bus stop like always.
Incredibly, though, a TV serial killer strolling around the Northern Quarter in the middle of the afternoon is still only the second most surprising sight of the day.
Even more jarring is the fact that one of Manchester’s most famous gig venues has completely vanished.
For the purposes of the shoot, Night & Day Cafe has been redecorated – with its iconic lettering hidden beneath unfamiliar blue lights spelling out a new name: ‘Heaven’.
The venue’s disappearance deepens the starstruck state of people on the street, as they gawp ahead at what appears to be a fever dream version of Manchester.
For a brief moment, during the production of Netflix show Safe, we got a hint of what it might be like to lose Night & Day for a little while.
Then, in 2020, it happened for real.
Michael C. Hall in Manchester / Image: Netflix
This legendary gig space was one of thousands of grassroots venues that had to lock its doors, for months on end, during the UK’s many lockdowns.
And now, this stalwart of Manchester’s music scene is about to celebrate a very special milestone indeed.
Over the space of three decades, staff have experienced more ups and downs than a mixing console during a sound check.
Occasionally, the good and the bad have come at the same time; with some gigs proving so rip-roaringly entertaining they triggered complaints from disgruntled, sleep-starved neighbours.
But according to Night & Day’s in-house promoter Jay Taylor, this past year has ‘categorically’ been the toughest of all.
“Culturally, Manchester is completely lost without these businesses,” Jay admits, thanking the hard work of Mayor Andy Burnham (a major player behind the United We Stream virtual shows, which raised £583,000 for the sector), and the Music Venue Trust, for supporting them through to reopening this spring.
He says that Manchester has got a ‘robust, brilliant’ music scene with a ‘good future’.
Night & Day’s Pearl Anniversary has been marked with a week’s worth of events, culminating this weekend with performances from The Orielles and Hotel Lux.
It’s a fitting, marathon-style celebration for a venue that hasn’t just been part of the music scene’s furniture, but the seat on which all arts personnel feel most at home.
In the years before Night & Day was welcoming punters with joyous roars and sweaty hugs, however, it was inviting them indoors with dulcet tones and a delicate squeeze of the shoulder.
The building actually began life as a funeral-wear and mourning shop – selling high-end clothing for people attending burials, cremations and wakes.
It then turned into a delicatessen, before eventually being relaunched as a chippy called Pisces.
The cafe was perfectly positioned for people-watching – and peering out from its window in the early nineties told you everything you needed to about Manchester at that time: It was the city of music.
A few doors down, the pioneering electronic group 808 State had formed at Eastern Bloc Records, and the labyrinthian vinyl store Piccadilly Records was just around the corner.
The Hacienda was still open, and the vibe of Madchester was swaggering around the city; its residents revelling in the city’s renaissance as the nerve centre for nightlife.
So, when Jan Oldenburg purchased the city centre chippy in 1991, he knew what he wanted to do. He was going to plug into the electric atmosphere that was crackling through the city.
Slowly but surely, Night & Day began morphing from a humble cafe into a dual venue that doubled as a boisterous live music club.
Before long, it was the meeting place for all the city’s creatives.
“It was genius foresight,” Jay marvels.
“All it takes is for one or two people with vision to kickstart a neighbourhood.”
Oldham Street developed around Night & Day in the years that followed.
Piccadilly Records moved in across the road. Quirky cafes and shops flung their doors open nearby. New nightclubs launched just a stone’s throw away. After being neglected for so long, the Northern Quarter began to mould its own identity as an alternative cultural hotspot.
The Madchester movement came and went, but Night & Day continued to buzz long beyond the mid-nineties. It was the place that had its finger on the pulse of Mancunian music and moved smoothly with the times.
Anyone who was anyone in the sector could often be found inside.
When local bands weren’t luring in rowdy crowds by night, the venue opened as a gallery space in the daytime – with free music magazines stocked inside.
If members of the music industry needed to hold a meeting, they’d head down to Night & Day.
The venue also developed a reputation for its uncanny ability to catapult careers into the spotlight.
For bands and artists, a slot on that stage was the first step on the path to success.
For music fans, every event potentially offered them front row seats at witnesses to the next big thing. There was a carrot permanently dangling from the doorway marked ‘I was there’.
On the long list of artists to have graced the Night & Day stage over the years include The Courteeners, Slow Readers Club, Elbow, Kasabian, Paulo Nutini, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, The Enemy, Blossoms and many, many more.
As well as being a fixture in Michael C. Hall’s aforementioned Safe, the venue was also directly referenced in award-winning drama Lost (by rockstar character Charlie Pace).
Night & Day is a Manchester institution. That’s undeniable. What’s less clear is how it became so popular in the first place.
“It’s the best venue on Earth,” according to Jay.
Many in Manchester would be inclined agree. But there’s no single right answer as to why.
“It’s got personality and feels independent,” Jay points out, indicating to the no-frills attire and simple set-up of chairs, tables and a stage.
“But we’ve also got a very wide selection of drinks served at a beautiful long bar.
“The technical specs are good, too. The venue promises a really good experience for bands.
“There’s grafters in here. I think people can see the work that goes into it.”
It’s that last part – graft – that perhaps comes closest to explaining the staying power of Night & Day.
Promoters have spent thirty years working tirelessly to bring a diverse range of acts to the stage, defying those who have pigeon-holed the venue as a ‘white indie’ spot.
“Our aim is to stand in that venue and watch different things happen,” says Jay.
“We look at the things [and new artists] that make us excited.
“Lots of thought goes into it – from the gig bookings to the club nights.”
One of the warning signs that an older venue may be entering its twilight is when the crowd thins out – leaving only the regulars from yesteryear. But Night & Day continues to remain fresh in an ever-evolving, fast-moving world of modern music.
Younger fans have regularly piled in through the doors to see the next wave of talent coming through the ranks; including DJs, bands and solo singers.
“Everyone always asks me about my greatest memories over the years, but my favourite bit is when a show’s happening, usually around 9.30pm,” Jay muses.
“Everyone’s had a drink, the mood in the room is brilliant, and the main headline act is just starting.
“It’s happened a few times when I’ve been stood watching from the back of the room – where everything all just comes together perfectly.
“There’s nothing better.
“At that moment… everything is as exactly as it’s supposed to be.”
Feature
The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time
Thomas Melia
There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.
Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.
This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.
Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.
Credit: Forever Manchester
The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.
This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.
The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.
This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.
Credit: Supplied
Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.
Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.
Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.
And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.
14 iconic Oasis locations you need to visit in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Oasis are back and ahead of their sold out Heaton Park gigs, we’re showing you some of the band’s most iconic Manchester-based locations.
If you haven’t heard already, the Oasis reunion is well and truly in full swing, so what better way to celebrate than visiting some of the band’s most iconic locations in and around Manchester city centre.
Whether you want to visit the place where the boys sat together practicing their hits and eating ‘Digsy’s Dinner’, or feel ‘Supersonic’ as you stroll past their favourite football stadium, these locations should be on all Oasis fan’s radars.
Take it easy and ‘Roll With It’ as you admire an Oasis mosaic in Manchester’s Northern Quarter or ‘Go Let It Out’ as you fangirl before posing next to the actual fireplace from the Definitely Maybe album cover.
Enough time talking, now we’ve got to figure out ‘The Masterplan’ to fitting a visit to each of these iconic Oasis locations all in one day… ‘Stand by Me’ we’ve got some ground to cover.
Iconic Oasis locations around Manchester city centre
Oasis are set to play five historic sold out nights at Heaton Park in Manchester this July.
Etihad Stadium
Both Liam and Noel Gallagher have been Manchester City supporters since day one / Credit: The Manc Group
If there’s one thing Manchester loves as much as its music – it’s football, and these two Burnage boys are no different, because they’ve been showing up for a familiar blue team since day one.
Located and right next to Manchester’s newest live entertainment venue Co-op Live, why not pay the Manchester music landmark a visit too.
Where to find: Etihad Stadium, Etihad Campus, Manchester M11 3FF
India House
Noel lived in a flat at India House from 1989 to 1993 / Credit: The Manc Group
Just off Oxford Street you’ll find a very impressive Edwardian-style building with a big gold plaque outside labelled ‘India House’ – it’s even more impressive when you learn that Noel Gallagher had a flat here.
Legend has it the Gallagher brother came up with lots of the Britpop band’s most legendary hits including ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ here. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Noel wrote ‘Live Forever’.
He loved this city centre flat so much that he decided to pose outside it in 2023 for a student-led photography project titled ‘Greater Mancunians’.
Where to find: India House, 73 Whitworth Street, Manchester, M1 6LG.
This place needs no introduction as the second you even speak the word ‘Hacienda‘ the yellow and black striped poles, spotlights and cigarette smoke hit you like a brick.
Besides being one of Manchester’s most famed nightclubs thanks to the help of performances from The Smiths, New Order, Oasis and even pop royalty Madonna.
Unfortunately, this piece of Manchester’s music history was demolished in 2002 but its legacy lives on with the film 24 Hour Party People Where one scene was filmed on a rooftop in Rochdale – now The Hacienda Apartments stand in its place.
Where to find: The Hacienda Apartments, 21 Albion St, Manchester M1 5DA
The Boardwalk Nightclub
Oasis played their first gig at The Boardwalk on 14 August 1991 / Credit: The Manc Group
The Boardwalk was once a thriving nightclub and entertainment venue that welcomed the likes of The Charlatans, Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and of course the venue where Oasis played their first gig.
The basement of this popular live music venue was once a rehearsal space for some of Manchester’s most recognisable names including James and Simply Red.
From the 90s until its closure just before the Millennium, The Boardwalk became a cultural hub for all things indie rave scoring itself a blue plaque as a ‘Madchester Venue Nightclub and Rehearsal Rooms’.
Where to find: 21 Little Peter St, Manchester M15 4PS
The next place isn’t just an iconic Oasis location, it’s also one of the most important as it’s where the band came to fruition.
This terraced property is the childhood home of founding Oasis member and guitarist, Paul Arthurs, more often known by his nickname ‘Bonehead’.
The West Didsbury house is also a part of global music history with the band shooting the artwork for their 1994 debut studio album Definitely Maybe, now one of the most recognisable Britpop covers ever.
Where to find: 8 Stratford Avenue, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2LH
Fog Lane Park
The Didsbury green space has a very special place in the Oasis brothers’ hearts after being an outdoor area they used to play football at growing up.
Eagle-eyed Oasis fans will be able to recognise particular shots from the band’s ‘Shakermaker’ music video which features Fog Lane Park and Burton Road.
This park is also not too far from Sifter’s Records, another notable Manc spot for the band, which also sits pretty on, you guessed it, Fog Lane.
Where to find: 139 Fog Ln, Parkville Rd, Park, Manchester M20 4UP
This musical instrument superstore near both Manchester universities has been a trusted trader for all artists and acts since 1955.
Oasis pay homage to the blue-and-yellow-signed music shop in their The Masterplan video which sees the matchstick figures of the band woven into Lowry paintings with an Oasis twist.
Roadhouse himself was known as Manchester’s Mr Music so it’s only fitting that Manchester’s biggest musical export added this shop in this animated music video.
Where to find: 123 Oxford Rd, All Saints, Manchester M1 7DU
New Islington Marina may have been completed after the boys stopped making and releasing music but it sure knows its musical history.
This canal side spot has attracted many due to its modern charm but it’s also drawn in an Oasis fan or two who have spotted a hidden message under the marina’s footbridge.
Underneath this raised walkway, Oasis fans have spotted that the title to their 1995 track ‘Cast No Shadow’ reflects in the water below, now isn’t that just ‘Supersonic’.
Where to find: New Islington Marina Prom, Manchester M4 6BX
If you know your Manchester lore then you know this record shop we’re talking about here – Sifters in Burnage is well known for being mentioned in Shakermaker by Oasis.
‘Mr Sifter sold me songs when I was just sixteen..’
Walking through the doors is like stepping through a time machine and you’re transported back to an era when physical media was still appreciated and music came on round pieces of plastic.
Microdot Boutique
Microdot on King Street is run by Brian Cannon, the designer behind iconic artwork for Oasis and The Verve (Richard Ashcroft is supporting them at their Manchester gigs), plus loads more.
It’s packed with original prints, rare memorabilia, and design history you’ll recognise instantly, such as the actual fireplace from the ‘Definitely Maybe’ cover, kindly on loan from Bonehead himself.
From the original Oasis logo to some of the most iconic sleeves of the 90s, this store is a proper slice of UK music culture – whether you’re just having a nosey or looking to take something home.
Definitely Maybe bar (and mosaic)
Everywhere in Manchester has been pretty lively ahead of the reunion shows – but it’s really going to go off at Definitely Maybe, a new Oasis-inspired bar beneath Afflecks in the Northern Quarter.
There’s a menu of cocktail inspired by the Burnage brothers, loads of memorabilia and photography from the band’s illustrious career, and even a pair of Liam’s Tommy Hilfiger underwear pegged up alongside a variety of awards, posters and vintage memorabilia of the Manchester music pioneers.
A new mosaic by Mark Kennedy has also just been unveiled on the side of Afflecks just outside.
Oasis Live ’25 wall art
Now this, is a Wonderwall.
The Coach and Horses pub in Whitefield, which has found itself on the doorstep of the Oasis reunion shows in Heaton Park, unveiled a new mural last year dedicated to the Gallaghers.
Painted by Snow Graffiti Scott, it replicates that first photo we had of the boys together for the first time in 16 years.
adidas shop
adidas made a return to Manchester city centre in spectacular style last month, launching back onto Market Street with a huge store packed with sportswear and streetwear.
And they’re honouring The Band with the Three Stripes too, with an entire section dedicated to the Oasis x adidas collection.
The limited-edition 26-piece drop brings together classic 90s silhouettes with a fresh twist including bucket hats, Firebird tracksuits, jerseys and more. So if you’re heading to Heaton Park this month, you know where to head to.