Nightlife | Huck
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Nightlife

Two people playing arcade games in dimly lit venue. Person on right wears white t-shirt and jeans, person on left in dark clothing.

Inside Booters: the Hooters-inspired supper club celebrating butch identity

Butchify everything — From a viral performative butch contest, to a packed ButchtoberFest celebration, Booters is taking over London’s dyke nightlife.

  • Culture
  • Megan Wallace
Performers in white corsets and tutus on dimly lit stage with warm golden lighting and dark background.

Malaysia’s oldest drag club is an oasis for its queer community. Can it survive?

Blue Boy Club — Having been open since the ’80s, the Kuala Lumpur institution has provided a space for the city’s LGBTQ+ folk to express themselves and connect. But faced with ramping conservatism and police raids, its outlook appears increasingly murky.

  • Activism
  • Gordon Cole-Schmidt
Black and white image of two people in dark clothing posing closely together indoors, with a decorative bust visible on the left.
© David Koppel

The abandoned church at the heart of London’s ’80s nightlife

Limelight — Set on Shaftesbury Avenue, the club was a weekend destination for the city’s celebrities and stars, but also folks looking for a good night out. In-house photographer David Koppel’s new book and exhibition revisits its heyday.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Two people sitting on concrete ledge playing chess. One wears dark vest and shorts, the other a black t-shirt. Pink wall behind them.
© Charles Yaw

Ravers are swapping dancefloors for chessboards

Knight to d-floor — As traditional club spaces come under threat, electronic music lovers are seeking out alternative ways to enjoy rolling grooves and breaks. Now, a new type of club, where chess matches are soundtracked by DJ sets and club beats, appears to be their next move.

  • Music
  • Bella Koopman
Group of young people dancing and embracing at a nightclub, with neon lighting and colourful outfits.

On a night out with the cast of Skins, Ewen Spencer captured millennial hedonism in all its unabated, messy glory

One Night in Watford — Commissioned to take promotional pictures for the generation-defining teen drama before it hit screens, the legendary youth culture photographer revisits the fun-fuelled evening, which was equal parts work and play, in his new photobook. 

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Diverse group of people with various expressions and styles, surrounded by bold text and graphics in dark colours.

Remembering New York’s ’90s gay scene via its vibrant nightclub flyers

Getting In — After coming out in his 20s, David Kennerley became a fixture on the city’s queer scene, while pocketing invites that he picked up along the way. His latest book dives into his rich archive.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Smiling people enjoying a night out, one person wearing a red hat and jacket.

Huck teams up with Eastern Margins for a special SXSW London showcase

From Shibuya to Shoreditch — Taking place at Village Underground on Monday, performances will come from MONO, Nina Utashiro, Ena Mori, Jianbo, LVRA & Soda Plains.

  • Music
  • Isaac Muk
Black and white image showing a group of shirtless men socialising, some laughing.

A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces

Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Elaborate theatrical performance on stage with dancers in red costumes and dramatic lighting.

Block9 reveals its Glastonbury Festival 2025 plans

Party and protest — The nightlife hub will feature a bigger-than-ever Saturday daytime block party across The NYC Downlow and Genosys, and a huge collaboration with artist-activist group Led By Donkeys.

  • Music
  • Isaac Muk
Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

  • Music
  • Isaac Muk

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