Out of space Can superclub prove edge of city is the centre of rave culture?

Between inflation, redevelopment, licensing and noise complaints, keeping a nightclub afloat in London can be tricky.

- Ed Gillett

Last month, Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle announced it would be closing in March, joining the more than half of British clubs lost since 2013.

In that context, Friday’s opening of Eutopia, a 4,000-capacity independently-owned nightclub and cultural venue in a former haulage warehouse in Barking, feels worth celebrating. But music fans burned by the loss of the capital’s best dancefloors may also be sceptical. Is Eutopia here to stay, or is it another false dawn? And are people really going to trek to the eastern edge of the capita to go to a club across a river from a sewage treatment works?

The Eutopia team includes several of London’s most experienced nightlife operators. One of its four co-founders, Will Paterson, has worked for venues and festivals including E1 and Eastern Electrics for more than two decades. Another, Tom Ranger, spent several years overseeing music bookings at east London’s Oval Space (which closed in 2022 after a shooting). Paterson and Ranger are confident that Eutopia will stay the course.

“We're on a long-term lease, and we're growing slowly,” said Paterson. “We expect next year to be a good year, where we learn a lot and do more shows, then more again in 2027. When you look at any good [London] venue, like the Cause or Night Tales, it takes three years.”