What does it mean to be a great club? In our humble opinion, it’s about serving the community with a varied programme of things throughout the weekend (and weekdays), which is why Area, located in the heart of Manchester’s ever-lively Gay Village, is a great example. Formerly known as Tribeca, the team behind the rebrand and redesign of that bonafide institution have already established the new identity as one of the most prominent party destinations in the area, with a revolving door or amazing in-house and externally promoted sessions and performances happening.
Running at 700 capacity, Area is spread across two floors, and depending on the night you might find one or the other open, or both. The team behind Vanilla Manchester call Area home, and if you’re unfamiliar, this is the UK’s longest running lesbian club series, spanning more than 25 years, welcoming gay women and their allies each Friday and Saturday night through to dawn. The legendary club has also recently picked up the Gaydio Pride Award for best LGBTQ+ Venue 2024. Vanilla is always preceded by the Manchester Comedy Club, which welcomes a broader crowd on weekend evenings.
The address is also a go-to spot for anyone craving reggaeton. Perhaps the biggest phenomena in global clubs of the early-2020s, making a huge impact from South America to Ibiza, you’ll find the sound in full effect for the Latin party ViVA Reggaeton. Elsewhere in the calendar, the LGBTQ+ party Club Zindagi brings sounds from the sub-continent and UK Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi diasporas, and has become a focal point for those scenes since inception. Meanwhile, Riot Party is here, too, a queer, sex-positive rave led by people of colour and the swinging community. Finally, the Reggae Brunch and Buff Bingo Brunch both more than live up to their names, if you prefer daytime shenanigans. What few dates are free are offered out for private functions, making this a good shout if you need somewhere for your own party, packing a substantial sound system and full tech rider including most things DJs and acts need.