If anyone knows how to make a music venue work, it's the folk who make up Now Wave. They're behind some of the very best gigs in the city, held at venues spanning YES, New Century and the White Hotel. Now they're sprinkling some magic over a beloved boozer.
Located on Guildhall Road in Manchester Science Park, the pub, which has now been renamed 'The Abbey', has stood in Hulme since the 1890s. Most recently, it was known as The Old Abbey Taphouse, and run as a social enterprise functioning as a pub, music venue, catering kitchen, radio station, work space and youth training centre. Last year, the team there sadly called it a day. Fortunately, there were four people interested in re-opening the venue are ensuring Hulme still had a hub for the community.
New Chapter for a Historic Pub
Set to reopen this weekend as The Abbey, this new chapter will see the much-loved Hulme pub, which closed in early 2025, carefully restored and independently renovated. Ruth Hemmingfield, along with Now Wave Founders Jon Wickstead and Wesley Jones operate multi-storey venue YES, but Ruth has also previously launched and programmed landmark Manchester venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall.
The trio, along with Gareth Butterworth, the founder of multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest, decided the time was right to open a new grassroots venue - and this one just so happens to be inside a very old pub. "Obviously it's a bit different with our backgrounds in live music, so we've added the extension and made the kitchen into a venue there, but we've kept it from being lost," adds Ruth.
Heritage and Community
The venue is the last remaining building on what was the Greenheys Estate, and its beer garden is on what was formerly the Victorian Road. In a previous life, it played an important role in the heritage of Hulme being the site where activist Len Johnson took his fight against racism and managed to overturn the shameful 'colour bar' policies in the 1940s. As the new custodians of the building, they're keen for it not only to continue as a place for the local community but as venue that ensures the next wave of grassroots Manchester talent can flourish. Over the next year It will play host to around 150 gigs, giving a platform to the next generation.
The rear of the site has been extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while outside, the beer garden has been updated with new decking and its own bar - and a second beer garden has also been added.
A New Grassroots Venue
"I think in a world where pubs and music venues are closing it feels amazing to be opening something new and bringing a beloved pub back to life and adding on a new grassroots venue," says Jon. "Hopefully the people of Hulme are going to respond to that positively. We're trying to do something for everyone, two beer gardens, a lot of live music, affordable food and drinks. As live music promoters we understand that every band, the ones that you now see at Co-op Live started in these 100-capacity basement spaces like YES and we're hoping this place can be somewhere where one of the bands you see headlining Glastonbury get their start."
Their opening has timed with a debate ensuring in London around plans to keep bars and pubs in the area open at night. The Soho Society, which was established in 1972 to represent residents' interests, recently voted to lobby against all new licensing applications, including renewals. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has described the move to begin opposing all new licensing applications for bars and restaurants in the area as "bad for London". He even went as far as to say that the debate over the nightlife hub's future and complaints over nightlife noise in the area are "getting a bit silly".
As live music promoters, and having worked in numerous venues including their own, all four know the risk to the live music sector and the UK's grassroots venues. As Jon explains: "If you look at what Manchester is to the city but also people outside, music is a huge part of that. A massive part of the culture, so if you lose these venues you lose that too. We're trying to keep that going in whatever way we can."
Strategic Location and Design
Wes says the location of the venue, which is now flanked by buildings that are part of the science park, was strategic in a way, a means of staving off any potential complaints. "We looked at a few different places and what we loved about this place was that it's out of the way, it also hasn't really got any residential names. It felt so harsh what happened to Night & Day, they were a big part of the regeneration of the Northern Quarter and a big reason people wanted to move and live there and then they were told they were a problem. We're hopeful here that we haven't really got any neighbours nearby and won't encounter the same issues as Stage & Radio and various other people."
At The Abbey, it's going to be small bands. It's only 100 people capacity so local bands, national bands, touring bands, and for most acts it will be amongst their first shows. "New bands taking the first step on the ladder, and hoping to get to all those amazing places Jon alluded too. We find it quite exciting to be with them at that first stage in their career."
In terms of the redesign, pubs like Manchester's very own The Peveril of the Peak and The Marble Arch have served as inspiration. Rich dark green tones and mahogany furnishings create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, complemented by a newly introduced snug and beautifully restored parquet flooring. "The pub has been here since 1890 so a lot of the bones were there but it felt like different iterations across the last 100 years, so we really have spent a lot of time and effort to get it back to being a traditional boozer but a contemporary version," says Ruth. "The back room is completely new, that was a kitchen so we wanted to give that a special feel especially for bands playing this level. We had the opportunity to make it feel quite different too, because it's from scratch."
Food, Drink and Launch Weekend
Behind the bar is a range of affordable pints from local Manchester brewery Blackjack Brew Co, as well as wines and spirits, whilst food at The Abbey comes courtesy of Pieminister. The team will be serving up favourites including the Moo steak and ale pie; the Free Ranger with chicken, ham, leek and thyme; the Big Cheese with vintage cheddar, leek and Emmental, alongside plenty of traditional pub sides and extras like mash, peas and cheese.
Following the extensive restoration, the legendary Hulme venue will celebrate its return with a free three-day launch weekend running from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June. Guests can also enjoy 50% off all food and drink throughout the opening weekend. Friday sees Stop Making Sense Live come to Hulme, fresh from selling out two Manchester Albert Hall shows. Their full-band recreation of the legendary Talking Heads concert film has built a huge following and the team feels like it's the perfect way to open the venue. Saturday shifts the focus firmly onto new music, with an all-day showcase featuring some of their favourite emerging artists, including Mary In The Junkyard, Tommy Barlow and Ishango Bone. Sunday afternoon meanwhile belongs to Born To Be Wild Child, bringing a family fun day with a bouncy castle, creative activities and storytelling from CBeebies favourite Jan Blake, before the weekend rounds off with a special headline DJ set from Anish Kumar, one of the UK's most exciting electronic artists.
Future Programme
Live music will be at the heart of the programme, with performances from emerging artists and breakthrough bands already lined up for the months ahead. Upcoming gigs include Willie J Healey's four-night residency, Greg Mendez, Modern Woman, Soft Loft, Crocodiles, Les Big Byrd, Glasshouse Red Spider Mite, Pina Palau, Ora Cogan, Golomb, Ebbb and many more, with new additions to be announced throughout the summer. The events programme has been designed to bring people together, with a mix of live music, community events and family-friendly activities throughout the year. As new custodians, they agree that part of the magic will be seeing the how the community interacts with the space and the programming.
"I think the previous landlords were fantastic in terms of outreach with the community and we're keen to follow in their footsteps. We're going to try and be consistent with opening hours and be affordable too, but we're also open to what this space needs to be," says Wes. And perhaps summing up its potential and significance best is Ruth. "It's been ours for a little while and then after the weekend it becomes everybody else's and we're open to seeing what that is." The Abbey is now open. Guildhall Cl, Manchester M15 6SY.
