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The moment the UK roadmap for lockdown was announced, the internet homed in on one extremely important detail: if all goes to plan, nightclubs will be allowed to open on June 21. The news sparked lots of excellent memes about the possible return to the clerb. Now that that date is getting closer, we can practically taste the bass. There’s even news of a new nightclub opening in London. Or at least, new-ish.
Soho club Orange Yard had a fairly short-lived opening when it launched in November 2019, but it has had a major refurb during lockdown, including a new outdoor terrace, so it will look even shinier when it relaunches on May 22 – hence the ‘new-ish’. With a dancefloor that holds a max of 300 people, it’s aiming to create a boutique clubbing venue that has an ‘intimate feeling with a big club sound experience’. The main focus is on the fancy Funktion One sound system, which will mostly be blaring house music.
From May 20, Orange Yard will be having ticketed socially distanced events in the club basement, which allows the venue to reopen to the public before the expected June date. The club has already scheduled a full line-up of club nights that run right up to October 9, with sets from Chicago house legend Mike Dunn, Ibiza producer Chelina Manuhutu and DJ Viken Arman.
Gianpaolo Fiore, booking manager for Orange Yard, says that the main challenge in getting the club off the ground, aside from adapting to changing safety rules, has been ‘breaking into a new neighbourhood, whose habitués already have certain expectations of what a nightclub should be.’ Fiore explained over email that the aim of the club is to be ‘an all-inclusive and genre-spanning space, one where partygoers can find those who are pushing the boundaries in the scene (LGBTQ+ parties, but also lots of House Music with Tulum, and all-female vibes.).’
Want to investigate this new-ish nightclub for yourself? You can find the full line-up for Orange Yard’s upcoming nights here.
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