{"id":120438,"date":"2025-09-07T08:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/120438\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T08:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:48:11","slug":"the-big-manchester-night-out-thats-anything-but-subtle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/120438\/","title":{"rendered":"The big Manchester night out that’s ‘anything but subtle’"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Are we crossing the line here?’<\/p>\n

07:16, 07 Sep 2025Updated 07:55, 07 Sep 2025<\/p>\n

\"TheThe opening night of Albert’s Schloss, on October 15, 2015, set a precedent that continues today(Image: Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

There is an unwritten rule in showbusiness that you should never work with children or animals.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a rule that Albert\u2019s Schloss<\/a> has pretty much followed since opening in Manchester – having seen pretty much every other type of performer grace its stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one performer a few years ago where we had to have a conversation and be like \u2018are we crossing the line here?\u2019,\u201d recalls James Plant, the venue\u2019s Head of Innovation, speaking to the Manchester Evening News.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Albert'sAlbert’s Schloss opened in Manchester ten years ago in the former Brannigans spot on Peter Street(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

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\u201d. They added: “Keep doing what you’re doing. Best bar on planet earth by a country mile.”<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s exactly what they\u2019ve done. The Bavarian-themed venue, situated on the ground floor of Albert Hall<\/a> 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’.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a live music venue, it\u2019s a restaurant, it\u2019s a bar, it\u2019s a bakery, it\u2019s a cabaret venue, it\u2019s pretty much everything all in one,\u201d James explains of the venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery 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\u2019s cabaret performers on stage and people get up on the benches to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe venue serves a large offering of European beers, all in steins(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

Having first opened in time to celebrate Oktoberfest, the annual tradition has also become a staple feature of Albert\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe festival itself is normally surrounded by carnivals and lots of games,\u201d James explains. \u201cThere\u2019s 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\u2019s happy. It\u2019s a great time!\u201d<\/p>\n

And this year, Albert\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Albert'sAlbert’s Schloss has become the go-to spot in Manchester when it comes to Oktoberfest celebrations(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

These shows have also helped pave the way for a lot of queer and LGBTQ+<\/a> talent, including drag performers like Banksie and Lill, who have both appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Last year, Lill described Albert\u2019s Schloss as the Manchester venue that most feels like home to her.<\/a><\/p>\n

“We’re a people\u2019s palace and we\u2019ve always been inclusive for all,\u201d James says of their diverse line-up. \u201cManchester 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\u2019re not a gay bar or a drag bar, but we are very diverse and will always be. It\u2019s very much part of our DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Schloss does is straddle that gap with mainstream and diverse. I\u2019ve seen some crazy things in ten years that have truly boggled my mind. But I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BanksieBanksie appearing on the Albert’s Schloss stage(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s this variety that James says has kept the venue up with the times. Over the years, Albert\u2019s Schloss has received reviews from top critics who have been taken by surprise by the venue.<\/p>\n

Food critic Jay Rayner wrote in 2018 that \u2018I should hate it, but I don\u2019t\u2019, 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s anything but subtle,\u201d James accepts. \u201cBut that\u2019s not something we\u2019ve 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\u2019s people who come in for breakfast and don\u2019t realise we stay open at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ThisThis year’s Oktoberfest at Albert’s Schloss will run for three weeks(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

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\u2019s situated in today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen 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,\u201d he explains. \u201cThere are now four bars who all do cabaret.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last ten years, we\u2019ve seen just how many stages there are in Manchester now and I like to think that Schloss helped that and set the level.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe menu at Albert’s Schloss stems across burgers, bratwurst, and schnitzels(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s always been easy to draw in customers. James says the cost of living has changed the city\u2019s nightlife<\/a>, and it \u2018certainly isn\u2019t cheap\u2019 to maintain a historic building like Albert Hall in today\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to be *****ing yourself every so often, isn\u2019t it?\u201d, he chuckles. \u201cWe\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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\u2019ve always had to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing honest, you have to stay ahead. There\u2019s no end of bars doing great things here in Manchester – you can\u2019t ever be complacent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RuPaul'sRuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Lill cited Albert’s Schloss as one of her favourite places to perform in Manchester(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

Now, Albert\u2019s Schloss has four venues, with sites in Birmingham, London and Liverpool sitting alongside the original in Manchester. James says it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do love that we have this very Mancunian icon sitting on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the shadow of all the debauchery of Soho,\u201d James says. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having other venues has also brought some unique challenges. \u201cWe\u2019ve noticed that the curry sauce cannot be the same everywhere,\u201d he remarks. \u201cOur curry sauce is very different in Birmingham to what it is here. There, it should be spicier and red, whilst it\u2019s milder and fruitier here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe ‘people’s palace’ has proven to be a number of variety of things to many different customers(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

And asked if there are any more venues in the pipeline, or if they\u2019d ever consider the prospect of another Albert\u2019s Schloss appearing in Manchester, James says they are always on the lookout.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I\u2019d be lying if I said we hadn\u2019t thought about the prospect of another venue in Manchester,\u201d he says. \u201cBut 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\u2019s just about continuing to ensure we are doing the best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u2018people\u2019s palace\u2019 for however people want it to be.<\/p>\n

\"Albert'sAlbert’s Schloss has stood the test of time in the city(Image: Albert’s Schloss)<\/p>\n

\u201cManchester is just getting better and better as a city,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s just phenomenal to see its growth each year. The city has a really unique and special food, drink and music scene and we\u2019re really happy to play a big part in that.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, for Manchester, let\u2019s see ten more years of being in this culturally-rich city and doing what we\u2019re doing. It\u2019s worked for us so far!\u201d<\/p>\n

Albert’s Schloss is on 27 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR.<\/p>\n

Join our Manc Life WhatsApp group HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘Are we crossing the line here?’ 07:16, 07 Sep 2025Updated 07:55, 07 Sep 2025 The opening night of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[57458,57459,22241,96,59,18617,2951,13757,2191,3783,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-120438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-albert-hall","tag-alberts-schloss","tag-beer","tag-entertainment","tag-gb","tag-manchester-bars","tag-manchester-city-centre","tag-manchester-restaurants","tag-pubs-and-bars","tag-restaurants","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}