Soho House Manchester is surely one of the city’s most hotly-anticipated (and long-awaited) new openings.
The London-founded luxury members’ club has been slowly transforming the Old Granada Studios in the city centre into a multi-storey hub that will include restaurants, bars, bedrooms; event spaces, a gym, and, most notably, a rooftop pool.
At one point, its grand opening was locked in for 2022, but now we’re in 2024 and still no official opening date has been announced.
But there’s a good reason for that: you cannot rush perfection, and you can expect perfection when the annual membership cost is close to £3,000 – and yes, Soho House Manchester will be the same.
We may still be looking at the same set of artist impressions for their new venue in the North, but after a whistle-stop tour of several other of their UK locations, we finally have an idea of what to expect from their first venture north.
ADVERTISEMENT
What will Soho House Manchester look like?
Not one inch of Soho House is overlooked when it comes to its design – every corner, nook and cranny has been considered and made beautiful.
One thing you’re guaranteed to find is attention to detail.
ADVERTISEMENT
Every site is different from the last, lifting inspiration from the building it takes over and the history of the local area.
Bedrooms at White City House in LondonA lounge area at Soho House’s White City HouseWhite City House’s barPen Yen, a Japanese restaurant in Soho House London, White CityAnother Soho House lounge spaceSoho House Manchester will have their trademark rooftop pool tooClick or swipe through the gallery above to see inside Soho House’s White City House (Credit: The Manc)
For example, White City House, constructed within the iconic, circular former BBC HQ, has collages of nostalgic programmes, analogue TVs stuck to the walls, and mid-century modern furniture that tastefully nods back to the building’s most significant era.
But then you head to the very first Soho House location, tucked in a tall townhouse in the heart of bustling Soho, and it’s all about elaborately patterned wallpapers, plump colourful cushions and chintzy curtains.
ADVERTISEMENT
With Soho House Manchester taking shape inside the former Granada Studios, we can expect a nod to our city’s broadcasting heritage, probably some 1960s-inspired interiors (this building held the Beatles’ first television performance in 1962), and hopefully not a Hacienda stripe in sight…
Want another example of attention to detail? Every Soho venue even has its own stripe, used on its towels, stationery and other items dotted around the spaces. For Manchester, it’s going to be a navy and ochre wave pattern.
So while there are similarities between every location, this is far from being a copy-and-paste brand.
The same applies to the customer service. It’s quite remarkable to sit and watch how staff at each House will greet members by name at just a glance, very much like that scene in The Devil Wears Prada but I can’t see a panicked Emily Blunt whispering in anyone’s ear here.
The pool at Soho Farmhouse isn’t quite how the one Manchester will lookSoho Farmhouse bedroomsPrivate dining space at Soho FarmhouseThe ‘Lazy Lake’ hot tubs at Soho Farmhouse – again a different vibe from what Manchester can expectAnother Soho House restaurantA look around Soho Farmhouse before the MCR venue opens.
How does Soho House work?
Another recurring feature at Soho House will be total privacy. There’s a strict no-photos policy that means even the most A-list of guests (yes, including Harry Styles) can relax and enjoy the space without the fear of having their picture sold to a tabloid.
ADVERTISEMENT
If you whip out a phone, you’ll be told politely but firmly not to take photos or videos… not that many people even try. The application process to become a Soho House member is rigorous, so once you’re in, almost everyone plays by the rules.
And it really is private. One does not simply walk into Soho House, even if you do have cash to spend. In fact, the only way you can set foot into these hallowed halls without being a member is to be invited as a guest of an existing member.
Soho House memberships are generally offered to those working in the creative industries, so you’re never more than a few metres from artists, music industry bigwigs, actors, dancers, writers, designers and more.
Inside any one house, you probably will spot a famous face or two (on our trip to Soho Farmhouse I clocked a legitimate Hollywood A-lister), but you might not notice – they’ll be treated the same as every other guest and can relax safely in the knowledge that they’re not about to be pestered for a selfie.
Restaurants for Soho Manchester haven’t been confirmed yet, though we can pretty safely assume they won’t be akin to the Farmhouse offerings, but our tour of existing locations included several signature brands that would be very welcome – though we must stress eating there isn’t included in your membership cost.
ADVERTISEMENT
We could get Pen Yen, a vibrant Japanese restaurant; or Little Berenjak, a sister site for the Persian restaurant in London that is so popular, it’s nigh-on impossible to get a table.
Picante, Soho House’s signature cocktailAttention to detail even includes complimentary condoms in the bedroomsAn event space in the original Soho HouseBikes at Soho Farmhouse – at least we can ride our Berly cycles to the Manchester venue when it opens
The Soho Farmhouse experience
One thing we’re sadly not likely to get a taste of here in Manchester is the peace and tranquillity enjoyed at Soho Farmhouse, where features include a heated outdoor pool and hot tubs sunk into the lake, pretty green bikes you can cycle around on, and cosy rooms built into wooden cabins or ‘piglet’ style huts.
But if you sign up for the ‘Every House’ membership, you can at least pay it a visit.
But what is on the cards for Manchester is their trademark rooftop pool with sunbeds and a bar; an enormous gym space (Soho House has said this is a priority, and after seeing how busy the gym at White City House is, I can see why), fitness studios; a steam room and sauna. We’re not even remotely done…
A ninth-floor late-night bar and live music space, casual lounge areas serving food and drink; a formal restaurant; an events space with a bar and DJ booth; 23 bedrooms of varying sizes; and an 80sq metre two-bedroom private apartment. Phew.
ADVERTISEMENT
Set to be not only the first Soho House site in Manchester but in the North full stop, it will join other UK sites across London, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Windsor and Brighton.
An exact opening date for Soho House Manchester is expected to be confirmed soon.
Soho House Manchester – memberships and application process
The full membership gains you access to the Manchester private members club and all other existing 40 Soho Houses around the globe and costs £2,950.
But if you want to just use their flagship Northern venue, that will cost £1,925.
There are also cheaper Soho House membership prices available for under-27s.
ADVERTISEMENT
As part of the application process, you’ll need to supply a headshot, information about your work and industry, links to your online profiles, and several other titbits about yourself.
It helps if you already know a couple of existing Soho House members who can refer you, too.
And you must confirm that you’ll abide by the house rules, which you can see HERE.
When it does finally open, Soho House Manchester is going to be a big deal and if memberships are already open, so apply now if you want to be part of what will be the city’s most exclusive club, hotel, bar, restaurant and hospitality community.
The best Manchester-based anime-style memes we’ve seen online as Ghibli craze takes over
Danny Jones
Now, the internet can be used for a lot of silly and pointless things – you might argue us sharing our favourite memes every morning is a prime example of that – but we have to admit, the second we saw a Manchester-inspired Studio Ghibli image on social media, we were hooked.
If you have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about, there is a current craze that has taken over the internet, which has seen recognisable memes and images recreated in the style of the iconic Ghibli anime films, created by legendary animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.
Once you’ve found one, you tend to start spotting them more and more frequently, and in the case of the chronically online like us, we’ve been inundated with them for weeks now.
People are using AIto create them in various different contexts, but it won’t surprise you to learn that our favourite Ghibli/anime memes are those based around Manchester. For example:
Bloody hell, the internet really is brilliant sometimes, isn't it? 😂 https://t.co/virpFx60u7
As it happens, this was the first and perhaps still the best we’ve seen to date, but it didn’t stop us from falling down an animated rabbit hole looking for others.
To be honest, we didn’t actually have to do much searching ourselves as they’re absolutely all over the algorithm at the minute, and have been for a good month or so.
‘Ghibli memes’ may be an overgeneralisation of what is a rather specific and famed art style, but this ongoing flood of anime-style cartooons is being created by users giving prompts to ChatGPT, the increasingly popular large language model (LLM) and AI tool.
Designed with OpenAI software, the artificial intelligence chatbot can do everything from write extensive study notes and flash cards to fixing blurry images, writing computer code, entire essays and quite literally countless other things.
In this instance, people are just reimagining moments from the zeitgeist and famous memes in this style by feeding the image to ChatGPT, along with an ‘in the style of Studio Ghibli’ prompt.
One for the Blues…And the Reds.All of these images have been designed using ChatGPT. (Credit: Eleventh Minute/centredevils via X)
Pretty cool, right?
You’ll find that footballer Twitter (sorry, X*), in particular, is absolutely full of fan accounts recreating iconic club scenes in the Miyazaki art style, giving their favourite players big ‘Chibi’ eyes (another unique aspect of anime) and so on.
It’s all just a bit of a laugh, after all; even we here at The Manc put ChatGPT to the test back in June 2023 and asked it to design ‘the perfect day out in Manchester’ – to varying degrees of success, we might add.
As ever with machine-learning, the more information you feed it, the better the result and although we know these are original pictures being reimagined, it still goes to show just how impressive and varied AI is becoming.
We’ve also enjoyed some that aren’t necessarily Manc but are quintessential British humour or simply more universal memes.
Exhibits E and F…
Even after all these years, we feel like we still see this in some context at least once a week – and it still makes us laugh.‘What a sad little life, Jane…’Credit: brandsynario (via Instagram)/No Context Brits (via X)
Despite these memes riding a real wave right now, the Ghibli portrait fad is just that; there are plenty of other aesthetics being toyed with, too.
Actually, it already has, as we’ve now started coming across people making action figure versions of themselves and/or famous people, full decked out with accessories inside blister packs and everything.
On the other hand, many people are understandably concerned about what this means for artists and although there is no substitute for genuine human expression, whatever form that may come in, lots of people are railing against it as the possibility of AI-based pop music has been posited.
With that in mind, maybe the best twist we’ve seen is our very own Stanley Chow subverting the trend and doing Ghibli stuff in his equally iconic style. We’ll take these geometric gems over computer-generated imitations any day.
For now, it’s just a bit of fun and we confess we’ve got some light entertainment out of it, but the increasing possibilities being thrown up by AI in terms of art do pose a lot more complex questions.
We’ll finish with one final example because let’s be honest, there’s only really one thing on our minds at the minute – at least until the summer finally rolls around…
Let us know if you’ve seen any other fun examples and what you make of the whole Ghibli meme trend down in the comments.
LF System on headlining Amber’s for ‘The Drop’, dancefloor anthems and more
Thomas Melia
Scottish DJ duo LF System are playing an intimate set in Manchester as part of ‘The Drop’, a special monthly event series for a very important cause.
‘The Drop’, sees the hitmakers joining two more greats, DJ Paulette and Turno, as headliners for this remarkable event all about raising awareness and funds for mental health in the music industry.
The mastermind partnership of Headstock and Skiddle, each event champions a charity which benefits including Music Minds Matter (Turno) and Nordoff & Robbins (DJ Paulette and LF System).
The first monthly set comes from the DJ duo behind one of the biggest UK club staples, ‘Afraid To Feel’, as LF System take over Manchester’s newest clubbing venue, Amber’s – who typically keep their lineups private – for an exclusive ‘Coffee Table Session’.
LF System, Conor Larkman and Sean Finnigan, outside their New York session venue.Credit: Supplied
LF System Interview
This event is in aid of Nordoff & Robbins: how important is this cause to you?
We feel like music should be enjoyed by. Anyone, no matter what. Nordoff & Robbins make that possible.
They help everyone, all ages through music therapy. It’s important to us that [this event] supports them. Everybody deserves a chance to have a go at music, it’s a great cause that allows people to have great opportunities.
You’re going to be playing Amber’s, which is one of Manchester’s newest clubbing venues, how are you feeling?
I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so I just really want to get in there and experience it for ourselves.
It’s weird coming to Manchester at this time of year as well; we’re always here in winter, usually freezing and raining, so it’ll be quite nice to come down this April.
Amber’s nightclub has some very important rules, including a no-phone policy in order to bring clubbing back to its roots – how do you feel about this?
Oh, we’re all for that!
I think there’s been a bit of a problem recently, so anything that can be done to make clubbing all about the music and as immersive as possible the better. It’s about living in the moment. I think that’s a good thing.
I don’t think we’ve ever actually done anything with a no-phone policy before; somehow, they’ve always snuck them in. Exciting.
LF System’s Conor at a recent event in New York.The Scottish duo LF System, playing an intimate set in New York.Credit: Supplied
What can fans expect from your special set for the monthly music series ‘The Drop’?
It may be a bit different to what we usually do as it’s a coffee table session set-up, but there’ll definitely be good vibes and good music all night.
There’ll be a lot of unreleased stuff that we’ve been making recently, mostly from our new EP that’s coming, and it gives us a chance to play our new songs and see people’s reactions. So far, they’ve been good every time we’ve included them.
How come you’ve opted for a ‘Coffee table session’ rather than a huge rave vibe, especially considering how much your music gets crowds up on their feet?
We’ve never actually done a coffee table session in a club before, so that’ll be our first for us. It’s going to be electric and fresh.
You just get to showcase a lot more music than when what you do when you’re playing a club set, different BPMs.
[Coffee table sessions] still get people up and dancing, but it’s just a different type of night. It’s relaxed, happy dance music, you know what I mean? You don’t have, don’t have to go mad ‘fer it, just a nice chilled one.
As well-respectedDJs, it’s only fair we consult you on Manchester’s clubbing scene, so how would you rate the club culture and atmosphere in our city?
We always have a good time in Manchester and there’s always good crowds. It [Manchester] is just like that.
There’s a good culture to do in this city, so I think it’s a good place to bring this session too, and we’re looking forward to it.
It’s got a really rich history and you can always feel that when you’re there, it’s always a good time in any of [Manchester’s] different venues. Everyone always seems right up for it.
House music is known to improve people’s moods, and ‘The Drop’ is all about music and mental health, so to finish off, what’s your all-time favourite top three mood boosting house tracks?
Sean
‘Music Sounds Better With You’ by Stardust
‘Beautiful People’ by Barbara Tucker
‘In Love With You’ by The Paradise
Conor
‘Why Not?’ by Skate Bård
‘I Think I’ll Do Some Skipping On My Own’ by Sandy B (Opolopo Rework)
‘Night Walkin” by Mermaid S
LF System are bringing their bangers to ‘The Drop’ in Manchester.Spinning the decks just like they will at Amber’s in Manchester later this month at ‘The Drop’.
Daisy Jackson -
21st April 2024 
