FAC251 (Factory Manchester)
A three-room club on Princess Street named after Factory Records. Live music, indie nights, and club events. Manchester music history on the door.
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FAC251 takes its name from the Factory Records catalogue numbering system – it was the 251st release from the label that gave Manchester Joy Division, New Order, and the Hacienda. The building on Princess Street was the actual Factory Records headquarters. That’s real history, not a branding exercise.
Three rooms across two floors. The main room handles the bigger club nights and live shows. Capacity around 1,200 total. The basement room is darker and more intimate, usually running alternative or electronic music. The third space is more of a bar with DJs.
The live music programme books emerging bands and touring acts. Many of Manchester’s current bands played early shows here. Club nights range from indie and alternative to house and techno depending on the night. Wednesday is usually the big student night. Weekends vary – check what’s on before you go.
The sound system is decent for a club this size. The main room gets loud. The basement room has a good low-end thump. Drink prices are club standard – not the cheapest, not offensive.
Princess Street is central. Oxford Road station is a five-minute walk. Piccadilly is ten. Night buses run from nearby.
The building carries weight. Dancing in the old Factory Records office means something in this city, even if the music has moved on from what Tony Wilson would have booked.
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