A legendary music venue that once hosted the likes of Tina Turner and Jimi Hendrix is set to reopen this summer.
New Century Hall was a thriving dance hall and events venue in the 1960s and 1970s but has been standing silently for the best part of a decade.
The venue, which is part of the NOMA neighbourhood in the city centre, is now set to be restored and reawakened in a £10m project.
Once complete, the reopened New Century will be a three-floor social hub home to an 800+ capacity live music venue, a large food hall, and a creative college.
New Century in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
The Grade II-listed building’s incredible heritage, like its sprung dance floor, 1960s ‘disco ceiling’ and vintage wood panelled walls, will all be preserved.
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In its heyday, New Century Hall hosted acts including The Bee Gees, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, as well as famous club nights in the 1980s.
It’s set to become a busy events venue again, hosting emerging talent and global touring artists, as well as comedy, performance and conferences.
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Credit: Supplied
The ground floor, meanwhile, will become the 300-cover New Century Kitchen, with five independent food operators working alongside a more permanent pizza and coffee offering.
A central bar will serve local beers, wines and cocktails, with an entertainment space in the plans.
New Century Kitchen will also operate in the outside space at Sadler’s Yard.
The basement, meanwhile, will be home to Access Creative College, which counts Ed Sheeran as one of its alumni and a patron.
This will be the college’s third site in Manchester and will help people to kick-start careers in the creative industry.
Taking inspiration from the trailblazing spirit of the 1960s when the building was developed, New Century will celebrate the past to inspire an exciting new chapter – an everyday place for unforgettable experiences.
New Century is expected to reopen this summer.
Featured image: Supplied
Gigs & Nightlife
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
Daisy Jackson
Niall Horan will be back in Manchester this year on a huge newly-announced European arena tour.
The former One Direction star (and chart-topper in his own right) has just announced his Dinner Party Live On Tour tour.
The tour comes in support of his upcoming fourth solo studio album, Dinner Party, which promises to be ‘cinematic and organic’.
Niall Horan will be performing at the Co-op Live in Manchester this September, along with gigs in other UK cities including Sheffield, Glasgow, and Newcastle.
He’ll then head right across Europe, playing music from his multi-Platinum-selling songbook.
Niall first shot to fame as one-fifth of One Direction, but has one of the group’s strongest solo careers, with three chart-topping albums and massive hits like Slow Hands, Heaven, and Our Song.
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
He’s also worked on some exciting collaborations with the likes of Anne-Marie, and most recently Myles Smith.
£1 from every ticket sold for Niall Horan’s Dinner Party tour will be donated to the LIVE Trust, which is dedicated to protecting, expanding, and supporting grassroots music across the UK.
Niall Horan will be at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Friday 25 September.
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Thursday 2 April HERE.
Yard Act announce handful of new headline shows ahead of 6Music gig in Manchester
Clementine Hall
Yard Act are back as they announce first round of UK headline dates since 2024, including a show right here in Manchester – but not before their BBC 6Music Festival gig later this week.
We are so, SO back.
It’s been a few years, but Yard Act have just announced a limited run of domestic shows for later in the year including their homecoming gig at the O2 Academy in Leeds on Friday, 6 November.
But after playing over in Yorkshire, the lads will be performing shows at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on the following Friday (13 Nov).
Yard Act completed the touring for their critically acclaimed second album, Where’s My Utopia?, with a victory lap back home at the 5000 capacity Millennium Square in Leeds in August ’24.
It was a record that brought a stark change of pace to the acerbic, post-punk of their debut, embracing something altogether more playful and bringing a different energy.
It shifted the dynamic on stage too, with the addition of dancing backing singers and additional musicians and openly challenged listeners to reconsider who they thought Yard Act were.
Since then, the band have been keeping busy writing and recording their third studio LP, as well as heading out across the UK and Europe with The Hives – oh, and that intimate one-off show at Blackpool Tower last May.
Following a lengthy stint in the studio, the band now look to this coming autumn for three big UK dates and we cannot wait. We spoke to them a little while back and know how much big stuff they’ve got further pipeline; you can see the interview HERE.
Booking just three headline slots, the handful of tour dates are as follows:
06 Nov – Leeds
13 Nov – Manchester
26 Nov – London
Tickets go on artist presale from 10am on Wednesday, 25 March before hitting general sale at 10am on Friday, 27 March. Sign up to grab yours right HERE.
As for those wanting to find out more about this year’s 6Music Fest, you find the full lineup and more down below.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd February 2022 
