Soho House is heading to Manchester for the first time, marking a big move into the north for the exclusive members club.
The hotly anticipated new Manchester location is currently being built in the Old Granada Studios building and it is hoped will be open by the end of 2022.
Whilst we already knew it was coming, excitement around the new opening has gathered pace after more details were revealed by its founder at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show this week.
Image: Soho House
Speaking at the trade event, held at the city centre’s Manchester Central complex, founder Nick Jones said he wanted to provide more locations for members outside of central London and admitted he was ‘nervous’ to open up a branch in Manchester.
Promising that the new Manchester house will be weighted towards 80% of local memberships, he was at pains to emphasise the importance of making it a local’s haunt – with programming and music chosen by and for Mancunians.
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Speaking in Manchester this week, he said: “There will be an element of glamour to the place, but with an element of grit too. We have a lot of local people working with us, so the programming will be local, the music [will be local]”
During Nick’s talk, which saw him interviewed by NRB CEO Thom Hetherington, he also revealed that the new club will feature a number of restaurants including A-list celeb Italian favourite Cecconi’s.
Known as a favoured haunt of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jason Statham, Nick Grimshaw, Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan here in the UK, Cecconi’s abroad are equally as popular with celebs – with the West Hollywood location frequented by the likes of Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres and Gwen Stefani.
He also revealed that the club will be spread across three floors and will house a rooftop pool, an outdoor terrace area, and a music venue and club space.
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Just beneath the Soho House development will be a second venue, Mollie’s, due to launch next year.
Mollie’s Manchester will boast upwards of 140 rooms, a 164-cover diner restaurant, cocktail bar, event space, lounge, workplace and an outdoor terrace.
It will be the third and largest Mollie’s site to date, following launches in Oxford and Bristol, and promises tospan 100sq ft in the iconic TV Studios building, central to Manchester’s buzzing social scene – marking Mollie’s and Soho House Manchester a firm place to be seen in the city.
Soho House Manchester will be located above Mollie’s, with a club and rooftop pool on the building’s top floors.
The Manchester house will be Soho’s fourth venue outside London, following on from the most recent Brighton location which opens on the coast this month.
Further openings on the horizon include a second London location south of the river in Balham, and international houses in Bangkok, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Miami. Currently, the group has 27 global locations.
Feature image – Soho House
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Georgina Pellant -
17th March 2022 
