Ark nightclub, a fixture at Deansgate Locks for around 12 years, announced its shock closure on Sunday (July 5), leaving Popworld as the only remaining nightclub along the once-vibrant Manchester nightlife stretch. A date for the closure is yet to be confirmed, but it is understood to be within a matter of weeks.
The venue had been located at the former Missoula site and stood alongside neighbours including The Comedy Store, Revolution, and Lola Lo, all of which have also closed in recent years. Following a raft of closures, only Ark and Popworld remained open on Friday and Saturday nights, but soon Popworld will stand alone on the nightlife development.
Structural Issues and Changing Habits
The Locks have been hit with major structural issues and water ingress in the Grade II listed structure over the years, with a flurry of high-profile venue closures leaving the once bustling arches almost completely deserted. Last year, the Manchester Evening News explored its decline, noting that the area was first transformed into a nightlife destination in the 1990s.
Bar owners and revellers who previously spoke to the M.E.N pointed to a cultural shift in nightlife habits in Manchester, with a move away from nightclubs to more food and experience-led venues. The nightlife destination was further hit by trend changes in student nightlife, with clubbing and drinking culture on the decline among younger city dwellers.
Announcement of Ark Closure
Announcing the closure of Ark, a spokesperson for Stonegate told the Manchester Evening News: "The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges. After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue. Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years."
But those struggles faced by the Stonegate venue are far from unique. Residents of Greater Manchester have since taken to social media to say the most recent closure is 'sad', remembering a once 'thriving nightlife area'. Alan Fletcher said: "Deansgate locks need redeveloping, it's sad as it was a thriving nightlife area in the 90s & 00s but consumer habits have changed." Alexis Anderson-Jones added: "There’s nothing there anymore. It used to be thriving that end of town."
Reporter's Account of the Decline
Reporter Dianne Bourne visited the Locks on a Friday night last year. Arriving shortly before 11pm, the area was described as 'deathly quiet'. "It's hard to scratch from your memory all those years where you've seen, and joined, queues of revellers across every wooden bridge waiting to get into the bars and clubs here," Dianne wrote. "But now what you see is most of the wooden decking completely empty of a night."
At the time, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: "We recognise the importance of the city's night-time economy and have been carrying out extensive work to support its performance. Areas in the vicinity of Deansgate Locks have enjoyed a resurgence, for example around HOME and First Street, and along Deansgate itself, and with more businesses opening across the city centre and further development nearby there should be real momentum for the area. Where pockets within the city centre face specific challenges, in this case associated with issues relating to their premises, we are happy to facilitate discussions around solutions."
