Kraak

Second time I went here I managed to find the unmarked door (actually there was a small handwritten piece of paper saying Kraak on the brick wall around the corner) without a map so I felt very cool. I feel Kraak itself is slightly less cool, I guess they keep the space blank to keep it versatile but the black walls are pretty unattractive and it’s a small bar space as well. It’s fine but I wouldn’t look forward to music here the same way I would at the Castle/​Whiskey Jar/​Odd/​Trof/​Soup Kitchen which are all such pleasant (if bougey) spaces and the gallery space at 2022 is far more beautiful. More importantly, the sound here is not very good.
There’s a lot of competition in the NQ and Kraak could raise its game somewhat, although kudos for doing a much better job of being a speakeasy than the Fitzgerald a mere 10 metres away.

I’ve been the Kraak a few times now, each being a very different reason. My first was for a Lindy Hop afterparty, my 2^nd for a Unilocal elite event and the 3^rd an impromptu reggae street party one sunny afternoon.
The club is hidden down a small alley way behind hula and Rosy lee tea rooms. If you dont know where to look you wouldnt stumble upon it. This generally keeps most opportunists idiots at bay and encourages only the people that genuinely want the music and the party.
I like that Kraak isnt trying too hard, it reminds me of the small clubs hidden behind and above places like when i first moved to Manchester. It has a decent bar, a small warehouse feeling space and a little stage at the end. Toilets aren’t flash, they are functional, but the parties are always fantastic as the small space creates a great sweaty atmosphere.
I would highly recommend Kraak to anyone (although obviously the success of the night you attend is more dependent on the promoter than the venue itself).
Remember though that this place is about partying and dancing. You will get sweaty. Take a hair bobble.

First off I guess I should probably say that I’m not reviewing my own party that I held at Kraak (that would be slightly dodgy) but I wanted to go on record to say what a great experience I had in organising, working with and ultimately holding the party at Kraak.
If you haven’t been to Kraak before then it’s down a really small alleyway down from Rosylee and the Fitzgerald, tucked away and only open on certain nights of the week for pop up shows, gigs and all sorts of parties. It’s rough and ready, grimey, dank etc but that’s the way I like it! It has however got a really cool bar that’s really up to date in terms of great bottled craft beer, 2 beers on tap from fantastic Bury brewery ‘Outstanding’ and they do a pretty decent selection of cocktails and wines.
There’s a gallery/​art space on the top floor but that can be hired/​booked be contacting Kraak directly if you’re planning on holding a more art based event.
I dealt directly with Jayne and Dom who were both super easy to work with and made sure our party went with a blast — nice work guys, I can’t wait to pop in again soon for a few drinks when I’m actually not running around like a madman running a party for over 100.
A true gem of the NQ, hopefully it’ll stay like this and avoid the gentrification occurring with other parts of the area.

Kraak is a small gallery in the back alley of Northern Quarter but some people don’t know that they have some really incredible parties here too. The most famous one is the Drunk and Vogue party, it is primarily a gay party with loads of beautifully dressed drags, and electronic music. I have been for 4 of these parties till now and I have to say that I have had a whole lot of fun here and yes more than Canal Street!
The entry is usually 5 pounds at the door and its kind of pointless going there before 11 30 pm because that is when everything kicks off in full swing. The drinks and fairly cheap may be because they serve you in plastic glasses instead of fancy ones. I must warn you that this party usually gets really hot and sweaty (I seriously mean it) so most people turn up in shorts (imagine going for a party in shorts: D). The party usually has a very beach — party theme when it comes to clothing so less is more for this one ;) The staff are always very friendly and so are the people, I have made so many friends through these nights.
Verdict: If you like Canal Street parties than you will love this because its a notch higher!

Kraak was supposed to be an upcoming art gallery /​small music venue.
I approached this place with some volunteers from where I used to work. We had a small music event to run and needed a small venue and we wanted to support the local businesses — what better place to go?
The initial meeting to agree on working together was quite good — we received a full tour, their thoughts and suggestions and ours and everything we needed to discuss relayed a decision so there were no questions left unanswered.
The only thing I was concerned about was if I was climbing up or down those stairs after a few drinks, I would probably fall!
4 days before the event, Kraak contacted me to say we wouldn’t be able to hold the event for several different reasons (which can’t really be put in to a review) but I can say that they could have made me aware of these reasons weeks before the event. It made me think that they are not aware of what it takes to run events.

Kraak Gallery is a reclaimed arts/​performance space based in an old textile cutting room in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. I’ve only ever been here in the evening for gigs and performances and so can’t comment on Kraak as an art space and gallery, but they seem to house some really interesting stuff (more details on their website).
Unfortunately Kraak doesn’t work too well as a music venue. There is a small bar which is well staffed and reasonably stocked for a pop up shop, there is also a makeshift cloakroom and some bathrooms, all of which make a good use of an otherwise sterile space. However, due to the fact that the place is essentially an old office, the sound is pretty terrible. I doubt it is the system they have set up, more likely the ceiling tiles and poor acoustics, but even standing next to a speaker last night the sound felt fuzzy and far away.
Definitely worth a look for other performances and art, Kraak suffers only from its geography as a building but triumphs overall.