'Dark times' as Mancunians express shock after 'greatest bar in Manchester' suddenly closes

Mancunians have fondly looked back on their university days and nights dancing away on tables after the sudden closure of The Footage bar.

The venue, on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Oxford Road, has been a popular drinking spot for students for years, boasting offers and being close to the Manchester Metropolitan University campus and the University of Manchester.

But now, the site - operated by Crafted Social, part of the Stonegate Group - has been listed as ‘permanently closed’ on its website. There has been no other announcement on social media about the closure.

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A pop-up message on the website’s booking form tells guests that the venue, which it described itself online as 'the greatest bar in Manchester', closed on Saturday (May 25) and thanked guests for their custom.

Following the news, many who spent evenings drinking at the venue have shared their memories on social media. "Dark times! I’ve worked on Oxford Road for 31 years and the footage has always been there," one person commented.

"Aww what a shame, was a stable when I was at uni, I did a revisit of it six years back, took me right back to my student days!" another added.

A number of others said they remembered evenings spent 'dancing on the tables' as they tagged their pals in the news. One said: "legendary ladies night dancing on tables" as another wrote: "Ah those were the days dancing on the tables!"

"Had some cracking nights in here," another person added.

The pop-up message on the venue's website said: “We will no longer be trading after the 25th May. It has been a pleasure serving the community and we shall miss you!”

Just four days earlier (May 23),