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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Review | Snow Patrol roll back the years at Co-op Live for a mini-Manc’s first gig
Danny Jones
This weekend we enjoyed a new kind of live music experience: rediscovering the joy of listening to a childhood favourite by watching it through the eyes of the next generation – that was how we witnessed a fully-fledged arena return to Manchester for Snow Patrol at Co-op Live.
And it was special for lots of reasons.
Taking a little one to their first gig is something you’ll never forget and sharing a new-found connection with a band that you loved when you were their age is one of those magical things about music that we’re eternally grateful for.
You might assume the Snow Patrol crowd one skews a little older for the most part but we were pleased to see there were more than a few kids and teenagers donning tour tees, looking wide-eyed at the sheer size of the Co-op Live arena, and singing the words back better than Gary Lightbody at times.
Sees the sign: ‘Race you there!’ (Credit: Audio North)
Yes, the Belfast-born frontman made a few mistakes on the night, but it did add a rather laid-back quality to what many acts might have found a daunting performance: playing a sell-out night to around 23,500 fans inside the enormous state-of-the-art venue.
But, obviously, there wasn’t even a whiff of nerves from these lads.
You don’t get to have been around for this long and become as successful as they are without being able to relax on stage and lean into those idiosyncratic perfections that feel more like private moments shared between the artist and the crowd.
The young lad sat watching it with us certainly got a kick out of it and though we might not have been able to cover his ears in time to censor some light but ever-charming swear words (it always sounds better in Irish, don’t you think?), it made for some nice banter between him and the crowd.
Big props must go to Johnny McDaid on the keys too, who besides having written for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys, Biffy Clyro and countless others over the years, also managed to impress by playing the majority of this entire tour after having trapped his hand in a train door. OUCH.
Credit: The Manc Group
Not only was that little interlude up there with one of the most applause-worthy parts of the entire show, but we were always pretty blown away by what we saw, as we all as what we heard.
Be it watching a digital tree come to life, shed its leaves and then fall as petal confetti, two sheer semi-opaque paper-thin screens swirl to create the album cover art for their latest album, or kicking the gig off with ‘Take Back The City’ as a multicoloured skyline appeared behind them, it was all pretty incredible.
We even got to hear a personal favourite of ours, ‘Set Fire To The Third Bar’, complete with a virtual performance from the voice that truly makes the song: Martha Wainwright.
It was in moments like this when we turned to see a 10-year-old’s face not quite sure of what it was seeing but an open-mouthed expression confirming they were finding it as stunning as we were.
We thoroughly enjoyed going through the back catalogue and working our way right up to plenty of the songs from The Forest Is The Path – which Gary himself firmly believes is their best work yet when we interviewed him – but it was as visually stunning as it was to the gorgeous sonically.
Both proved to be a brilliant way to see the contemporary rock, indie and alternative veterans, but there’s something about giving them a stage as big as this that reminds you of just how much they deserve it.
Up there with one of the prettiest gig snapshots in our memory.Not quite a hologram but very cool nonetheless.The production levels are always top-tier at Co-op Live but the Snow Patrol set was much more impressive than we expected.
Last but not least, thanks to Co-op Live not just for having but for creating a little boy’s memory that he’ll never forget.
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Daisy Jackson -
21st April 2024 
