Warehouse Project at 20: WHP26 Finalises Its Best Season Yet

The Warehouse Project has been running at Depot Mayfield for two decades, and while the venue's DNA hasn't changed — underground-first, room-before-names — the 20th anniversary season is shaping up as the most carefully assembled one in recent memory. New lineups confirmed over the past week fill in a programme that runs October 2, 2026 to January 2, 2027, with a new room, a documentary in production, and some of the most considered bookings the promoters have made in years.

Solomun Returns to Manchester for the First Time in Five Years

The booking that will land hardest for the melodic-house crowd: Solomun on September 25, his first Manchester appearance since 2021 and his final UK show of 2026. Solomun's sets work best in rooms that allow for long arcs — extended, unhurried journeys that don't suit the quick-rotation format many clubs run. WHP's Depot room, with its generous capacity and dark-room seriousness, is one of the better fits for what he actually does. Expect something closer to a four-hour build than a headliner slot with a programmed peak. For context, his last Manchester date drew some of the highest social engagement the festival has recorded for a single booking; five years of absence has only sharpened the anticipation.

The Overmono Takeover on October 30 Is the Season's High Point

On paper, Overmono's October 30 takeover is the most ambitious night of the season. The curation — James Blake b2b Joy Orbison, Helena Hauff b2b DJ Bone, plus sets from Blawan and Moodymann — spans a far wider range of sounds than WHP typically programmes under one roof. James Blake and Joy Orbison have collaborated closely enough that a b2b isn't a stunt; it's a natural extension of years of mutual influence and shared studio time. Helena Hauff and DJ Bone share a stripped-back, functional approach to techno that makes the pairing credible rather than contrived. Blawan adds low-end weight. Moodymann anchors the house side. It's a night that covers real ground without feeling like a genre sampler, and it's the kind of booking that will sell quickly once word spreads beyond the initial announcement.

The New Vault Room and What It Changes

For WHP26, the organisers expand the Depot Mayfield footprint with the addition of the Vault — a fourth room joining Depot, Concourse, and Archive. The extra space gives the promoters room to run genuinely divergent programming on the same night. In practice, this means more flexibility to place a minimal or deep tech act in a room sized appropriately for that sound, rather than slotting it into a larger space where the crowd thins out by midnight. The Vault's specific programming hasn't been fully confirmed across the season, but for attendees who've found the main room too peak-time-focused on certain nights, it represents a real improvement in how the night can be navigated.

House and Tech House in the WHP26 Programme

Beyond Solomun, the house and tech house end of the spectrum gets genuine representation throughout the season. NeXup returns with a house and tech house-focused night featuring Luke Dean, Omar+, RIORDAN, and Wheats — artists operating in the groove-forward, percussion-led territory that WHP's younger crowd has built its relationship with the venue around. You&Me, the joint project of Rampa and &ME, also features in the broader programme. Both sit at the more textured, arrangement-led end of tech house, away from the harder-edged sound that has dominated festival mainstages in recent years. For those who came in through the underground side of the genre, it's a credible cross-section.

A 20-Year Documentary Alongside the Season

Running parallel to the live programme, the Warehouse Project is producing a documentary covering two decades at Depot Mayfield. The specifics — format, release window, distribution — haven't been confirmed, but the project is in production. Given that WHP has served as an unofficial institution for Manchester's club culture since 2006, there's archival material worth examining: early nights that drew a few hundred people, the scale of the Depot Mayfield move, and successive generations of artists who've defined what the room sounds like. Whether the documentary engages critically with that history or settles for a highlight reel will determine whether it matters beyond the fan base. The 20-year mark is worth more than a celebration.

The Warehouse Project 20th anniversary season runs October 2, 2026 to January 2, 2027 at Depot Mayfield, Manchester. Full programme and ticket details at thewarehouseproject.com. Individual event tickets for Solomun (September 25) and Overmono (October 30) are available now.