Manchester’s Rebellion could be under threat from £118m flat plans next door

There’s growing concern that Manchester’s long-standing alternative music haven, Rebellion, could be facing serious noise complaints in the near future thanks to a newly approved 44-storey luxury development next door.

Despite hosting heavy metal, punk, and rock gigs nearly every night of the week, Rebellion says it was left out of early consultations. The new Glenbrook tower - recently approved by Manchester City Council - could see hundreds of new residents moving in right beside a venue known for turning up the volume.

In a recent BBC interview, co-owner Alex Kostyakov said the venue had not been properly accounted for in the project’s acoustic assessment. “We have heavy metal gigs on Monday nights,” he said. “People moving in aren’t going to be expecting that.”

The worry is that if complaints start flooding in once residents move in, Rebellion could be slapped with expensive soundproofing demands or have to shut up shop earlier. Both options, Alex says, would be “the end of us.”

Manchester City Council says building work won’t start until they’re satisfied noise won’t become a future issue, but many, including grassroots campaigners Music Venue Trust, say that’s too little, too late.

They added: “Responsible planning should create places where people want to live because of the cultural life on their doorstep, not in spite of it.” 

And in a city that has already had an iconic venue, the Night & Day Cafe, also go through noise-complaint dramas - a venue which co-owner Alex Kostyakov also said their "pockets are nowhere near as deep as" - It's hard not to agree. 

Support the Rebellion by heading over to their page on Skiddle and booking yourself a ticket to one of their 7 nights a week of live music - HERE

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header image credit: Rebellion on Facebook