Old Abbey Taphouse hosting festival to avoid closure

The venue is set to hold the festival over the August bank holiday weekend and would need to raise a total of £15,000 to keep it’s doors open.

The site, which is widely recognised for its community led projects has launched various charity-focused initiatives such as “Taphouse TV dinners”, which offered meals to multiple members of the public.

Known as a music venue, pub, catering space and radio station, the Taphouse also hosts a youth training centre.

This latest announcement comes three weeks after the venue released a warning stating it may close sections of its operation, and announced earlier in the month that it would be closing it’s kitchen with immediate effect.

Culturally important asset

Funds, if successfully raised from the upcoming festival, will be utilised to transform the pub’s empty space into a live music and entertainment  

The site is recognised as a community interest company and has also hosted mental health and movement classes, poetry events and open mics and has been taken over by Steam Hubs & Pubs.

The festival has received support from notable promoters such Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, Sacha Lord.

He said: “This building represents more than just bricks and mortar, it is a setting of many memories and stories spanning generations and is a culturally important asset to our city-region.

“These past few years have been tough on everyone in hospitality, but events like this can provide a lifeline to venues. I urge as many people as possible to buy tickets, show their support and help secure the future of Old Abbey Taphouse.”

Community history

Steam Hubs & Pubs, director Frankie Coker also shared his views on the Taphouse, expressing his aim to “take control of our destiny.”

He added: “The Old Abbey Taphouse is a venue that is steeped in community history, it's the last remaining building from the old Greenheys Estate, which was knocked down and with it the area was lost.”

We have pulled in all our contacts from the community to offer a great festival over the bank holiday weekend to generate the portion of the funds we need to convert the kitchen ourselves.”

Coker explained his plans for the kitchen going forward: “If we can achieve our target, we hope to convert the kitchen before the winter, offering an increase in revenue over the winter that will hopefully save our business and also offer the community a multifunction events space that we have lots of exciting programming ideas for.”