Clubs & Venues: The Best in Ireland and Beyond

There’s a not-so-silent revolution occurring in and around Ireland’s club scene. While a large percentage of the country sleeps, clubs and event organisers have been actively attempting to introduce and maintain safe, positive spaces that showcase Irish nightlife at its very finest. And with such a broad array of local talent ripping up the scene right now, you’d think this should be easy. Unfortunately, it’s not.

With club closures looming across Ireland and the UK, paired with Ireland’s archaic, and stupidly restrictive, licensing laws, the electronic music scene is suffering. Now the Give Us The Night campaign is fighting back. It aims to protect and strengthen Irish nightlife, by encouraging wider Irish society to see the cultural, social, and economic contribution that our homegrown club culture makes. We’ve caught up with some of the clubs, venues, brands, and collectives who are putting in the work to keep the scene thriving. Meanwhile, here we also salute some of the UK’s finest: sister clubs to Ireland’s pioneers.

Electric Galway
36 Upper Abbeygate St, Galway
Tel: (091) 565 976
electricgalway.com
Facebook.com/ElectricGalway/
Twitter: @ElectricGalway
Instagram: @electricgalway
Electric Galway opened its doors six years ago, an exciting addition to a city already jam-packed with creative energy. With three different rooms, each with their own sound and vibe, and a total of 10,000 square feet of space for drinking, dancing, and dining, the club is the kind of spot that you’ll happily get lost in.
The variety offered ensures that inclusion and creativity are always at the forefront of Electric’s progressive cultural programme. In one of a number of fascinating initiatives, the club recently launched a weekly Family Party series, which looks to bring “regulars and friends” together under one roof every Saturday night, in an effort to extend and build the Electric family.
While the venue has previously played host to a diverse selection of big name guests – including Hunee, Palms Trax, Omar S, Bicep, DJ Stingray and Young Marco – local club nights and Irish underground DJs also make up a crucial part of Electric’s programme. The weekly Family party returns on Saturday, February 9, with sets from Graham Doherty, DC FSLMan, Lerosa and Ciara. Meanwhile, Paul Belton, John Daly and The Collective Galway are all set to feature the following night.

Factory
30 John St, Waterford
Tel: (051) 854 878
facebook.com/FactoryWaterford
In August 2018, Factory opened its doors for the first time, with a launch party featuring local DJs Darragh Collopy, Warren, Kenno and Ado. Boasting brilliant sound and light systems, the Waterford spot has quickly developed into one of Ireland’s top clubs.
It has a close relationship with RePublik Music, a local collective who’ve also been making major waves. The Waterford group have held a residency at Factory since shortly after its opening, presenting stellar gigs from the likes of Eagles & Butterflies, Ian Pooley, Ben Klock and Kerri Chandler, as well as an upcoming KETTAMA show in March.
With student-specific events such as Welcome Back Week, Results Night, and Rag Week, Factory has also become a welcome addition to Waterford’s student scene. And with appearances from the likes of Boots & Kats, DJ Snoop and Alt8, these nights rival any in the country. Over the next number of weeks, Factory continues to up the ante with several major international acts, including Mall Grab (Feb 11); Trance Wax (12); Ramz (14); and The Game (March 8). Exciting times indeed!

Unit 51
Carnegie’s Brae, Aberdeen, Scotland
Tel: (0044) 1224 644 863
unitfiftyone.com facebook.com/unit51aberdeen
Twitter: @unit51aberdeen
Instagram: @unitfiftyone
Across the Irish Sea, similar projects are underway, energising local areas through an innovative club culture. The closure of Aberdeen’s Forum venue in September 2016 came as a heavy blow to the live music scene in the city. Around the same time, however, a new multi-purpose events space, Unit 51, popped up, creating a thriving scene out of a former nightclub space that had lain idle for years.
With a student population notably higher than Scotland’s national average, Aberdeen has served as a prime location for a progressive club culture. Based inside a series of graffiti-covered tunnels in the city’s historic Merchant Quarter, Unit 51 is a unique space. Since its launch in 2016, it has played host to a wide array of international acts, as well as a number of eclectic events, including fashion shows, clothing sales, art festivals and product launches.
The club has also become an excellent platform for Irish acts to break into the wider UK scene, with KETTAMA, Or:la, Reuke and Sally C all set to play in 2019. Other major upcoming events include appearances from Melé (Feb 16), Ferry Corsten (Mar 9), Kornél Kovács (Mar 16) and Hannah Wants (Mar 23). Constantly striving to provide variety in their programme, Unit 51 will also welcome English rock bands Stone Broken (Feb 8) and Deaf Havana (Mar 22).

Sintilllate
Kempten Promenade, Sligo
facebook.com/sintilllate
Lauded by DJs and clubbers alike, Sligo’s Sintilllate is famed around the country for its unbeatable atmosphere and inclusive vibes. Since throwing open its doors with a performance by English DJ James HYPE, the club has welcomed the likes of Jax Jones, CamelPhat, Big Shaq, Sean Kingston, Le Galaxie and John Gibbons. It has also hosted an incredible array of Irish talent, including DJ Deece, Mark Blair, Jon Hussey, Rebuke, Or:La, Adamant, and Boots & Kats.
Aside from these big name shows, Sintillate also caters to the town’s young student population with a number of student nights and themed events, from an ABBA Appreciation Party to a Pyjama Party. The club is also home to several innovative Sligo-based collectives, who’ve done a brilliant job in building a strong sense of community in the venue. Exciting upcoming events on the Sintillate calendar include a Hannah Wants gig on February 11.