Music
A tribute to Singapore’s longest standing nightclub.
Over the last 25 years, Zouk Singapore has grown into a brand and place that most Singaporeans know and even love. Going to Zouk is a rite of passage for almost anyone when they reach the legal drinking age. For others, they are there every weekend dancing their feet off, creating memories or perhaps even losing some. As Zouk celebrates being a quarter of a century old this year, let’s take a look at some of their greatest milestones.
Year 1991:
Lincoln Cheng restored three warehouses along the Singapore River and in March 1991, Zouk opens its doors to the public for the first time. Zouk means “village party” in Antillean Creole.
Year 1992:
With the launch of Thank God It’s Wed (TGIW), Zouk became the first nightclub in Singapore to introduce midweek clubbing. The monthly retro music event then evolved into the popular weekly Mambo Jambo event.
Year 1994:
When Zouk first opened, the original rooms included a discotheque, restaurant, café, wine bar and a pub. In July 1994, the restaurant space was converted into Singapore’s first membership dance club – Velvet Underground. Up till today, the iconic artwork that decorated the exclusive Velvet Underground can still be seen in Velvet Dance.
Year 1996:
Phuture wasn’t always the happening scene that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing these days. It was first a pub space in 1991 and it was then converted into the MTV Bar. Five years later, it was replaced with Phuture, a room that featured non-mainstream music and made sure that Zouk was always breaking new ground in Singapore’s club scene.
Year 2000:
ZoukOut was born, the only sunrise beach festival in Asia. Over the years, it has grown to become one of the biggest beach dance parties in Southeast Asia. This year, ZoukOut went regional for the first time ever. Its prelude edition took place in Boracay on 30th April 2016.
Year 2004:
13 years after its birth, Zouk opens its sister club, Zouk KL. Last year, Zouk KL underwent a US$10 million revamp. It now holds the title of Asia’s biggest superclub, housing nine rooms in the two-story complex. But the cherry on top of it all has to be the golden slide in their Members Lounge.
Year 2010:
In true Zouk fashion, ZoukOut celebrated its 10th birthday by having renowned international artiste David Guetta grace its stage. That year, a record breaking 30,000 revelers showed up to celebrate with Zouk.
Year 2014:
Zouk patrons were rocked when owner, Lincoln Chenge announced that the club would close at the end of 2014 because they were unable to renew their lease with the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Zouk then launched the “Save Zouk” social media campaign to appeal for a lease extension. By the end of the campaign’s run, Zouk had collected almost 40,000 signatures with a numerable amount of celebrities speaking out for the campaign.
Year 2016:
Zouk is quarter of a century old and celebrating its last birthday at Jiak Kim before moving to its spanking new premises in Clarke Quay come December 2016. It’s no easy feat for a nightclub to have survived this long and we’re sure plenty of you will be there on 28th May to celebrate this grand old dame.
As the saying goes, One World, One Music, One Tribe, One Dance.
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