Independent theatre and bar, 53Two is set to launch its brand-new bar and community hub in a breathtaking Grade II listed heritage site on May 30th.

The 150 capacity 53Two Bar will occupy one of the historic arches beneath Manchester Central and will be an all-day community hub for the arts sector, serving coffee, cakes and pies by day, and drinks and live entertainment from local musicians by night.

The historic site has been opened up for the first time in over a century and restored to create a stunning for catching up over coffee or putting the world to rights over drinks. Guests can expect beers from local Manchester breweries like Brightside and locally produced bar food from the wonderful HM Pasties.

The new 53Two Bar will also operate as an ‘artists members club’ after 11pm when those working in the cultural sector will be able to access the 53Two Bar via a special ‘members entrance’ for a late-night post-work drink.

Designed for sheer escapism, the new venue will have its own baby grand piano where regular “request pianists” will play for a live karaoke experience like no other. Local live musicians will also be playing in the bar as regularly as restrictions allow, to create a friendly community enclave where everyone is welcome.

The 53two team will be preserving the history of the arches throughout the whole restoration process. The original flag work edged by metal runners to guide the horses and carts transporting goods will remain, and the original granite cobbles from the road will be recovered and used to restore some of the century old flagstones in the 21st Century theatre and bar.

The second arch will open as the main 53Two Theatre later in the year. In the meantime, the space will be open as a studio and private cinema room, where live performances and plays will be streamed. The 53Two team also plan to broadcast a live-recorded podcast each month, giving a voice to local artists and exploring the city’s cultural scene.

Simon Naylor, Director of 53Two said “53Two Bar will continue our tradition of creating an inclusive, accessible place for Manchester – full of laughter, creativity and conversation. The bar will bring the spirit of 53Two theatre to the arches until we can open that too – everyone’s welcome, especially anyone working in the arts who has struggled during lockdown. It has been such a tough time for our sector. And one part of vision is to continue to use the space to continue to support artists too. We’ll be running many of our support programmes from 53Two so it will be a real community hub. We absolutely cannot wait to open the doors to our brand-new bar. See you in May!”

53Two is dedicated to supporting diversity and equality in the arts and provides a huge range of services and support for people working in the cultural sector. Over COVID this has included supporting artists during what has been a time of crisis for many. Now the 53Two Bar intends to be an inclusive, welcoming hub for the arts community as the road to recovery begins.

The 53Two Bar will open to the public on 20th May, and will be open daily. For more information visit –

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