O2 Apollo Manchester
Manchester's best mid-size venue. 3,500 capacity in a gorgeous art deco building on Stockport Road. Standing or seated, always a proper gig.
Back to venues
The Apollo is the best mid-size venue in Manchester and one of the best in the country. 3,500 capacity in an art deco building that opened as a cinema in 1938. The Smiths played here. Oasis played here. Everyone plays here on the way up or the way back down.
Standing in the stalls is where you want to be. The floor is raked so you can actually see even if you’re not six foot. The balcony is seated and the sound carries well up there, though the seats are original and not built for modern proportions. Your knees will know about it.
Sound quality is excellent for a room this size. The ceiling height helps. It gets loud without getting muddy, which is more than you can say for most venues pushing 3,000 capacity.
Location is Ardwick, on the A6 heading towards Stockport. It’s a 15-minute walk from Piccadilly station or a short bus ride. The 192 stops right outside. Parking is street-only and a nightmare on gig nights. Don’t drive.
The bars inside are basic. Cans of lager, plastic cups. The queue situation can be grim between support and main act. Get your drinks in early or use the bars upstairs.
No frills, great gigs. Exactly what a music venue should be.
This is my venue
Claim this venue
You run this place and you want the listing to be right. Fill this in and we will check it before anything changes on the page.
