Reclaim the Nightlife, a club event organised by the Students’ Union, has been cancelled three days before the event was set to take place due to low ticket sales.
The “all-inclusive” event was set to take place on Thursday November 24, with a focus on creating a safe space.
The event, set to take place in Academy 2, was sponsored by The Warehouse Project. All profits from the night were going to be donated to this year’s Reclaim the Night campaign’s two partner charities: Manchester Rape Crisis and Galop. However, tickets are now due to be refunded.
This year’s Reclaim the Night campaign has received a £10,000 donation from Sacha Lord and The Warehouse Project.
This charitable donation is still intact, despite the cancellation of the Reclaim the Nightlife. The Reclaim the Night March on Wednesday November 30 will still go ahead.
The previous Reclaim campaign in February saw a similar Reclaim the Nightlife Event hosted at YES featuring student DJs.
The Students’ Union had announced DJ Paulette, with more artists to be announced, ahead of the cancellation.
Thursday’s event was also due to feature student artists in 532 Bar from 9.30, with doors to Academy 2 opening at 10.
A safe space had been planned to be set up in The Hive filled with student campaigning groups, University support representatives, and merchandise stalls.
Tickets had been tiered, starting at £3 but with the option to add up to £20 to fund specific specialist charity services. A £20 donation, for example, was intended to provide a one-hour counselling session for a survivor.
The SU will still be running Reclaim themed events throughout the week, including self-defence classes, banner making and interactive sessions on knowing your rights. More information can be found on the SU website.
When contacted for comment, a Students’ Union spokesperson said:
“We made the unfortunate decision to cancel Reclaim The Nightlife due to poor ticket sales for the event. Ticket purchasers have been contacted with refund information. Our partnership with Sacha Lord and Warehouse Project hasn’t been affected by this decision, including the one-off donation, and we look forward to working with them again in the future. Reclaim The Night continues to be one of the largest student-led campaigns in the country and we can’t wait to see our students taking part in the march on Wednesday November 30.”
