‘Are we crossing the line here?’
07:16, 07 Sep 2025Updated 07:55, 07 Sep 2025
The opening night of Albert’s Schloss, on October 15, 2015, set a precedent that continues today(Image: Manchester Evening News)
There is an unwritten rule in showbusiness that you should never work with children or animals.
It’s a rule that Albert’s Schloss has pretty much followed since opening in Manchester – having seen pretty much every other type of performer grace its stage.
“There was one performer a few years ago where we had to have a conversation and be like ‘are we crossing the line here?’,” recalls James Plant, the venue’s Head of Innovation, speaking to the Manchester Evening News.
“It was burlesque performer John Celestus, who was stripped down to a thong, bent over on stage and shaving his upper thighs on stage so I could staple a player card to it. There was a lot of shaving foam and a very small thong involved.
“But then we got a review from someone about that night and we realised that, actually, dancing on the line is exactly what we should be doing.”
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Albert’s Schloss opened in Manchester ten years ago in the former Brannigans spot on Peter Street(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
The reviewer, who praised the ‘bloke roller skating, singing Whitney, doing the splits and shaving his gooch’, told staff it was “****ing world class man”. They added: “Keep doing what you’re doing. Best bar on planet earth by a country mile.”
And that’s exactly what they’ve done. The Bavarian-themed venue, situated on the ground floor of Albert Hall on Peter Street, has been a mainstay in the city for ten years now – having first opened in the former Brannigan’s spot as a ‘Bohemian pleasure palace’.
“It’s a live music venue, it’s a restaurant, it’s a bar, it’s a bakery, it’s a cabaret venue, it’s pretty much everything all in one,” James explains of the venue.
“Every morning starts off quiet and then as the day progresses, you just see it start to take on a new identity. All of a sudden, there’s cabaret performers on stage and people get up on the benches to dance.”
Inspired by Bavarian, Czech and Alpine food, drink and culture, the Schloss (a German word for a castle, palace or manor house) has helped introduce new audiences to the likes of Pilsner, brought in from the Czech Republic every week, as well as delicacies like roast pork knuckle and kaiserwurst as part of its Bavarian Feast.
The venue serves a large offering of European beers, all in steins(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
Having first opened in time to celebrate Oktoberfest, the annual tradition has also become a staple feature of Albert’s Schloss. The Munich-based beer festival features a wealth of food and music and is visited by around seven million people a year. But the Schloss also gets a large number of visitors from further afield for their celebrations each year too.
“The festival itself is normally surrounded by carnivals and lots of games,” James explains. “There’s always a really playful atmosphere, so we make sure that is a big part of what we do. We have hat tossing and pretzel throwing, alongside the oompa bands and all that. Throw in six or seven beers, and everybody’s happy. It’s a great time!”
And this year, Albert’s Schloss will be going even bigger on its Oktoberfest celebrations, which have been rolled out to three weeks, running from September 20 to October 12. It will feature wurst platters, laderhosen contests, as well as ‘more bier, more showtime and more Bavarian feasting’. And they hope to match, or even exceed, the 4,900 steins poured up during last year’s event.
Albert’s Schloss has become the go-to spot in Manchester when it comes to Oktoberfest celebrations(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
And, alongside the likes of stripping burlesque stars, the Schloss has also been heavily known for its varied line-up of performers. In one week, you could see a drag queen, a choir, a pianist, or a DJ take to the stage – and that’s when it’s low-key.
These shows have also helped pave the way for a lot of queer and LGBTQ+ talent, including drag performers like Banksie and Lill, who have both appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Last year, Lill described Albert’s Schloss as the Manchester venue that most feels like home to her.
“We’re a people’s palace and we’ve always been inclusive for all,” James says of their diverse line-up. “Manchester has always had a fabulous scene for gay and drag artists, we have a great pride, but we were very proud early on to be as inclusive as possible. We’re not a gay bar or a drag bar, but we are very diverse and will always be. It’s very much part of our DNA.
“What Schloss does is straddle that gap with mainstream and diverse. I’ve seen some crazy things in ten years that have truly boggled my mind. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Banksie appearing on the Albert’s Schloss stage(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
In fact, it’s this variety that James says has kept the venue up with the times. Over the years, Albert’s Schloss has received reviews from top critics who have been taken by surprise by the venue.
Food critic Jay Rayner wrote in 2018 that ‘I should hate it, but I don’t’, whilst Grace Dent described it last year as a ‘stroke of genius’ and ‘really much, much better than it needs to be’. Some might take the surprise to heart, but not the team at the Schloss.
“It’s anything but subtle,” James accepts. “But that’s not something we’ve ever tried to be. But it can be whatever people want it to be. We still have people who regularly come in for our shows who are surprised when they discover we have a lunchtime menu, or there’s people who come in for breakfast and don’t realise we stay open at night.”
This year’s Oktoberfest at Albert’s Schloss will run for three weeks(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
James says he believes their line-up of performers, as well as their brisk attitude of not being afraid to do things differently has put them in good stead so far – and has also helped shape the area of Manchester that it’s situated in today.
“When we first opened, Peter Street still had the nice hotels here but there was no real nightlife here and the couple or so bars here closed after not long,” he explains. “There are now four bars who all do cabaret.
“Over the last ten years, we’ve seen just how many stages there are in Manchester now and I like to think that Schloss helped that and set the level.”
The menu at Albert’s Schloss stems across burgers, bratwurst, and schnitzels(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
But that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy to draw in customers. James says the cost of living has changed the city’s nightlife, and it ‘certainly isn’t cheap’ to maintain a historic building like Albert Hall in today’s climate.
“It’s good to be *****ing yourself every so often, isn’t it?”, he chuckles. “We’re always competing with ourselves and with others. But I think we have always tried to get that balance right of what we want to do and what people want.
“The skyline is constantly changing and to stay relevant after ten years is all about keeping the energy up. Manchester is a phenomenal city, it never stops pushing, and I think that has, in some ways, meant we’ve always had to keep moving forward.
“Being honest, you have to stay ahead. There’s no end of bars doing great things here in Manchester – you can’t ever be complacent.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Lill cited Albert’s Schloss as one of her favourite places to perform in Manchester(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
Now, Albert’s Schloss has four venues, with sites in Birmingham, London and Liverpool sitting alongside the original in Manchester. James says it’s been exciting to see the brand evolve over the years, with each venue being able to take on some of its own identity whilst still keeping true to the original Bavarian charm that worked in the first place.
“I do love that we have this very Mancunian icon sitting on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the shadow of all the debauchery of Soho,” James says. “It feels very apt and right for us. We try to run them all separately but similarly, so there are some little charms to each venue.”
Having other venues has also brought some unique challenges. “We’ve noticed that the curry sauce cannot be the same everywhere,” he remarks. “Our curry sauce is very different in Birmingham to what it is here. There, it should be spicier and red, whilst it’s milder and fruitier here.”
The ‘people’s palace’ has proven to be a number of variety of things to many different customers(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
And asked if there are any more venues in the pipeline, or if they’d ever consider the prospect of another Albert’s Schloss appearing in Manchester, James says they are always on the lookout.
“Look, I’d be lying if I said we hadn’t thought about the prospect of another venue in Manchester,” he says. “But the challenge is having a venue that is so unique, that has the kind of gravitas it needs. We have the ideal location with what we have here so far, so it’s just about continuing to ensure we are doing the best we can.”
But, looking forward to the next ten years, James said it will just be about having that attitude of keeping up with things, continuing to host unique and diverse events, and being that ‘people’s palace’ for however people want it to be.
Albert’s Schloss has stood the test of time in the city(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
“Manchester is just getting better and better as a city,” he says. “It’s just phenomenal to see its growth each year. The city has a really unique and special food, drink and music scene and we’re really happy to play a big part in that.
“So, for Manchester, let’s see ten more years of being in this culturally-rich city and doing what we’re doing. It’s worked for us so far!”
Albert’s Schloss is on 27 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR.
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