Nightlife
An alternative guide to London’s rich queer legacy
Story of survival — Alim Kheraj discusses his new book celebrating the capital’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene and the patchwork of bars, clubs, shops, Pride events, saunas and sex shops that have catered to the queer community – both past and present.
Written by: Jack King
A photographer’s elegy to the evolution of Drum and Bass
Who say reload — Eddie Otchere remembers photographing the UK’s rave scene from the inside, and how a generation of young people built their own clubbing paradise in defiance of authority.
Written by: HUCK HQ
The memoir unearthing the vibrant history of the gay bar
Why we went out — Around the world, LGBTQ+ bars are closing. In a new book, writer Jeremy Atherton Lin reclaims these institutions from the rubble by tracing their legacy as spaces of solidarity and sexual expression.
Written by: Katie Goh
The ferries, nightclubs and seaside revelry of '80s Dover
Port in a storm — Photographer Janine Wiedel remembers visiting the UK's major ferry port in 1989, where she immersed herself in a world that often felt frozen in time.
Written by: Charlotte Rawlings
Polaroids capturing the icons of '80s New York nightlife
Maripol in conversation — Photographer Maripol reflects on NYC's vibrant downtown club scene, where she shot everyone from Debbie Harry, to Grace Jones, to Madonna and Sade.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The DJ throwing virtual raves for the deaf
Beyond The Screen In Lockdown — From raves for the deaf to Black ballet dancers and ‘outcast’ amateur wrestlers, now more than ever, communities are coming together online to keep their real-life connections alive. In our latest film series, we meet organisers that are pivoting during the pandemic and finding novel ways to take action.
Written by: Huck
Documenting LGBTQ hedonism in ’80s Czechoslovakia
Illicit nights — Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková spent years capturing Prague’s underground party scene in the early 1980s, exposing a new perspective on life behind the iron curtain.
Written by: Geralda Cela
The unsung musical history of Elephant and Castle
London underground — While E&C has played a pivotal role in London’s dance music and club scene, its contribution is often overlooked. However, in the face of sweeping redevelopment, figures from its past and present are shining a light on the area’s story.
Written by: Eric Thorp
Beats and bills: how capitalism destroyed UK club culture
A love letter to ’90s rave — In the new film Beats, director Brian Welsh travels back to 1990s Aberdeen to tell the story of rave culture – why it mattered, and how it got torn apart.
Written by: Colin Crummy
In Lisbon, the dancefloor is still a site of resistance
Political parties — Despite most clubs in the city being whitewashed and shuttered with harsher licenses, a host of rebel collectives are fighting back – carving out inclusive spaces that don’t shy away from politics.
Written by: Peter Yeung