Music
6 incredible European locations perfect for industrial raving
From Berghain to Printworks, the club and festival locations stripping it down to show you a good time.
Once upon a time, to go clubbing was to experience a vision of rare opulence – think the disco decadence of Studio 54, or the Gaudi-inspired interiors of Singapore's Zouk. But the tides of fashion inevitably turn, and if you go clubbing in Europe today, you'll find the finest clubs look more like a deserted factory than a palatial superclub. Industrial chic is in – and from a German festival held in the 'City of Iron' to a London printing factory converted into a 6000 capacity clubbing temple, here are a few destinations for your wishlist.
PRINTWORKS, LONDON
Printworks
© Printworks
The grand industrial scale of London's Printworks has drawn inevitable comparisons to Berghain. While its operating hours and door policy are nothing like Berlin's notorious techno temple, Printworks definitely looks the part. The 6000-person capacity venue has six distinct spaces across multiple levels, booked by booked by Broadwick Live (the team behind Field Day, Lost Village and SW4) and Lock N Load. Techno is a common theme at its intense all-day parties, with guests including Adam Beyer, Chris Liebing, Nina Kraviz, and Marcel Dettmann – but the venue has also just opened up a 3000 capacity space, specially curated to hold live music.
MELT FESTIVAL, GERMANY
Melt
© Melt
Melt goes down each summer at a venue called Ferropolis, which translates as the City Of Iron. The site, an hour or so from Berlin, is an open-air museum for old industrial machines, which makes for a very dramatic festival backdrop.
Ravers from all over Europe converge on Ferropolis for one relentless weekend in July, with the truly committed camping out at the 24/7 house and techno stage, the Sleepless Floor. The festival pulls in some big name headliners – this year, The xx, Florence + The Machine and Fever Ray – but there's plenty of gritty raving action too, courtesy of Ben Klock, The Hacker, The Black Madonna and more. From experience, we can confirm that the sunset (and sunrise) amongst the machines is something special.
THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT, MANCHESTER
Warehouse Project
© Warehouse Project
Long-running event series The Warehouse Project utilises several venues around the music-rich city, but its spiritual home is Store Street. A vast former air-raid shelter turned car park under Piccadilly Station, it's the gold standard for subterranean partying. 2017's season featured massive shows from Drumcode, Annie Mac, Jackmaster's Mastermix, Feel My Bicep, Knee Deep, and Sasha & Digweed – keep your eyes peeled for what 2018 will bring.
BERLIN ATONAL, BERLIN
Berlin Atonal
© Berlin Atonal
Unlike the other destinations on this list, you don't really go to Berlin Atonal to "rave". The festival deals in the more cerebral end of the electronic spectrum, but it does it all at one of the world's greatest industrial venues. That venue is Kraftwerk, a former power plant with a vast main hall suited for enveloping experiences. (The iconic techno club Tresor is also attached to the building.) Berlin Atonal returns to Kraftwerk in August, but the lineup is still under development. Last year, the head-spinning acts included Regis, Powell, Broken English Club and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
KAPPA FUTUR, TURIN
Carl Cox surveys the remarkable Parco Dora space
© Press
Back in the 1980s, Turin was home to huge car production lines, pumping out the latest Fiat and Michelin models. Today, much of the big industry has left town, and the space previously occupied by massive factories have become Parco Dora, a post-industrial parkland that alternates rolling parkland with metal ramps, girders and bridges. Today, it's home to annual technofest Kappa Futur, which this year tempts Adam Beyer, Joseph Capriati and Derrick May to town.
BERGHAIN, BERLIN
The imposing exterior of Berghain
© PYMCA/Contributor/Getty Images
You couldn't write a list like this without discussing Berghain. Housed in an old power plant in Berlin's Friedrichshain, the club grew out of the city's fetish subculture, but peerless programming and word of mouth buzz quickly elevated it to the top table of European clubbing destinations. Berghain's musical remit reflects its concrete and steel interiors – techno of an austere, immersive stripe, played through a crisp and loud Funktion One system – although you'll hear slightly lighter, housier fare at Panorama Bar upstairs. Don't think you can just waltz in there: Berghain's door staff are as stern and unforgiving as its facade.
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