This summer, the city’s most defining nightlife institution is bringing the subculture out of the dark and into the daylight.
Since exploding onto the scene at the Boddingtons Strangeways Brewery in 2006, The Warehouse Project (WHP) has done far more than throw parties; it wrote the blueprint for British club culture. From the concrete car park of Store Street to its monumental current home at Depot Mayfield, WHP has pioneered a seasonal rave energy. By uniting global electronic icons with cutting-edge emerging talent, it has permanently cemented Manchester’s status as a global destination for music lovers. Twenty years on, what began as a radical series of club nights stands tall as an internationally recognised cultural institution.
To celebrate this milestone, The Warehouse Project is inviting the public to 20 Years of The Warehouse Project, a striking free outdoor photography & visual art exhibition launching on The Avenue, Spinningfields on Thursday, 16th July, for an exclusive eight-week run.
Woven throughout the public spaces of Spinningfields, the open-air gallery will feature 20 visual works. The collection spans raw 35mm film, candid digital photography, intimate Polaroids, original contact sheets and rare archival material. Together, they form a visual love letter to the dancefloor, capturing everything from euphoric, strobe-lit crowd scenes and career-defining performances to the quiet, unfiltered backstage moments that usually stay hidden.
Eight visionary photographers who have lived and breathed the WHP evolution over the last two decades will showcase their unique perspectives:
- Sebastian Matthes
- Shaun Peckham
- Jody Hartley
- Anthony Mooney
- Rob Jones
- Pippa Rankin
- Sophia Carey
- Harriet Bols
Alongside the photography, the exhibition traces the evolution of WHP’s iconic visual identity. Visitors can track the graphic journey of the brand through the artwork of the boundary-pushing designers and studios who shaped its aesthetic from day one, proving how the WHP visual style has continually mutated while remaining instantly recognisable.
Featured Designers & Studios:
The cultural celebration spills over into The Green at St. John’s district with the physical UK premiere of ‘Twenty Years In Manchester’, a gripping new short film directed by Leigh Powis.
Screening on rotation daily from Thursday, 16th July for two weeks between 8am and 12pm, this six-minute cinematic portrait serves as an emotional capsule of the WHP journey. Travelling from Boddingtons to Depot Mayfield, the film explores the collective memories, shared euphoria, and fleeting moments that linger long after the music stops. It captures the romance and power of rave culture and the profound sense of belonging that has made WHP an indelible part of Manchester’s soul.
