Here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Whether you’re a long-time London resident trying to find a new electronic music stomping ground or are visiting the UK capital for the first time and need to know where to spend your weekends, welcome to the unofficial ultimate guide to EDM in London. The city houses some of the best clubs in the world and many electronic legends have started out as underground venue residents to become headliners at major global festivals. So, here it is, London’s biggest and the best electronic music clubs, in no particular order.
Corsica Studios, SE17
Corsica Studios is definitely one of South London’s hidden gems as many decide to flock to nearby Ministry of Sound, but this venue provides a more intimate and stripped back night out. With a closing time of 6am on Fridays and Saturdays and 3am every other day, you can expect to see an eclectic techno line up until the early hours all week long. Set up as a creative space in between two railway arches by Adrian Jones and Amanda Moss, who recently unfortunately passed away, this is a hub for the locals.
Egg, N7
Possibly the most commercial place to see electronic artists in the city, Egg London is a warehouse-style club perfect for summer nights out because of the outdoor space and 9am Saturday closing time. This North London venue boasts five areas and one of London’s largest dance floors and Saturday is the best night for house and techno music, with the likes of Nicole Moudaber and Matador having graced the stage. Although, occasionally a student hotspot, Egg is the perfect party club for lovers of all genres and electronic alike.
Fabric, EC1M
Voted the 2nd best club in the world by DJ Mag after Space Ibiza, Fabric has seen its fair share of controversy in recent years, but fortunately, for you, the North London icon reopened earlier this year. With three large rooms, the music varies from drum and bass and dubstep to house and techno at this strictly weekend venue. Room 1’s ‘bodysonic’ dancefloor is one of Fabric’s unique features as 450 bass transducers are attached to the floor to give visitors a true full body experience. Room 2 provides an underground feel with its near pitch black atmosphere and hidden enclaves where you rave to the music away, from the crowds. With residents like Craig Richards and Terry Francis, you can expect any night at Fabric to be one of the best nights out you’ve ever had.
Photo Credit: Sarah Ginn for Fabric
Photo Credit: Sarah Ginn for Fabric
Photo Credit: Danny Seaton for Fabric
Photo Credit: Danny Seaton for Fabric
Ministry of Sound, SE1
Despite Ministry of Sound becoming a little stale in recent years and increasingly drawing in a multitude of tourists, the line-up at this club is still the best to be found in all of London and the most varied. As a global dance music brand, MOS’s top priority is the music and always has been since establishing the label decades ago to become the soul of South London. The club’s layout has something for everyone, with a large space where popular DJs play and you can dance on the world-renowned sound system’s speakers, to smaller, darker room where you can equally dance on the tables. If you’re looking for an introduction to electronic music in London, without being thrown in the deep end, Ministry of Sound is the place for you.
Phonox, SW9
Phonox is based in the developing and increasingly gentrified area of South London, Brixton and has started to draw in more and more big artists to play this small venue. Phonox is perfect for a casual night out at the weekend and the music ranges from the expected house, techno, disco, drum and bass, electronica, but also a little bit of funk and soul too. Renowned label Anjunadeep usually hold their nights here and unlike MOS, Phonox is definitely one for those who are well versed with the electronic music genre and prefer the lesser known, underground artists trying to break out into mass popularity.
Printworks, SE16
The opening of Printworks came at a time when London was in fear of losing its nightlife after the closure of many iconic clubs, including Fabric. At the start of this year, the likes of UKF put on a number of killer daytime shows that saw legends like Maya Jane Coles, Alan Fitzpatrick and Julia Govor take to the stage. Although, there are no upcoming electronic music shows announced, the venue has the potential to become a dance music sanctuary away from Central London.
Photo Credit: Printworks
Photo Credit: Printworks
The Nest, N16
Electrohouse club The Nest is also based in another part of London that is slowly being gentrified, Dalston – a neighbour to well-known ‘hipster’ area Shoreditch, but is now the more preferred party destination in East London among most fans of electronic music. The basement space occasionally hosts big artists, but it is a great place to get to know musicians that are just starting out in the field and discover those that will bloom in the future.
Like The Nest, The Pickle Factory is also an intimate East London venue but the music is fringe underground electronic music and again, a good place to seek out new artists and also have a more casual night out in this community space.
Village Underground, EC2A
Village Underground is a creative space based in an arty district of London called Shoreditch where four tube train carriages and two shipping containers were transformed and placed in an old railway viaduct. Another East London intimate venue for you to check out.
Photo Credit: Luca Crescenzi for Village Underground
Photo Credit: Luca Crescenzi for Village Underground
Photo Credit: Luca Crescenzi for Village Underground
Photo Credit: Luca Crescenzi for Village Underground
XOYO, EC2A
XOYO, also in East London, is becoming an electronic hotspot as many DJs are deciding to play at XOYO rather than the bigger clubs like Fabric and Ministry of Sound. Open most nights until 3am, XOYO’s two rooms playing more commercial music in one and mostly techno in the basement downstairs, the club gives off an air of a dingy, dark dive but this is part of it’s charm.
Connect with Corsica Studios:
https://www.facebook.com/CorsicaStudiosLondon
https://twitter.com/Corsica_Studios
https://www.soundcloud.com/Corsica_Studios
https://instagram.com/Corsica-Studios
http://corsicastudios.com
Connect with Egg:
https://facebook.com/eggnightclub
https://twitter.com/Egg_Club-London
https://soundcloud.com/egglondon
https://instagram.com/Egg_Club_London
https://egglondon.co.uk
Connect with Fabric:
https://facebook.com/fabriclondon
https://twitter.com/fabriclondon
https://soundcloud.com/fabric
https://instagram.com/fabriclondonofficial
https://fabriclondon.com
Connect with Ministry of Sound:
https://facebook.com/ministryofsoundclub
https://twitter.com/ministryofsound
https://soundcloud.com/ministryofsound
https://instagram.com/ministryofsoundclub
https://ministryofsound.com
Connect with Phonox:
https://facebook.com/phonoxlondon
https://twitter.com/phonox_london
https://instagram.com/phonoxlondon
https://phonoxlondon.co.uk
Connect with Printworks:
https://facebook.com/printworkslondon
https://twitter.com/Printworks_LDN
https://instagram.com/printworkslondon
https://printworkslondon.co.uk
Connect with The Nest:
https://facebook.com/ilovethenest
https://twitter.com/The_Nest
https://instagram.com/thenestdalston
https://ilovethenest.com
Connect with The Pickle Factory:
https://facebook.com/PickleFactoryE2
https://twitter.com/PickleFactoryE2
https://instagram.com/picklefactorye2
https://thepicklefactory.co.uk
Connect with Village Underground:
https://facebook.com/villageunderground
https://twitter.com/villunderlondon
https://instagram.com/villageunderground
https://villageunderground.com
Connect with XOYO:
https://facebook.com/xoyolondon
https://twitter.com/XOYO_London
https://instagram.com/xoyoldn
https://xoyo.co.uk
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