Celebrating two decades at the forefront of UK club culture

W: I: @tanyahanley_

The Warehouse Project (WHP) has announced its landmark 2026 season, kicking off on Friday 18th September and marking exactly 20 years since its debut at Boddingtons Strangeways Brewery in 2006. Pioneering a seasonal format that utilizes temporary, industrial spaces, WHP has evolved from a raw Manchester experiment into an iconic global institution. Over two decades, its dancefloors have welcomed thousands of influential names—including Aphex Twin, Four Tet, Bicep, and Fred again..—cementing its status at the absolute vanguard of electronic music and nightlife culture. Founders Sam Kandel and Richard McGinnis expressed immense pride in reaching this milestone, noting that the project has always been about progression, evolving alongside the music, and pushing boundaries right here in Manchester.

To celebrate this 20th anniversary, WHP is launching an array of special cultural initiatives, spearheaded by a new six-minute retrospective film, 'Twenty Years In Manchester', directed by the esteemed Leigh Powis. Captured partly on rare Kodak Ektachrome film, this definitive art piece positions the city itself as a central character alongside local clubbers and archival footage. The film will be available exclusively to Apple Music subscribers from Tuesday 26th May before its global online release on Thursday 29th May. The celebrations will continue throughout the year with an outdoor photography exhibition launching in Spinningfields this July, a dedicated podcast series unearthing never-before-told stories, and a brand-new WHP print magazine documenting the communities, spaces, and artists that have shaped the project since 2006.

I: Anthony Mooney

WHP is also extending its partnership with Apple Music for the WHP26 season. In addition to delivering exclusive DJ mixes in Spatial Audio, the collaboration will expand to feature select live audio streaming for free on Apple Music Club. A dedicated WHP Archive/Vault collection will also be introduced, hosting never-before-released historical mixes. Early shows for the 2026 season have already been revealed—with several already sold out—and further lineup announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

I: Anthony Mooney