Legendary Manchester venue Night & Day to contest Noise Abatement Notice in court next week
The notice was first served against the venue two years ago
Legendary Manchester music venue Night & Day will be heading back to court next week to contest a Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) that was first served against it over two years ago.
The venue has been at risk of permanent closure since the notice was first issued in 2021 by environmental health officers, with many members of the local community, as well as artists with connections to the space, having subsequently rallied around to offer their support for it remaining open.
It's hoped that next week's court hearing will see the NAN finally removed, and the threat of closure gone. Almost 99,000 people have signed a petition in support of Night & Day at the time of writing, while key Manchester acts such as New Order and the UK's network of grassroots music venues have also spoken strongly in favour of the space.
The venue first came under threat of closure after receiving a noise complaint from a nearby resident who had moved to Manchester during the Covid-19 lockdowns. It's now thought that the NAN will be removed since the resident who made the complaint has moved away and no further issues have been raised by others.
"The NAN relates to one noise complaint from a resident who bought an adjoining flat during lockdown," Night & Day said in a social media post this week. "We maintain the source of the problem is that when the adjoining building was converted from warehouse to flats, no consideration was given to the pre-existing music venue.
"The resident of the flat has since moved out around 18 months ago and we've not received any further noise complaints. The venue continues to operate in exactly the same manner it has done for over 32 years – live music and club nights. The flat remains unoccupied. To be clear, N&D has not changed how, where and what we do.
"We are surrounded by other late night licensed premises, bars and clubs in an area of late licences and vibrant nightlife. Once the judge has listened to the evidence presented, she will then review and come to a decision after the hearing."
The Northern Quarter venue, which opened in 1991 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021, has helped launch and support the careers of a number of UK acts, including the likes of The 1975 and Elbow.
Noise complaints are just one of many issues currently faced by grassroots music venues in the UK. Earlier this week, the annual report by the Music Venue Trust revealed that 38% of the 835 grassroots venues in the UK - most of which are small and independently run - made a loss in 2023. With the cost of rent being identified as a particular strain venues, it also revealed that the increase in rental costs in 2023 rose by an average of 37.5%.
Just this week, London grassroots music and arts venue IKLECTIK announced a fundraiser to help secure a new space, following its forced closure and eviction due to planned property development.
