Culture Refuge at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is celebrating its 10th anniversary

COME AS YOU WERE: REFUGE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH MONTH-LONG MANCHESTER PARTY

By Anna Gledson

Refuge at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is celebrating its 10th anniversary this September, bringing back some of the food, music, art and creative energy that have shaped the much-loved Manchester venue since it opened its doors in 2016.

Under the banner Refuge10, the month-long celebrations will revisit the spirit of Refuge’s original launch, with throwback menus, DJs, exhibitions, city-wide flyposting and a series of weekend events, before culminating in a free party for the people of Manchester on Saturday 26 September.

Throughout September, guests can enjoy a special Refuge 10 menu, bringing together a number of the restaurant’s most popular dishes from the past decade, including favourites such as its legendary lamb shawarma and beetroot borani. The bar will also look back to Refuge’s first year with a ‘Back to 2016 cocktail menu’, featuring four cocktails, each inspired by past signatures and new creations. The return of the ‘People’s Lunch’ will offer a limited-time, accessible lunch menu throughout the month, while the free I Am The Fly exhibition by Manchester artist and screen-printer Matthew Rich will continue at Refuge. Originally celebrating Manchester’s pioneering music and club scene of the early 1980s, the exhibition will be expanded for September with new Refuge10 artwork.

Available to guests throughout the month, the exhibition will also feature in a special Refuge10 zine, bringing together new artwork, a timeline of Refuge’s history and stories celebrating the venue’s connections to Manchester’s music and creative scene.

Throughout September, ‘Come As You Were Weekenders’ will bring DJs and live entertainment to Refuge, celebrating the music and memories of the past ten years
while creating a new chapter for the venue.

The celebrations will culminate on Saturday 26 September with a charity donation ticketed, city-wide event to celebrate Refuge’s first decade. The anniversary party will take over the venue, with DJs and an evening set from Prosumer in the main Refuge bar. The Terrace will host a Ghosts of Garage takeover, curated in collaboration with Rich Reason, bringing a day-to-night celebration of UK garage to the venue. In keeping with Refuge’s commitment to the local community, all ticket proceeds (£2) will be donated to EatWell MCR, helping to provide a meal for someone in need.

Meanwhile, the Winter Garden will become an immersive performance space, featuring live appearances from Refuge’s resident queens and performers throughout the evening.

Rhea Leach, at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, said: “Refuge has become such an important part of the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel and of Manchester itself over the past ten years. From the very beginning, it was created to be more than a restaurant or bar – it was a place where people could come together, discover something new and feel part of the city.

“Ten years on, it’s fantastic to see that spirit continuing. Refuge10 gives us the opportunity to celebrate the people, music, creativity and memories that have made Refuge what it is. We’re incredibly proud to be marking this milestone and to be welcoming Manchester through our doors to celebrate with us.”

Tickets for the Refuge10 anniversary party are available here.