The Bag Factory

The Bag Factory is a music studio and 60-capacity event space in Salford, near Manchester. On the Cambridge Industrial Estate, its building previously housed a mechanical garage and warehouse before operating as a bag-making factory producing totes, holdalls and utility gear. It later became a studio for local musicians, visual artists and experimental collaborators, and a grassroots venue for music and community events, including daytime events. Its programme has ranged from screamo-dance album launches to DJ sets by Ducksounds.

Established by Acid Rain, a Manchester music publication and creative collective, the venue is hosted by Acid Rain UK and serves as its headquarters. Its founders bought the decks and sound system and built a bar, creating a space for grassroots and underground music and a platform for local artists and collectives. The Bag Factory is associated with Acid Rain UK’s rave TV show, UNSAMPLED, and Made in Manchester, a music documentary intended to record Manchester’s scene. Jaded Audio and Digitise MCR have promoted events there. Performers have included Kyber, LUMIINA and Sentry.