The iconic nightclubs that Mancunians would most like to see reopen

Here in Manchester, we love a good night out and our city has certainly delivered on the party front over the years.

But sadly, all good things must come to an end; a massive number of Manchester’s trademark night clubs and evening venues have been forced to permanently closed their doors over the years, whether it be down to financial issues, a change of music scene across the city or, as is the case with many 80s establishments, the overwhelming presence of drugs and gangs.

Yet despite their closures, many of these venues remain firmly in the hearts of Mancunians to this very day. So, when we asked you lot which nightclubs you’d like to see return, we were quite rightly inundated with replies (over ten thousand of them, to be precise). 

Here’re the most popular answers…

Original Legends Nightclub Manchester / Facebook

Legend

Legend – or Legends, as it was known by many seasoned nightclubbers – is credited today as being the birth of the jazz-funk scene in the North of England.

DJ Greg Wilson performed at the club for two years from 1981 to 1983, and recalled how the crowd ‘weren’t really interested in the microphone patter, which was the DJ norm back then in the UK.’ He wrote: “For them it was all about the music, so with this in mind I made what would turn out to be a pivotal decision.”Wilson also described the environment as ‘out of this world’, reminiscing how the club had a space-age metallic decor with lasers bouncing off all the surfaces.

As the funk-jazz and electronic scene died off, however, Legend was forced to close it’s doors and today stands as the student hotspot Fifth Avenue.

Robert Wade / Flickr

Discotheque Royale

The historic Theatre Royal used to play host to a whole array of club nights, and the Discotheque Royale was certainly one of the most memorable.

In a later transformation it became the M-Two nightclub, with the owners describing the event as ‘Manchester’s biggest and most well known late night venue featuring live music as well as big name DJ sessions’.

Their fond description continued: “The perfect location for a top night out for both students and clubbers alike, M-Two boasts an impressive sound system delivering anything from electro to drum‘n’bass to indie. With its two-tier dance floor and chill out area, M-Two draws an energetic and fun crowd who are out for a good time.”

Jay Wearden

The Thunderdome

Located at 255 Oldham Road, the Thunderdome was home to Manchester’s somewhat edgier crowd back in the 1980s and 1990s, the height of the Madchester scene. While the Haçienda was famously difficult to get into and operated a strict dress code, the ‘Dome would welcome people from all walks of life, regardless of their image and their dress sense.

Initially, the Thunderdome remained peaceful despite it’s drug dealer-heavy clientele, though football hooligans and gang members gradually made the majority of its crowds, leading to a spike in violence, police raids and a notorious reputation that has stuck to this very day.

The exact closing date of the Thunderdome remains uncertain, but the building was demolished in 2010 and today, the site remains unoccupied.

Gene Hunt / Flickr

Piccadilly 21s

Piccadilly 21s was the 90s party paradise every city needed. Located in the heart of Piccadilly Gardens, the club had a reputation for being very loud, very messy and very sticky.

The venue also offered notoriously cheap drinks and there were famously chandeliers in the toilets. And who said 90s Manchester had no class? Unfortunately, 21s gained a somewhat sinister reputation as gang members and other unsavoury figures became a solid part of it’s clientele, something that eventually lead to its permanent closure in 2004.

These days, it lives its life as a Premier Inn and a Nando’s. If that doesn’t depress you, I don’t know what will.

Mike Bird

The Twisted Wheel

Made famous as one of the birthplaces of Northern Soul, Twisted Wheel opened its doors in 1963 and would showcase rare and imported US soul records for Mancunians to dance their hearts out to.

The legendary Saturday all-nighters were also famous for having soul artists perform, including Ike and Tina Turner, Jimmy Riffin and Edwin Starr.

Sadly, the club was forced to permanently close in 1971 because of a bylaw which prevented premises from staying open more than two hours into the following day. The premises were sold and then demolished in 2013, but an epic final event took place on December 30th 2012, with over a thousand soul fans descending on the club for one last party.

Jilly’s Rockworld 

Jillys Rock World / Facebook

Known among regulars for its ‘Goth Room’, Jilly’s Rockworld was arguably the most popular rock and metal nightclub in the whole city.

For over twenty years, Jilly’s Rockworld gained a reputation for its sweaty oasis welcoming goths, rockers, skaters and punks for weekly nights of chaos and mascara-wearing, fishnet-ridden mayhem. One of the most well-known nights at Jilly’s was the infamous All Nighter, taking place every Friday until the unthinkable hour of 7am. It was this event that spurred the club to famously start selling Pot Noodles for revellers to snack on in the wee hours. 

Sadly, Jilly’s wasn’t to be and it closed permanently in 2010, with owner John Bagnall blaming the indoor smoking ban and competition from new music venues.

Hacienda Apartments

Haçienda

An obvious one, but it needs to be said that the Haçienda is perhaps the most famous and iconic nightclub to exist in not only Manchester, but the whole of world.

Founded by Tony Wilson in 1982, the Haçienda went on to define the whole Madchester era and really put the city on the map. It is also credited to bringing Acid House and rave culture to life, as well as spearheading the careers of music icons like Madonna, the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. Oh, and it was known to be a bloody fantastic night out, too.

Sadly, the club closed in 1997 and was demolished eighteen months later. In its place now is a block of flats and an estate agents called the Hacienda… Again, too depressing for words.

@Manchesterpast / Twitter

Bier Keller Piccadilly

Opening in 1967, the Bier Keller was a six-nights-a-week venue that attracted all the big names of the era, such as 60s and 70s powerhouses Marti Wilde, Billy Fury, the Bay City Rollers and The Grumbleweeds.

However, after thirty-five years of celebrity parties and good times, the famous venue was forced to close for good in 2013. Long-serving Bier Keller disc jockey Alan King blamed the club’s failure on the 1996 IRA bomb.

He said: “The downturn really started in 1996 after the Manchester bomb. Until then the place was amazingly busy. Sometimes we would have 1,200 in there, which was far too many really. If you didn’t book six weeks in advance then you wouldn’t get a seat. It was like that for eight or nine years before the bomb, it was so busy.”