Every clubber has “The Club.” Be it the place that is designated as the Saturday Spot, or that foreign nightclub that just can’t be forgotten, there is always a certain club that holds a cherished spot in almost every clubber’s heart. What follows is a list of ten of the most incredible nightclubs from around the world. I say “ten of the most incredible” because I’m sure that not everyone’s going to agree. Everybody looks for something different in “The Club.” It could be the crowd, the venue itself, the DJ, or a mash of everything, so I’m not going to tell you that this group is The best. But it’s pretty damn close – take a look…
Sankeys
It’s not the biggest club around England, but in this case, size doesn’t matter. How many other clubs do you know are ex-mills? Their aim is for you to have a good time, and luckily, you’ll find it hard to be disappointed. Three rooms (The Bar, The Basement, and The Boutique) each give you a different flavour, but for pure dancing, The Basement’s the place to be. What really had Sankeys flying up DJmag’s Top 100 Clubs Poll, though, was their “increasingly on-point” DJ line-ups. Justice and Carl Craig are only two of the regulars; where else would you want to be?
Warung
Next stop, Brazil. The party mood and rawness of nature that South America is famous for are fully infused in Warung. Surrounded by a beach and a rainforest, something about the passion of partying like mad amid the elements just feels right. If I had the use of a plane for a night, and could jet around the world to all the distant night clubs one after the other, this would be unquestionably be on the list. Add to that international DJs like Craig Vickers and Rowan Blades, and you’ve got all the exoticism you could ever want in a night club in Warung.
The Guvernment
And… representing Canada… we have the Guvernment (you knew we had to have a Canadian club in here right?). But in all honesty, from an unbiased standpoint, this is one serious super club (nominated for Best Global Club in the International Dance Music Awards). With a capacity of 4000+, hydraulic light grids, and nine, count’em nine, specialized rooms, the Guvernment hosts more parties than Paris Hilton. You want futuristic? Go to the Orange Room. Feel like something mystical Moroccan? Try Tanja. Or just head up to the Skybar for a view of downtown Toronto that will leave you in awe. You can’t go wrong.
Pacha Ibiza
Ibiza’s roster of night clubs is as impressive as their night clubs’ rosters of DJs. The leading club in this roster? Pacha. It contains a maze of five rooms each presenting a different atmosphere, and a restaurant that serves sushi. As Ibiza’s trailblazing night club, Pacha has gone through an elegant transformation throughout the years, and in addition, hosts DJs like David Guetta. Like the Guvernment, it has been nominated for Best Global Club at the IDMAs, and is fully deserving of this honour.
Fabric
Recently named the best club in the world (again) by DJmag, Fabric is a club that is universally acknowledged as being the best at what it does because it simply focuses on the heart of club culture: the music. Although Fabric has been graced by the presence of top DJs, it is most widely celebrated for bringing underground dance music and more obscure, but still talented DJs to the spotlight. Fabric was also the first club in Europe to house what it calls a “bodysonic” dancefloor: clubbers on the dancefloor can literally shake it to the beat because parts of the floor are hooked up to 400 bass transducers that pump out the music being played, right into the dancing bodies via their feet. With 25000 square feet of room to get shook in a club in which “there’s never been so much as a dud DJ,” Fabric more than deserves a spot in this list.
Space Ibiza
Another nominee for Best Global Club (and another Ibizan club), Space does not lack any, as it was built on a sprawling parking lot. Its history is so deep-rooted in the growth of club culture that there is almost a kind of mutual respect between Space and the world-class DJs who have played there over the years. Extensive renovations have only improved this Ibizan paradise, and with its consistent Top 2 ranking in DJmag’s last few polls, Space is here to stay.
Womb
Womb is a club in Japan.
If any derivative of the word “technology” has not crossed your mind yet… then I must say I’m very disappointed in you. As would be expected of a Japanese creation, Womb is ultramodern (DJmag calls it a “space station”), with first-class lights and sounds – with major emphasis on sounds. Womb features plenty of space on its sizeable dance floor, above which hangs one of Japan’s largest disco balls: 1.5m across.
Glass walls on the top floor overlooking everything?
A cracking sound system?
DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Sven Väth?
Womb does Tokyo proud.
Amnesia
What is with Spain and its amazing night clubs? When the ice cannon welcomes you with a shower of dry ice, you know that you’ve arrived. As befits the night club crowned Best Global Club by the IDMAs, Amnesia’s sound system leaves little to be desired. Cream night at Amnesia always brings out the crowds, and the foam parties are inimitable. With a line-up that includes Armin van Buuren and Sven Väth, Amnesia has all its bases covered. What else would you expect from the best in the world?
Cocoon
Cocoon is another club that is linked with Sven Väth, but unlike the others, this night club completely bears the stamp of this legendary DJ. You can’t help but feel like you are really in a cocoon, although maybe in an über-modern style of cocoon. Both visually and acoustically, this club’s design is awe-inspiring; there is a 100m across, 360 degree screen bounces synchronized lights and images off it like no other. Add to that stunning cocoon-like features like a 100m long iridescent “Membrane Wall” and actual “cocoons” (each with a minibar, light controls, and a sound system), and once you get into Cocoon, you won’t want to come back out.
Zouk
“Zouk” (zook) -noun
-origin: French Creole for “party”
1. a style of dance music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique, featuring Caribbean rhythms over a disco beat and played with electric guitars and synthesizers
2. one of the top clubs in Singapore
How big is Zouk? It was the first night club in Singapore to play House music, and today is all the rage with the nation’s clubbing crowd. Zouk actually isn’t a club; it’s three interconnected clubs: Zouk, Phuture, and Velvet Underground – you can get an idea of what these three spaces are like, both visually and musically, by their names. Phuture is futuristic and plays broken beats, Velvet Underground has exquisite velvet-covered walls and plays laid-back house and soul, and Zouk, the main dancing stage, plays a blend of everything. Want more proof of Zouk’s commitment to being the best in Southeast Asia? It makes a point of sending its DJs to Europe and the US on a regular basis for “re-orientation,” and to acquire new music. Next time you plan a trip to Singapore, don’t leave until you’ve experienced Zouk.
What’s your favorite nightclub?
