Joshua Brooks, the legendary music venue and bar on Princess Street, has unveiled details of its major new rebrand just days after teasing its closure. The venue, which has been part of the city since 1993 and has featured big names like the Chemical Brothers, Mike Skinner, Josh Baker and Jax Jones, will reopen with a new look and identity next Friday (September 11).
In a social media post from gig platform Skiddle, the venue revealed it has carefully rethought its vision, promising it will look 'like you've never seen it before'. The announcement comes after the team at Joshua Brooks closed the doors on their 'current form' earlier this week, hinting that big changes were on the way.
Reimagining the venue experience
In the video, the owners said: “This isn't about us, that story's been told. It's about the people, it's about the experience, the music, the room, and how it makes you feel. It's been over five years since we last transformed Joshua Brooks, and it's time for a change.
“So we've looked at everything: the sound, the lighting, the temperature, the flow of the room, and we've thought about how we can make every part of it better. Not because we want Joshua Brooks to be something different, but because we want Joshua Books to evolve.
“We're talking about what we already love: the sound, the intimacy, that connection between the DJ and the dance floor, and building on it.”
Investing in grassroots music
The Joshua Brooks team said they felt 'incredibly fortunate' to be in a position where they could invest time, money and resources into evolving the beloved venue, especially when the number of grassroots music venues are closing at a 'scary rate'.
The latest report from the Music Venue Trust found that whilst the grassroots music sector contributes over £500m annually to the UK economy, venues operate on average profit margins of around 2.5% and more than half made no profit at all last year. In 2025, 30 Grassroots Music Venues closed permanently, with 175 UK towns and cities without regular touring shows by professional artists.
The Joshua Brooks post added of its reinvestment: “There's been a lot of thought behind this, because this is being built by music lovers for music lovers.
“At a time when small venues across the UK are disappearing at a scary rate, we're incredibly fortunate to be able to invest in others, to keep contributing to the Manchester scene, to give established DJs an intimate room to play and to give the next generation somewhere to start.
“We're not going to show you everything just yet, but when the doors reopen, you're going to see Joshua books like you've never seen it before.”
Remastered nights and fan excitement
Ahead of its reopening, tickets for two 'remastered' nights have appeared on Skiddle for Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, with prices ranging from £11.40 to £21.66 with booking fees, where no line-up is 'revealed until you are in'.
Sharing their excitement for the new concept, one person wrote in response: “Absolutely READY for this one.” Another said: “One of the best and can’t wait to see it now!”
One other commented: “Just got a Saturday ticket. Massively intrigued who you’ve got on that night.” Another added: “Can’t wait, it’s becoming an iconic venue!”
