Walking along vibrant Deansgate Locks a decade ago, it was a sensory overload. There was the boom of music spilling from the many canal-lined bars, the chatter of people lounging on outdoor terraces, taxis honking at one another and bulging queues of revellers at every door.
Fast forward to 2026 and the once-trendy spot which was the heart of Manchester’s nightlife tells an entirely different story. The hustle and bustle has faded. Doors to once heaving bars and clubs are boarded up. Night-goers have plentiful choice, and now frequent the likes of the Northern Quarter, Spinningfields, the Gay Village or Deansgate.
Another nail was hammered firmly into the coffin for the Locks when the Ark nightclub announced its shock closure on Sunday (July 5). It is one of just two remaining nightclubs along the stretch once populated with a variety of bars, comedy venues and the like.
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The venue had been a fixture on the Locks for around 12 years, at the former Missoula site. It previously stood alongside neighbours including The Comedy Store, Revolution and Lola Lo, all of which have also said a final farewell in recent years.
Following the raft of closures in recent years, it was only Ark and Popworld that remained, with both businesses open on Friday and Saturday nights. But soon Popworld will stand alone on the nightlife development.
A date for the closure is yet to be confirmed, but it is understood to be within a matter of weeks.
Ark is expected to close in a matter of weeks(Image: Vince Cole)
The Locks have been hit with major structural issues and water ingress in the Grade II listed structure over the years, with a flurry of high-profile venue closures later leaving the once bustling arches almost completely deserted.
Last year the Manchester Evening News explored its decline. It was first transformed into a nightlife destination in the 1990s and the old railway arches have, since then, housed many famed bars and nightclubs. It is in one the most iconic entrance points to Manchester, on the stretch of Whitworth Street West between Deansgate and Albion Street.
Legendary venues such as Baa Bar, the Sugar Lounge, Loaf and The Comedy Store were once loved fixtures. And, in more recent years, it became a hotspot with Sakura bar and the famed celeb haunt Eivissa club nights, while the arrival of Revolution, Lola Lo and El Diablo transformed it into a haven for students angling for many a memorable night out on the town.
It was the scene of fresher’s nights, birthdays and bar crawls. Pictures taken in 2015 paint a vastly different picture to now.
Pictures taken in 2015 paint a vastly different picture to now.(Image: Joel Goodman/Manchester Evening News)
They undoubtedly offered something unique; booming city centre clubs with canal-level terraces for alfresco drinks. Queues of partygoers would often spill over footbridges and into the main road where scores of cabs awaited until the early hours.
Announcing the closure of Ark, a spokesperson for Stonegate told the Manchester Evening News: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges. After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.
“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”
READ MORE: What on earth has happened to Deansgate Locks?
Deansgate Locks has faced repeated closures in recent years(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
But those struggles faced by the Stonegate venue are far from unique. Bar owners and revellers who previously spoke to the M.E.N about the Locks pointed to a cultural shift in nightlife habits in Manchester, with a move away from nightclubs to more food and experience-led venues.
The nightlife destination was further hit by trend changes in student nightlife too, with clubbing and drinking culture on the decline with younger city dwellers. And, not least the issues with damp in the old 19th century brick that had long plagued the arch’s tenants.
Residents of Greater Manchester have since taken to social media to say the most recent in the draft of recent closures is ‘sad’, remembering a once ‘thriving nightlife area’.
The once rammed Revolution bar on Deansgate Locks(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“Deansgate locks need redeveloping, it’s sad as it was a thriving nightlife area in the the 90s & 00s but consumer habits have changed,” Alan Fletcher said, responding to the news on social media.
Alexis Anderson-Jones added: “There’s nothing there anymore. It used to be thriving that end of town,” as another said: “It’s such a shame younger people are missing out on social night outs.”
But those feelings have been echoing between Manchester dwellers and visitors for some time. When the M.E.N headed out to explore the demise of the Locks last year, it was remembered as being ‘packed like sardines’.
Popworld will soon be the only nightclub that remains(Image: MEN)
Reporter Dianne Bourne visited the Locks on a Friday night last year. Arriving shortly before 11pm, the area was described as ‘deathly quiet’. “It’s hard to scratch from your memory all those years where you’ve seen, and joined, queues of revellers across every wooden bridge waiting to get into the bars and clubs here,” Dianne wrote.
“But now what you see is most of the wooden decking completely empty of a night.”
At the time, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “We recognise the importance of the city’s night-time economy and have been carrying out extensive work to support its performance.
“Areas in the vicinity of Deansgate Locks have enjoyed a resurgence, for example around HOME and First Street, and along Deansgate itself, and with more businesses opening across the city centre and further development nearby there should be real momentum for the area.
“Where pockets within the city centre face specific challenges, in this case associated with issues relating to their premises, we are happy to facilitate discussions around solutions.”