Band on the Wall

The Story

This tavern in the Northern Quarter received its first license to sell alcohol in 1803, when it was still called the George and Dragon. In 1975, it became the city's main post-punk venue, hosting shows by Buzzcocks, The Fall, and Joy Division. There is an urban legend that it was there that Joy Division signed their contract with Factory Records literally in blood. In the 80s and 90s, the venue gained an international reputation for its world music programming, even hosting Björk. The venue closed in 2020 for renovations and reopened with expanded space in the neighboring Victorian building, maintaining the essence of a place that spans over two centuries of Manchester's musical history.

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