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As the year began although The Haçienda was still besieged by difficulties, it received some good news early in the year at the much anticipated licence hearing on 3^rd January. The magistrates had noted “a positive change in direction” and renewed the club licensing praising its steps to bring in a membership scheme and improve controls on the door.

The Haçienda celebrated with Thanksgiving a week later on Wednesday 9^th January which saw Mike Graeme and Jon Dasilva DJ with a live gig by Electronic. This and the first Nude on Saturday 12 January passed without incident but the following Saturday 19^th January a doorman was threatened with a gun due to the new membership scheme. The decision was taken to close The Haçienda.

At a press conference Wednesday 23^rd January, Tony Wilson announced “It is with the greatest reluctance that for the moment we are turning out the lights on what, for us is a most important place.

“We are forced into taking this drastic action in order to protect our employees, our members and all of our clients. We are quite simply sick and tired of dealing with instances of personal violence.

“We hope and we must believe we can reopen The Haçienda in a better climate. But until we are able to run the club in a safe manner, and in a way that the owners believe with guarantee The Haçienda at the heart of the city’s youth community, it is with great sadness that we will shut our club.”

Although similar incidents were becoming common across Manchester nightclubs including incidents at The Wiggly Worm and Konspiracy, The Haçienda’s profile made it all the more newsworthy and it was to remain closed until 10^th May 1991, reopening with a two day event “The Healing”.

A new line up of nights accompanied the reopening. Thursdays saw Dave Haslam return with Beautiful 2000, the successor to Temperance Club, Friday became Shine with Mike Pickering and guests with Graeme Park and Tom Wainwright taking charge of what was to be known as “squiggle” on Saturday night due to its logo.

Yet once again trouble was not far away, and Saturday 22^nd June saw 200 police officers corden off Whitworth Street West after incidents at the club.

However the nightclub side of the business though affected continued to pull in some good guests and excellent nights.  Live gigs over the summer included Primal Scream and Inspiral Carpets and September saw Harmony, a seminal night with Sasha, Nipper and Justin Robertson with PA’s from PKA, Together and Evolution.

Towards the end of the year Flesh started at the club beginning its journey as one of the 90’s trailblazing LGBT clubs and Sasha began a monthy residency at the club which was also featuring some disco guests with visits from Sister Sledge and Odyssey.