At last, freedom awaits. After 485 days, club nights are back, and come July 19 we’ll be able to party like it’s 2019 again with no masks, no social distancing and no more “rule of six.”
Bring on ordering drinks at the bar, bring on dancing in a crowd and bring on the loud music.
Maybe you can tell, but we’re quite excited about the return of clubbing. It seems like quite a few spots in Manchester are, too, as there’s a load of places throwing open their doors at 00:01 to celebrate the return of nightlife.
We’ve made a little list here that we’ll keep updating as new parties are announced. Roll on freedom.
Clubbers inside Manchester nightclub Hidden which will throw open its doors at 00:01am on 19 July / Image: Hidden
Hidden: the reopening
Hidden opens at midnight on Sunday 18 July for a two-room club show, kicking off seven days’ worth of day&night parties that will take place every day throughout the club’s re-opening week.
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Head down for a mix of disco, electro house, house and techno.
Kicking off at 9pm and finishing at 3am, once the clock strikes midnight you’ll be out your seat and onto the bouncy dancefloor to vibe with the rest of the club.
Head down for a mix of grime, hip-hop, R&B and rap – and don’t forget to check out the Tetris wall whilst you’re there.
Playground Nightclub is another Manchester venue that is getting in early on the “Freedom Day” celebrations / Image: helenstavrou_
A Big Bash at Cirque
Glitzy nightclub Cirque will be throwing open its doors at midnight for a no holds barred party.
Bookings are being taken via DM through their Facebook page.
Quids in at Fac251
As the name suggests, it’s £1 entry and £1 drinks all night for Quids in at Factory 251.
The club will be opening its doors at 00:01am in line with government guidance – playing hip hop and R&B in the main room and a mix of indie, chart music and rap on the second floor.
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Upstairs, meanwhile, it’s all about the house and tech with some special guest DJs booked for the night.
Cruz 101 is throwing a huge reopening party at 00:01 on 19 July / Image: Cruz 101
The opening party at Cruz 101
Think Manchester’s best LGBT djs, full decor, theme performances and costumes and you’ve got a little sense of what’s coming from Cruz 101’s week-long opening party.
Things kick off on Sunday night with a mega reopening to set the tone for the week. Tickets are £10 and include queue jump.
Deansgate nightclub China White is throwing a big freedom bash at one minute past midnight, giving you the perfect excuse to let your hair down after sixteen months of doing absolutely nothing on the party front.
Bookings are being taken via DM through their Instagram.
What's On
You can watch Twilight with a live orchestra surrounded by candlelight in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
One of the most iconic literary and film sagas of the 21st century is celebrating 20 years since the first book was published next year.
And to celebrate this milestone moment, you’ll be able to watch the first film live in dozens of cities across the UK surrounded by the beauty of more than a thousand candles while a live orchestra plays the soundtrack to accompany.
That’s right, Twilight in Concert is coming to Manchester.
Undeniably one of the most successful young adult film franchises of all time, with five films (Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Parts 1 & 2) to its name, The Twilight Saga has impressively grossed more than $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office.
You can watch Twilight with a live orchestra surrounded by candlelight in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
The films were adapted from author Stephenie Meyer’s acclaimed literary series that won multiple awards over its time, sold more than 160 million copies worldwide, and was translated into 49 different languages.
But no matter whether you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob, Twilight In Concert promises to be an unforgettable event for fans of the belovedfranchise, two decades on.
Set in an enchanting candlelit setting, TwilightIn Concert offers fans a unique opportunity to re-live the film that started it all, while musicians take the stage to perform the beloved score in perfect synchronisation with the original movie presented in its entirety on a cinema-size screen.
You can expect a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians / Credit: Supplied
You can expect a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians to transport you on a journey deep into the heart of Forks.
Twilight in Concert will be stopping off at 12 other major UK cities on its tour, including other northern hubs such as Sheffield, York, and Liverpool, as well as arriving at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on Friday 6 February 2026.
Tickets are now on sale, and you can find out more and get your hands on them here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
A brand new grunge and hard rock festival is kicking off in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester grungers, hardcore heads, and fans of all things rock, pay attention because there is a brand new festival coming to the city centre – and it has possibly the best name for a live music event we’ve heard in some time.
Ahem… let us introduce you to Broken Knees Fest.
Yes, donning a name that feels increasingly more relatable the closer we get to the wrong side of 30, Broken Knees Festival 2025 marks the inaugural edition of Manchester’s newest series of rock and grunge gigs, helping spotlight rising artists across the genres from within two crucial grassroots venues.
Very loud music inside tightly-packed, small-capacity rooms? It’s a winning formula that never fails. It’s about time we broke a sweat – here’s hoping the knees just about hold out.
Hosted in the heart of the Northern Quarter, which continues to thrive as a creative hub for new music and art of all forms, the festival will be debuting at small-cap favourites Gullivers and Castle Hotel just across the road.
As you can see, the lineup is full of up-and-coming talent within the guitar-driven space, but you can bank on more than a few bringing their die-hard fans to fill the place out to the rafters.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer punk, hardcore, grunge or another specific sub-genre found somewhere in between the ever-sprawling rock spectrum, there’s something to suit all alternative tastes at this one.
With the likes of Bohmen, Mavis, One Dimensional Creatures and Smother headlining the first-ever iteration of the festival across four stages, you can expect plenty of energy and even more noise.
Set up by the events group of the same name, Broken Knees Promotions, who help platform rock and alt acts across Greater Manchester and beyond year-round, this is more than just a festival: it’s a grassroots celebration through and through.
Best of all, if you’re interested, you don’t have to wait long because it’s kicking off next month.
Gigs go off in here. If you know, you know… (Credit: Audio North)
Broken Knees Fest 2025 is happening on the weekend of 21-22 June, and you’ll be glad to hear that, as a brand new event, prices have been kept nice and low.
The early bird window had prices starting from just £12, and although this tier has now sold out, day tickets are still only £15 while a full weekend pass will set you back £25.
Until then, why not dive into another load of new Manchester music? We round up artists from all genres each month; we’ll also confess to leaning slightly more towards the heavier stuff from time to time.
Georgina Pellant -
15th July 2021 
