London’s Dance Tunnel venue to close in August

London’s Dance Tunnel will close in August, the venue revealed today.

“Sadly the licensing climate in Hackney has made it impossible for us to get the hours we need to make Dance Tunnel sustainable in the long term,” the venue wrote in a statement on Facebook, “We would like to sincerely apologise to all the Tunnel Dancers who we are letting down. We really tried to make it work. Thanks to all the artists, DJs, promoters and family members who have shared their favourite music and moments with us over the last three-and-a-bit years. Thanks to everyone who has made our basement such a special place. Sorry we never got round to fixing that slope on the dance floor.”

Located beneath Voodoo Ray’s pizza in Dalston, East London, Dance Tunnel earned a reputation for its unpretentious design, powerful sound system, minimal lighting, and faultless lineups. The venue played host to a range of underground house and techno nights, and was the regular home of pivotal dubstep/grime night FWD.

It’s the latest in a long (and, sadly, growing) list of venue closures both in London and around the country at large. In the case of Dance Tunnel, a new apartment complex — ludicrously named ‘Vibe’ and coming with an unbelievable promotional video — has been built practically opposite the venue.

Revisit Dazed’s longread ‘Why UK nightlife will never die’.