Originally known as The Empress Ballroom built in the 1890's The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981,[1] it became known as a primary venue for Northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Chateau Impney (Droitwich), the Catacombs (Wolverhampton) and the Golden Torch (Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent). It remains one of the most famous clubs in Northern England.[2] In 1978, the American music magazine Billboard voted Wigan Casino "The Best Disco in the World", ahead of New York's Studio 54.[3]

This England, a TV documentary about the Wigan Casino, was filmed in 1977. Russ Winstanley and Dave Nowell wrote a history of the club, Soul Survivors, The Wigan Casino Story, which was published in 1996. A stage play by Mick Martin about the Wigan Casino years, Once upon a time in Wigan, debuted in February 2003 at the Contact Theatre in Manchester and has since toured nationally.

The building was destroyed by fire in 1981 and replaced by a shopping mall some years later after Roman ruins were found close by.

The Virtual version of the Casino is built from the ashes of its RL original complete with on stage piano, ruined walls and dancefloor - yet the music survives and DJ IAN [from Wigan] attempts to keep that flame alive.

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