The Grosvenor (formerly known as The Footage) is one of Manchester’s most iconic pubs, located in a stunning old cinema building that retains its original upstairs seating gallery. The cinema first opened in May 1915, debuting with Blanche Forsythe’s Jane Shore, and has been a landmark on Oxford Road ever since. Following a £1 million transformation, the latest incarnation of The Grosvenor is promoted as a “cutting-edge hybrid hospitality and social space.”
Built between 1913 and 1915, the Grosvenor Picture Palace was originally the largest cinema outside London. Over the years, it has taken on many guises, from a bingo hall and snooker venue to its most recent role as the popular student pub, The Footage. In 2024, it went viral after closing as The Footage and being listed on Rightmove for just £1. It was soon snapped up by North West hospitality group Blind Tiger Inns, who have rebranded it The Grosvenor, offering what they describe as “the ultimate adult escapism experience in central Manchester.” Visitors can expect huge sports screens, bold interiors, and a packed entertainment schedule.
The Grosvenor boasts over 30 beer taps, pool and beer pong tables, a photobooth, and big screen sports. There will be DJs, live bands, and club nights, with the bar open from 12pm to 12am on weekdays, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, making it the perfect venue for everything from bottomless brunches and after-work drinks to late nights out.
The food menu offers crowd favourites such as sharers, buckets of wings, loaded pizzas, and stacked burgers.
There’s a lot going on here, and we’re sure Blanche Forsythe would approve.
