The old soap factory in a once-forgotten corner of England’s former-industrial capital must be lauded for its longevity, charting the rise, fall, and resurgence of Manchester’s club culture since 1994. Spanning 22 years of parties, with closures, re-openings, and a few redesigns thrown in to the mix, over the last 12 months Sankeys has retained its reputation as a powerful weekly magnet for anyone who enjoys dark rooms, loud speakers, and grade-A bookings. 

Which is no mean feat. Its hometown is currently in rude health when it comes to all-night options, from small basement sessions to newly opened, purpose-built venues. Nevertheless, there’s not a local resident who doesn’t have a story to tell about this particular spot, with more added every Friday and Saturday.

A refreshingly simple layout involves a low-ceilinged, brick clad main room neither too big nor too small, usually reserved for tougher rhythms, and a lighter upstairs typified by less muscular tones, albeit there are no hard and fast rules here. Other than the quality of guests; Surgeon, Todd Terry, MJ Cole, Soul Clap, Wolf + Lamb, Kerri Chandler, Nina Kraviz, Derrick May, and Huxley were amongst 2015’s highlights.