Have you ever found a coffee shop that you never want to leave?

Manchester is full of venues which look completely different at 12 pm compared to 12 am; here are just a few of them…

Cupra City Garage

4–6 St Ann St, Manchester M2 7LG

Cupra City Garage is possibly the most unique multi-purpose venue in Manchester. In the day, you can buy a car for tens of thousands; at night, you can buy a decently priced pint at a rave.

Cupra City Garage is a global chain with 12 venues around the world. The Manchester showroom is the only multi-purpose Cupra garage in the UK, with the others mainly residing in Europe, and the remaining three being located in Australia, Turkey and Mexico.

Cupra’s UK managing director, Marcos Gossen, said they chose Manchester due to “its culture, with its inspiring people, with the artists and the innovative spirit”

Last month, Cupra City hosted Mancunian drum and bass DJ Bou, who hosted a free event in the underground section of the garage to celebrate his new EP, resulting in a queue around the building.

Night and Day

26 Oldham St, Manchester M1 1JN

Night and Day opened in 1991 as solely a cafe.

Taking over an old fish and chip shop, the cafe gradually turned into one of Manchester’s most iconic music venues.

Middleton indie band The Courteeners took over the venue earlier this year, and it has previously hosted other huge names, including the Arctic Monkeys, Johnny Marr and Ed Sheeran.

The cafe/music venue has been threatened with closure many times due to noise complaints, with the most recent in 2021 following complaints from a local resident.

A petition calling for the complaint to be withdrawn gained over 94,000 signatures, including the Charlatans and Johnny Marr, resulting in a district judge amending the noise abatement notice to allow the venue to still operate.

Jeremy Pritchard, the bassist in rock band Everything Everything, stated, “If Manchester cannot protect the Night & Day, it isn’t a music city.”

Side Street

ABC Buildings Corner of Quay Street and, Lower Byrom St, Manchester M3 4AE

Side Street is a more bougie coffee shop that turns into a ‘A low-lit mid-century hangout for cocktails, late-night conversations and curated events.’

The cafe/bar has multiple rooms and feels like you’re stepping back in time.

Side Street, previously known as Side Street Studio, went through a major rebrand in late 2024, which resulted in “studio” being dropped from the name and the introduction of Side Store, Side Bar and Side Space all under the same roof.

Side Street is open until 2 am on weekends, with a mix of different musical acts, including soul singers and vinyl DJs.

256 Wilmslow Road

256 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester

On to one for the students.

256 has become a staple in student life with late weekday nights and packed dancefloors, but did you know the venue is just a regular pub the majority of the time!

The student favourite is a historic Grade II listed building that has transitioned from an ecclesiastical school into a social hub.

The venue swaps out pub grub and TVs for disco balls and shots, with its reasonable prices attracting hundreds of students.

Alfie Masheder, a student in Manchester, described 256 as having “ A great sense of community; everyone I bumped into has always been a good laugh, and you can have some great chats”.

Unique venues have always been a core part of Manchester and have housed many talents both established and up-and-coming.

Newly elected leader of the Manchester City Council Garry Bridges said, “We want Manchester to lead the way, showing what cities can achieve by working together closely with our music venues, and the wider music sector in the city.”

The next time you enter a coffee shop or a car garage, you may want to ask your server what time they shut, as you might find yourself a hidden gem!