Whittles announces expansion plans with new Lees venue

Owners Martin and Lisa Standley have revealed that they will be taking over a new place in Lees, located at 72 High Street.

For the last three years, the premises has been occupied by The Venue sports bar, which announced its shock closure in January 2026.

The co-owners revealed news of the new venue on social media via a post on the Whittles Facebook page in response to “rumours” that the original town centre location is closing.

The post read: “We’ve seen a lot of rumours flying around, so we thought we’d clear things up.

“Whittles Oldham isn’t going anywhere. We’re not moving — we’re just growing. We’ve taken on a second venue over in Lees, right in the middle of the high street.”

They explained that the spot, which will be called Society by Whittles, will be slightly different from their original venue.

While it will still host live music and events, which is what Whittles is known for, it will also be a “community space” where people can meet, relax and have a coffee or a cocktail during the day.

Lisa, speaking on behalf of the pair, told The Oldham Times: “Whittles is a massive venue, so this is a much smaller, intimate venue.

“It will have the same ethos and we’ll probably utilise some of our staff from Whittles as well – so, same kind of vibe, but on a much smaller scale.”

Lisa said they are extremely excited about the new venue, especially as a place they have a connection to the new space in Lees.

She said: “It came about after we heard The Venue was closing. It’s obviously a bar that we used to come to over the years when it was Legends, maybe even before it was Legends.

“We just thought it'd be a good fit for Whittles, it has a different catchment area.

“Venues are closing down left, right and centre and we wanted to be part of keeping one open.”

The Venue in Lees has announced it has eased trading. (Image: Google Maps)

The pair said they are “nervous” about the new venture, particularly given the pressures facing the hospitality industry right now, but have been “reassured” by the positive response they’ve had from customers since announcing the news.

Lisa said: “There's obviously uncertainty and everything's going up, people aren't spending as much, but if we don't take the plunge and do it, we’d never know.

“From the response yesterday, it’s reassured us that there's a ready-made clientele, really. It’s in the middle of Lees, with the Devonshire Arms reopening as well, I think it's all really positive.”

The announcement post on Facebook has received over 800 likes and 160 comments from well-wishers.

Dennis Meyrick said: “Brilliant news, lees was always a fantastic experience for nights out, years ago, bring it on.”

Sasi Patel said: “Congratulations guys welcome to the area looking forward to another venue opening.”

Karen Graham said: “Was a brilliant venue before and I’m sure you'll make it even better. Good luck.”

At the moment, there is no confirmed opening date for Society by Whittles, but Lisa and Martin now have the keys and are busy getting the venue ready. Lisa said that they are hoping to open “imminently”.

Society by Whittles already has its own Facebook, where you can follow for updates on the opening.

More information about all the upcoming events at Whittles in the town centre can be found on the venue’s website.