Levenshulme Old Library is a historic Carnegie library building and community-run arts venue in the heart of South Manchester.
We host everything from workshops, rehearsals and meetings through to performances, exhibitions, parties, wellbeing sessions and community events. The building combines historic character with flexible, affordable space and a growing range of technical facilities.
By hiring Levenshulme Old Library you are also helping support the wider cultural and community activity taking place within the building.
Our Main Space is a large, flexible hall suitable for a wide range of activity including performances, workshops, rehearsals, talks, meetings, exhibitions, fitness sessions and celebrations.
Max capacity: 110
The space combines the character of the original library building with practical flexibility and can be configured in a variety of layouts depending on your event. The room includes access to tables and chairs, with optional technical support and equipment available including PA, microphones, projector and stage lighting.
The Main Space is particularly well suited to:
The Main Space also connects directly to our outdoor area, which can be added to selected hires for an additional charge, allowing events to incorporate outdoor activity, seating or social space.
The Studio is a smaller, more informal space suitable for meetings, workshops, rehearsals, classes, creative activity and smaller community events.
Max capacity: 35
It is regularly used for everything from writing groups and art sessions through to community meetings and co-working. The space is flexible, affordable and works particularly well for smaller-scale activity.
The Studio is particularly well suited to:
Alongside our indoor spaces, Levenshulme Old Library also has an outdoor area which can be used as an add-on to selected hires taking place in the Main Space.
The space includes seating and planting and is suitable for informal activity, socialising, outdoor workshops and family-friendly events.
Availability depends on the nature of the hire and the wider building programme, so please contact us to discuss your plans.
Our hire rate is £30 per hour for either of our indoor space, with reduced rates available for eligible grassroots, non-profit and community-focused activity.
We aim to keep Levenshulme Old Library as accessible as possible while ensuring the building remains sustainable and active as a community resource.
Additional equipment, technical support and staffing can also be added to bookings depending on the nature of your activity.
If you are unsure whether your activity may be eligible for community rates, or would like advice on which space is most suitable, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
You can request a booking for Levenshulme Old Library using our online booking system. This allows you to check availability, request dates and share information about your activity with our team.
Once we receive your booking request, we’ll review the details and confirm the booking by email.
Please note that submitting a booking request does not automatically confirm the booking.
By confirming a booking you are also accepting our terms and conditions of hire.
When making a booking request, please make sure that:
Some activities may require Public Liability Insurance, safeguarding information or risk assessments before a booking can be confirmed.
Once confirmed, bookings must be paid for in advance. We will send payment information and access details by email.
We recommend reading our full Hiring Guide & Terms and Conditions before booking.
If you are unsure which space is most suitable, have questions about equipment or accessibility, or want to discuss community rates, please contact us at hello@levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk and we’ll be happy to help.
Levenshulme Old Library offers a range of optional add-ons which can be included with your booking depending on the nature of your activity.
Available add-ons include:
Many of these can be selected directly through our online booking system when making your booking request. If you are unsure what you need, or would like to discuss more complex technical requirements, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to advise.
Some equipment and technical support may need to be arranged in advance and may not be available for all bookings.
Find out more about our additional equipment in our hiring guide here.
If you want to make an enquiry about a booking you can use the form below.
If you are able to support us in these difficult times you can now donate using Paypal