The Met was founded in 1975 and recently we recently celebrated our 50th anniversary!

We kicked off a full weekend of celebrations with an event that packed out our Derby Hall. In attendance was Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, who was one of the enjoyed the world premiere of the specially commissioned poem, performed by its creator Tony (Longfella) Walsh. Tony is a patron, of The Met and long-time fan of the venue and the new poem, a celebration of the venue, is based on testimonies from The Met’s staff and audiences.

The Met’s history and future vision was discussed on stage in a Q & A with a panel of guests who had all been associated with The Met over the years.  On stage were: Tony Walsh; Noreen Kershaw (patron); Peter Labrow (organiser of the notorious 1980 Joy Division gig which culminated in a riot at the venue); Peter Nicholls (member of IQ), Wax and Beans; David Agnew (Sound Roots and ex-Artistic Director of The Met); Dewi Lewis and DJ Paulette. The panel described their long relationships with The Met and the impact the organisation has had on their lives and audiences. The panel then took questions from the audience.

We also launched our newly branded downstairs bar and cafe space, called The Nook. The Nook will periodically host pop up kitchen restaurants, serving artisan food to audiences and food lovers alike.

Victoria Robinson – CEO, The Met:

‘The Met has been an innovative and dynamic organisation for the past 50 years, and last night was a huge celebration of everything the organisation has achieved. We look forward to the next 50 years of entertaining audiences and developing artists and wish to thank our community for their continued support.’

As part of the celebrations, we also revealed a newly commissioned artwork by Two Crows Art Studios which is now displayed proudly in our upstairs bar.

The event kicked off a weekend full of celebrations the included performances from John Bramwell, Liam Frost and friends and a DJ set by the Potter Brothers (Elbow). Schools also visited us for a careers day and we held heritage tours for audiences, celebrating our rich history.