Music Venues for Hire in Manchester

Music Venues Hire Guide

Before beginning your venue hunt in Manchester, there are some important factors to consider before deciding what to look for. Firstly, the size and ambience of your music event - for example, if you’re aiming to attract an underground audience and keep things intimate, then hiring a large concert arena makes no sense at all. As well as this, it’s important to make sure that the music venue has all the necessary AV equipment you need and that the acoustics will fit with your genre. An opera singer performing in a low-ceilinged bar or club certainly wouldn’t work, right? So don’t try to fit square pegs into round holes simply to save a few quid.

Next to Spinningfields, a long-standing district of entertainment and top quality music venues, you'll find the Great Northern Square, a small area surrounded by a range of impressive concert venues that can hold music events for all crowds. Listing impressive music halls such as the Albert Hall Manchester, all these live music spaces are available for private hire and have a range of different settings and acoustics to fit to the atmosphere of your event. Music-wise, invite guest DJ’s to play exclusive electronic sets in private function rooms, sit back and enjoy live bands and musicians in posh lounges, or take in the beautiful melodies of symphony orchestras in the auditorium of The Empty Space. 

Across town, the Northern Quarter is Manchester’s urban and artsy core, playing host to a number of underground live music bars and gig venues that are open until late and come with plenty of optional extras, including fantastic food and drink packages to accompany your live music event. With chilled-out lounges and seating areas, many of the spaces are ideal for a sit-down concert with small bands, musicians, and singers.

Price Guide: With so much on offer, prices for music venues in Manchester vary greatly. For large venues, expect to pay £300 hire fee per hour for a 1000 guests capacity space, up to £18000 hire fee per day for a 2000 guests space. Smaller options are more flexible and more affordable, offering hire fees between £500 and £1,000, and minimum spend between £300 and £2,000. Be sure to double-check with venues what is included in the price and also make certain that you have enough attendees to meet large minimum spend figures, as underspending can lead to further charges.

FAQs about Music Venues in Manchester

Can I bring my own alcohol to a music venue in Manchester?

Whether you can bring your own alcohol depends on the venue’s policy. To help you out with your search, select the  “BYO alcohol allowed” filter on our platform to only see venues with this type of policy. To ensure there’s no additional corkage fee, talk to the venue manager before you make your final booking.

Where are the best live music venues in Manchester?

Manchester is well-known for its exciting live music scene, so you are sure to find some amazing music venues here, but here are our top picks:

• The Bierkeller - Grab this venue before it's hired! Located just a short walk from Victoria Station, this flexible location with a unique design and various spaces available, including a little lodge, will surely be perfect for  any event all year long. Rated 5.0/5
• Stoller Hall - a 400-seater auditorium with two levels of seating and additional side and rear seats. Designed for an intimate experience, it hosts music recitals, gigs, comedy, and spoken word, offering versatile stage sizes, excellent tech facilities, and superb acoustics by Arup Rated 5.0/5
• Revolución de Cuba Manchester - Are you looking for some Latino vibes for your event? Well, look no further. The laid-back vibe, excellent choice of drinks, and the music that won’t let you sit down can all be found in this Deansgate-based venue. Rated 4.8/5

What should I consider when hiring a live music venue in Manchester?

The first thing to think about is the size of your venue. Depending on how many people you want to invite, you’ll need quite different sized venues. If you would like your event to last late through the night, ensure the space has an adequate music licence. Some venues may also have a policy regarding the type of music that can be played there, so pay attention to that as well. A good live music venue should have an excellent sound system as well as good acoustics. Lastly, some venues offer in-house DJs or bands and do not allow any external hires, so it’s always worth checking with the venue manager before you book.