The Warehouse Project announce phone ban at certain events
The Warehouse Project in Manchester has unveiled its schedule for the 2025 season and announced plans to ban phones from certain events held at the Concourse.
This year, huge electronic artists such as Barry Can’t Swim, Fisher, Overmono, Black Coffee, Confidence Man, Jamie Jones, Fisher, and Dom Dolla are among the headliners at the Mayfield Depot. Events are set to run from September 6th until November 22nd.
However, for the upcoming events, The Warehouse Project has enacted a series of changes, including introducing Concourse-only shows. These events, including Annie Mac’s Before Midnight on September 6th, D.O.D. on September 13th, and ANOTR on September 19th, will operate with a no-phone policy.
Sam Kandel, founder of The Warehouse Project, said in a statement: “We want to take the clubbing experience back to its core, which is being in a room with like-minded people feeling connected through music. We also want people to have a piece of the night to remember it by and share with friends, which is why we are sharing our amazing content with everyone at the end of the evening.”
While the new rule will only apply to Concourse-only events, they say the move is “part of a growing movement towards deeper audience connection”. They added of the rule: “Encouraging fans to stay in the moment, immerse themselves in the music, and connect with those around them and the artists, without the filter of a screen”.
Promoters will share photos and film assets at the end of the night on social media, which attendees can access and relive the event through.
Amber’s in Manchester already has a no-phone policy, as does the famous German superclub Berghain in Berlin.
It’s not just the world of dance music that has begun to shun technology in favour of reverting back to a phone-free environment. In recent years, Bob Dylan and Jack White have made their fans secure their phones in Yondr pouches, which they can access upon temporarily leaving the room or at the end of the show.
A spokesperson for Yondr told Far Out earlier this year: “Phones have fundamentally changed live performances. Artists look out on a sea of smartphones instead of faces, and audiences are busy recording rather than truly engaging.”
Meanwhile, in the pop realm, Sabrina Carpenter said a few months ago she was contemplating a phone ban in the future, sharing how seeing Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s Silk Sonic changed her perspective, “I went to see Silk Sonic in Vegas, and they locked my phone. I’ve never had a better experience at a concert.”
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