So much has been written about the death of UK nightlife that it’s easy to forget that London has some of the best club nights on earth. Yes, venues are closing at unprecedented rates, and inflation has made ordering a ‘round’ an entirely foreign concept to anyone under the age of 30. But, in terms of the sheer range of music on offer? London is in its own league.

It’s reflective of a rich musical history that has paved the capital’s streets for decades. Fela Kuti is said to have first honed his skills at Brixton’s Mango Club in the early 60s, before setting off to found his socio-political afrobeat in Nigeria. Dubstep was born in Croydon’s Apple Records, when techno DJ Benny Ill got garage confused with reggae. And the global drill sound came into its own when South London teenager 808Melo added sliding 808 basslines to Chicago’s nascent original.

In recent years, this world-class culture has come under threat, as London’s promoters, venues and artists struggle to make ends meet amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. But, more than just supporting the city’s nightlife, clubbing is good for you, the clubber, too. As youth mental illness and loneliness reach a fever pitch, and a wave of nationalism, xenophobia and anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech engulfs much of Europe and America, togetherness should be our utmost priority. Go out, let loose and hug your friends, because clubbing is more important now than ever.

To that end, below, we round up eight of our favourite London events to look out for this summer. 

STUDIO CRUMB 

Founded by DJ and renowned music scholar Haseeb Iqbal, Studio Crumb is a vinyl-only night hosted monthly in Deptford’s historic The Bunker. Delivering both spiritual deep cuts and sonic education on the history of UK rave music and beyond, Studio Crumb has since spawned off-shoots that include Iqbal’s deep-listening session residency at 180 Studios, his debut documentary film which premiered in cinemas this year, the midweek Beats and Boards residency at the Tate Modern, and more. 

Haseeb Iqbal: Studio Crumb is a monthly party which I run in a small, sweaty, old-school club in the heart of Deptford called The Bunker – one of the oldest clubs in South London, which has been running since the early 90s but exists very inconspicuously without a digital footprint.

It’s been massively important to me to create a club night where the dance floor is treated like a theatre in which people can collectively engage with the music. Every party has been all-vinyl and, in an increasingly digital world where people are using Instagram to DJ, I think the analogue culture is very important to absorb and appreciate sound and art.

I have so much appreciation for the likes of Jah Shaka, Theo Parrish, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Kahil El’Zabar and more – these older titans who stand on the shoulders of history and fearlessly champion the long-form. Sharing snippets of these histories on the microphone each night has strengthened the intimacy and energy of these parties. I truly believe the power of music, connection and togetherness can help us with the difficulties that we face.

CLUB ARE

Founded as a club night rooted in queer culture in 2023, Club Are has since evolved into a multidisciplinary platform fusing nightlife with the art world at large, incorporating immersive DJ sets, performances, installations, and more.

Mika Kailes, co-founder: We started Club Are because we needed it. We were craving a space that just didn’t really exist in London, where sound, visual art, fashion and community could come together in a way that felt intentional, and rooted in queer culture. Not just a party, but a space where people could show up as themselves, connect, and feel part of something.

What started as a DIY night has become more of a platform, a place where each edition is shaped by a concept, and brought to life through collaboration with DJs, performers, and artists. Now, it feels like a space where different disciplines blur, and the dance floor becomes a space for collective energy, expression, and experimentation. We believe Club Are is a space where queer, trans, non-binary, POC and other marginalised voices can be seen, heard, and celebrated. Our aim is to offer a space that uplifts and centres those who often exist at the edges of mainstream nightlife.

CLUB STAMINA 

Founded by Moroccan-Spanish DJ Mina Galán, Club Stamina has quickly become a fixture in London’s queer nightlife. Created as an antidote to the city’s techno-heavy, often exclusionary club scene, Stamina champions femme, trans and non-binary talent while spotlighting Latin club sounds, from reggaeton and baile funk to perreo and beyond. What started as a DIY response to a lack of inclusive spaces has grown into one of the most anticipated nights on the calendar, with lineups and venues as eclectic as the crowd it attracts.

Mina Galán, founder: I started Club Stamina because I wanted to create the space I felt was missing in London’s nightlife. It wasn’t just about pushing femme trans DJs – though that was a big part of it, I also wanted to bring together the high-end side of nightlife with the underground energy of raving. Plus, I wanted a sound that leaned more Latin, rather than the usual techno-heavy vibe.

Now, it’s grown into something much bigger. I see the girls genuinely looking forward to it – everyone turns up in their best looks. The venues and lineups have become more eclectic because there’s a whole universe to us beyond just being dolls. We want to showcase all kinds of talent that belong in our world, even if they don’t always fit into one box. That mix, that contrast – that’s what’s exciting right now. The party keeps evolving because we’re always evolving.

Club Stamina matters because there was nothing like it before, and we all deserve this kind of space. A lot of ‘queer’ nightlife in London still caters to a very specific demographic – mostly cis white gay men – and most ‘trans’ parties tend to be fetish-based. We’re not that. We’re a fab party, and we bring way more to the table. Yes, we centre transness, but not in a token way. You’re here – whether you’re attending or playing – because you’re talented, you have a vision, you’ve got your own ideas and dreams. Being trans is something we share, but it’s not the only thing that defines us. We’re way more than that.

MAS ARTS

Delivering music to the people via a mobile sound system, MAS ARTS arranges pop-up raves around London. They began life as the YOYO club night series in the early 2000s, which returned as a ‘DM-for-the-location’ mobile party in the summers of 2023 and 2024. They re-launched as Mas Arts LDN this month with a pop-up event featuring Little Simz alongside artists from west London’s The Avenues Youth Club. 

Seb Chew, co-founder: Andrew and I have been working together on the van for many years. He started off doing funerals and wakes during Covid for people who couldn't do that indoors, then we worked with a bunch of artists like Central Cee, Diplo and Skepta doing pop-ups and one-offs for them. 

It was a pretty natural evolution into MAS ARTS for summer 2025. We’re looking to keep the energy and quality of lineups high, but also work with local community youth clubs and organisations to push younger artists who might not find it easy to get onto bills alongside established artists. We will be pulling up in all sorts of weird places up and down the country over the summer.

2CPERREA

Founded in 2022 by Latinx migrants to London with the simple goal of creating a queer-friendly reggaeton club night, 2C Perrea has since evolved to spotlight the full spectrum of Latin music.

2CPERREA: We started 2Cperrea because we were homesick. Being Latinx and queer in London, it wasn’t easy to find people like us – most of the scene was European, and the music was mainly techno, house, that kind of vibe. At the same time, Latin music, especially reggaeton, wasn’t really respected. People would laugh or judge us for listening to it. So we decided to throw our own party – something for our friends, to show them how fun and powerful this music really is.

2Cperrea is important because it creates a bridge between Latin America and the UK  – especially in queer nightlife. It’s a space where people can feel safe, reconnect with music from back home, discover something new, and just be themselves. We don’t want to be boxed in as just a ‘Latinx club night.’ We want to keep pushing boundaries and showing the range within Latin music – from electronic sounds like Latin techno and house (which have always been there) to more experimental and deconstructed club styles.

EASTERN MARGINS’ ROAD 2 MARGINS UNITED

With one foot in London and the other travelling the margins of east and southeast Asian music, Eastern Margins is a record label, management agency and events company celebrating the diverse and distinct sonics emerging from the east. This summer, they will be holding a series of events in the run-up to their yearly festival, Margins United. 

David Zhou, founder: Eastern Margins is a nexus of low-bitrate bootlegs and DIY rave sonics from the margins of East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora. We started as a cultural diffusion platform highlighting alternative East and Southeast Asian culture. Now we’re distilling it into concentrate. 

There is no better confluence of ideas than a physical communion. Ideas can take shape in the digital ethers of Douyin [Chinese TikTok] and bootleg Lazada merchandise, but they need the spark of sweat and smoke to crystallise them. Road 2 Margins United is our event series that aims to create those sparks, building up into our own festival, Margins United.

TECH COUTURE LDN

Starting out in Haringey’s Low Profile Studios in 2020 with the goal of adding some colour to London’s “monochrome” techno clubnights, Tech Couture is now the city’s “juiciest techno party”, platforming both rising and cemented DJs through regular events at FOLD in East London. 

Bessie Armitage, co-founder: We started Tech Couture because London nightlife felt a bit flat and disconnected. Oli and I moved here in 2018 and quickly realised that parties either had amazing DJs with disengaged crowds, or lively crowds stuck with mediocre music. Everything felt overly niche and separated. Our vision was different – we wanted to bring colour, self-expression, and a sexy, vibrant techno sound that genuinely made people move. 

Tech Couture is important because it’s a genuine celebration of music and community. Nothing makes us happier than seeing a packed dancefloor full of diverse people letting loose to great music. Whether we’re platforming homegrown artists or bringing in Berghain residents, you can expect only the best – we don't call ourselves Couture for nothing. Over the past five years, we've worked hard to create a space where differences fade away, everyone feels welcome, and everyone shares the same joyful energy. Nights like ours help keep London's nightlife vibrant, inclusive, and culturally significant.

OPIA

Founded by eclectic duo Bambi and Bauti, Opia is a London club night-turned-cultural movement. Known for its glam, expressive crowd, the party brings fashion and performance to queer nightlife, to make one chaotic, beautiful spectacle. In less than two years, the Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie of East London’s nightlife have built a community of people who share a love for the rave, and above all, fun.

Bauti, co-founder: “We started Opia in response to seeing all our club venues be booked up by brands during fashion week and not including us. One day we realised that, instead of waiting for a fashion giant or casting agent to discover us, we should just discover ourselves. We altered the way crowd photography is done, turning it into these highly editorialised shoots and then pitched them to magazines. Luckily, it snowballed and grew from there. 

“Since then, we’ve gone down more of an arts route, shifting to cabaret shows, exhibits, projects with Moschino and more. We’re still guinea pigs learning how a counter culture can become ‘culture’, and enjoying the ride and promoting our girls as we go.

“Opia is important because it represents the girls that sneak into every fashion week party. The girls with the grit, guts, and the look to make it in. Now that we’re finally in and no longer need to convince anyone, we can really show what we’re about and take over.”