In a bold move against a tide of venue closures, one of Manchester's most legendary nightclubs is preparing for a dramatic return. Sankeys, the sweat-drenched clubbing mecca of the 1990s and 2000s, will reopen its doors in late January 2026, promising to recapture the raw, spontaneous energy many feel has been lost to the digital age. Its cornerstone policy? A strict ban on mobile phones on the dancefloor.
A Digital Detox for the Dancefloor
Driving the revival is David Vincent, one of the club's original founders. He is adamant that the pervasive use of smartphones has fundamentally damaged club culture, replacing connection with curation. "The phones are the problem," Vincent states. "People are more bothered about having a phone and filming the DJ rather than dancing." To combat the incessant filming, the venue plans to implement a rigorous no-phones policy, potentially including camera stickers, to force revellers back into the moment.
This approach echoes a growing trend in UK nightlife, with venues like Manchester's Amber's and London's FOLD adopting similar rules. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), supports the move. "By encouraging guests to be present and fully engage with music and community, these policies aim to recapture some of the spontaneity and social connection that can be diluted in a digital-first world," he explains.
Reviving a Cultural Heartbeat in Tough Times
The comeback is set against a stark backdrop for the UK's late-night economy. NTIA data reveals nearly 800 late-night venues have shut in the past five years, a precipitous 26.4% drop since March 2020. In this climate, the return of a brand as storied as Sankeys is seen as a significant statement.
"It signals [Manchester’s] commitment to nurturing spaces that are central to the cultural heartbeat of nightlife," says Kill, adding that it demonstrates a "strong demand for shared, immersive experiences that only physical spaces can provide." The new incarnation will be a 500-capacity venue in Manchester city centre, a more intimate setting than some of its previous homes, deliberately designed to foster that lost connection.
From Soap Factory to World's Best Club
For the uninitiated, Sankeys – first launched as Sankeys Soap in 1994 in the basement of Ancoats' Beehive Mill, a former soap factory – is etched into UK clubbing folklore. Widely considered the successor to the legendary Haçienda, it became a global beacon. In 2010, DJ Mag crowned it the best club in the world. Its sweat-box rooms were the proving ground for future superstars, with early debuts from the likes of Daft Punk, the Chemical Brothers, and David Guetta.
Former promoter and resident DJ Lee Spence recalls the unparalleled atmosphere. "Sweat was dripping off the walls... It was an atmosphere like nothing else I'd really seen," he reminisces, recalling chaotic nights like double-booking Chase & Status and Carl Cox. While he acknowledges the world has changed, he is optimistic: "It's a different venue but I do think that something new could be created."
This ethos of creation is central to Vincent's vision for the new Sankeys. He aims to tackle another consequence of the declining nightlife sector: the lack of platforms for new artists. "What we will be doing is booking a lot of young fresh talent," he asserts. "Back in the day, when the Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk played, they became stars. Hopefully we'll be doing that again with some new future stars."
For former ravers like Davina Vernizeau, who frequented the club as a student in the early 2000s, Sankeys represented more than just music. "It felt like finding a set of like-minded people where we all belonged, we were all united and met there in the same place every week," she says. It is precisely this sense of unmediated, collective hedonism that the resurrected Sankeys hopes to manufacture once more, one locked-up phone at a time.
