Manchester nightclub Sankeys has published a statement following its sudden closure this week.
News of the venue's closure broke yesterday, when it was revealed that the Beehive Mill building it calls home has been sold. Now, Sankeys has confirmed it hadn't been able to reach an agreement with the space's property managers because "the entire building has been sold to a residential property developer who intends to turn it into apartments."
Though it described the sitaution as "particularly bitter," the club says it's "looking at a few options in terms of a new venue" and that it was planning "pop-up" parties with some of the bookings they had made for the coming weeks. Sankeys also confirmed that it's opening a new venue in Birmingham this March.
Read the statement:Yesterday the news broke the doors at Sankeys Manchester would be closed with immediate effect.
We have been in negotiations with the property management agents of Beehive Mill for some time with regards to the lease for Sankeys and with that, it has become apparent that the reason that they haven't issued a new agreement is due to the fact that the entire building has been sold to a residential property developer who intends to turn it into apartments. With that it is with great regret and with a very heavy heart, we must close Sankeys Manchester with immediate effect. When you look around Ancoats you'll see new apartment blocks and new developments throughout the area. We have done well to fend off the developers for so long.
After our most successful quarter in seven years it is a particularly bitter situation. However we must pay tribute to those guys who smashed it over the last six months, without doubt the recent influx of numbers made the landlord's decision that bit harder. Hats off to Daniel Francis Joyce, Ed Davis, James Muldoon, Grace Annabelle Oatway, Helen Kx, Laurence RalphLaurence Davidson, Tee O Brown and of course our trusty bar team, we couldn't have done it without you.
We must point out that as a whole the Sankeys brand is on the up and about to enter some very exciting times. We have the amazing Sankeys Ibiza, the brand new venue that is Sankeys East which has sold out each show since opening and there will be Sankeys Birmingham opening in March too. Sankeys London will continue to throw huge events and we have Sankeys TYO flying the flag for the brand in the Far East. This isn't the end of the Sankeys brand, far from it.
Regards to Sankeys Manchester, we are looking at a few options in terms of a new venue to replicate the legendary Basement and Spektrum. We will also be running a series of pop-up events inclusive of existing bookings and shows yet to be released, the first of which is Sonny Fodera at Gorilla on February 11th. Over the coming days we will release the details of all shows currently in the diary, whether they have been moved venue, date or completely cancelled, we endeavour to provide these shows. From the directors and management team at Sankeys Manchester, we apologise for how suddenly the change in circumstances has taken place.
Thank you all for you kind words, your stories and memories of past times at Beehive Mill.