The Printworks
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The Printworks is Europe's first urban entertainment venue, based on Withy Grove in Manchester and was one of two entertainment venues for Manchester City Centre in the 21st Century.
Until 1986, as the name suggests, the Printworks was a printing press, owned at the time of its demise by Robert Maxwell. The site stood derelict from 1987 until 1998, when work commenced on the new venue, opening in 2000.
It contains mostly bars and clubs, including a Hard Rock Cafe and Casino as well as a leisure centre and a 20 screen Cinema, owned by Odeon (formerly thefilmworks) and incorporating an IMAX 3D screen.
The Printworks success has been at a cost to the other entertainment venue in Manchester - The Great Northern Warehouse - which failed to find any retailers for units in the internal walkway leading towards the AMC cinema and Virgin Health Club, and decided to redesign the interior only a few years after opening.
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[edit] Launch Night
The Printworks was launched with fireworks display and a radio roadshow featuring many local and international acts. The headlining act of the evening was Lionel Richie who sung a mixture of classics and newly record material including Dancing On The Ceiling (to which he punned to the crowd "It's great that you are all dancing down there, but sometimes it's better to be dancing... dancing on the ceiling".)
[edit] Bars & Clubs
- Wetherspoon's Lloyds Number One
- Old Orleans
- Opus Manchester
- Norwegian Blue
- Waxy O'Connor's
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Wagamama
- Pure Magic Bar
[edit] Former Bars & Clubs
- Lucid
[edit] Fast-Food outlets
[edit] Stores & Entertainment
- Odeon
- Aleef's Newsagents
[edit] Former Stores of the Printworks
- Books etc. - Borders Group moved to Manchester Fort.
- Cromwell's Madhouse - moved to Manchester Arndale Centre.
