Don’t get me wrong… I like London, I really do. I just think that sometimes, it gets hyped a bit too much.
There, I said it. There are so many other cities in England that pass underneath the radar of young travelers, just because all we tend to hear is how amazing our friends’ weekend getaway to the British capital was.
Manchester is one of the cities that can definitely live up to ‘London standards’, especially regarding its nightlife/clubbing scene. And that is largely due to a little something called The Warehouse Project.
Now in its 6th year, WHP is a series of parties that take place in Manchester ever year between September and New Years Day. World-famous recording artists and DJs take turns putting on nights in the underground warehouse. Depending on the line-up of the night, you can expect anything from Jamie XX, M.I.A. or Miss Dynamite to Cut Copy, Sven Väth, James Blake and the Berghain resident DJs.
“For twelve weeks this city is ours…”
It’s hard to describe what makes The Warehouse Project so special. Perhaps the fact that it only runs from September to December of every year? Or the sheer number and broad range of international DJs and artists that play here? Its location, an underground warehouse right below Manchester Piccadilly train station? Maybe watching this little video by Chris Cairns will give you a better idea what WHP is all about:
At WHP, you forget about yourself and merge with the rest of the ecstatic, dancing crowd. You become one with the music as the pounding bass pervades your entire body. You let complex light installations blind you, lift you up and take you to a whole new place.
Even when the night comes to a close, the lights come on and the speakers spit out the final beats, you don’t need to go home yet. There is always Afterlife, the WHP after hour at South on King Street. All you need to do is purchase a ticket at the bar and hop onto one of the free shuttle busses that leave The Warehouse Project starting from 3.30am. Afterlife is also open to people who didn’t attend WHP.
Unfortunately, 2011 will be the last year for WHP to reside in its Store Street location beneath Manchester Piccadilly station. There is little doubt it will return in 2012, but its new location is still unknown. To keep updated, you can sign up to the newsletter on the official website or follow The Warehouse Project on Facebook or Twitter.
*All images by The Warehouse Project
