London has to offer by far more than the Buckingham Palace and London Eye. With a broad variety of electronic music genres, reaching from dubstep and drum & bass to techno and house, there is a lot that the British capital presents every weekend. East London is the perfect base for a weekend trip to the city, as it is home to the creative scene and a vivid neighbourhood with countless galleries, vintage stores, food markets, restaurant concepts and great nightlife.
East London is a creative hub and home to many bars, restaurants, clubs, galleries, vintage stores and artists. The former working-class area Shoreditch is in the center of East London and coined by industrial buildings that are now predominantly home to creative industries. It is also home to the famous Brick Lane Market. Like everywhere around the globe, arts attract creative people and a vibrant and energetic neighbourhood. So this area is basically the right spot to eat and drink well, to party long and to cure the hangover with a proper brunch the next day. For example at Brick Lane you’ll pass a variety of unique stores, food markets, pubs and East London typical streets.
Desperados chose this eclectic surrounding for their Epic House Party, they threw together with elrow and DJ Skream. It was the first event that took place in the brand new venue Magazine, that belongs to the famous Printworks club. For the party Desperados crowdsourced wild party ideas from party goers all over the world and realised them in an epic house party with the motto #WeAreTheParty in September. Among the eight ideas: an octopus that hands out the tequila flavoured beer, so you’ll never need to queue in front of the bar, a human disco ball, a glitter entrance gate and clouds in which you could dance. Sounds unbelievable? Watch the after movie here or tune in our interview with DJ Skream and find out more about London’s electronic music scene and the party.
London’s best Clubs for Electronic Music
London is known for a great nightlife and a broad selection of clubs. Although the club landscape has changed a lot in the past years, every weekend, there are countless parties to choose from. People meet at pubs, clubs or warehouses, which makes London a lively city. The local scene is home to all kinds of electronic music, reaching from dubstep and drum & bass to techno and house. Behind the decks you’ll find internationally known DJs as well as big names of the local scene. Here are the top clubs in and around East London that you should have on your list, when travelling to the British capital.
Village Underground, a cultural Centre in the Center of East London
In addition to being a cultural centre, Village Underground is an ecological project that acts as role model for sustainability in the club culture by using eco-power, banning plastic straws and more. The club lists global players on their line-up and convinces with it’s solid sound system and dark underground flair. Find out more about the club within our podcast interview. Village Underground and the well-known EartH are involved in a new venue, named ‘Colours’ that is supposed to open soon.
The Cause – A creative pop-up Hub and Night Club
Located in Tottenham Hale, in an ex car-mechanics depot, The Cause is not only a club, but an arts & events space. It offers DJ workshops, co-working spaces and of course club nights.
The cause is a temporary DIY space for London, celebrating dance music culture, London nightlife, independent business and positive mental health.
fabric – the Institution for Drum and Bass, Dubstep, House and Techno
fabric is your place to be if you are a drum and bass, dubstep, house or techno enthusiast. From Pete Tong, Amelie Lens, Ben UFO and Eats Everything to Anna Wall – fabric never disappoints with it’s international line-up and established residents. Pleasing London’s nightlife since more than 20 years, Fabric offers three separate rooms, each equipped with a fantastic sound system.
Industrial & raw Techno Flair at Printworks
Our Autumn/Winter 2019 Season features in excess of 250 artists, with over 30 shows taking place between September and January.
The Egg London – one of the longest standing Clubs in the UK
XOYO – Where Techno Grooves are spin in an intimate Atmosphere
Located in the heart of Shoreditch, XOYO presents local artists, as well as global acts. The two-floors club has a consistent and credible music policy. In summer 2018 Ben UFO joined the club for a residency and this year in October, the Dekmantel Soundsystem resides there. Additionally and other than in most clubs in London, XOYO follows a no photo policy.
The best Restaurants and Cafés for your Weekend in East London
Beside various street food spots and a culinary variety from traditional British food, over Indian food, to fusion, a foodies heart will not be disappointed in London. The culinary range to choose from, before you go clubbing, is incredible and almost every week there is something new to explore. Here are the top food spots for your weekend in East London.
Ozone Coffee Roasters
New Zealand is famous for perfect waves and for a great coffee culture. Ozone Coffee Roasters are originally from ‘the other side of the world’ and brought their roast to the British isle. From breakfast to an espresso during the day or burgers for dinner in the evening – this is the place to be for coffee lovers.
Andina Shoreditch
Pisco sour and ceviche – the unbeatable combo is presented in an individual and modern way at Andina Shoreditch. Tip: Make sure to check out the music room with various vinyl if you are a larger group of people.
The communities of the Peruvian Andes have resisted the lure of too much modernisation; they remain hubs of ancient culture and tradition, which spills over into their unique cooking. It’s this cuisine that we celebrate at our Shoreditch restaurant, Andina.
AIDA Café
Shopping and refreshing with fresh juices or a flat white at the same time and in the same place – that’s the concept of AIDA at Shoreditch High Street. Enjoy one of the fancy and colourful drink compositions like rose, turmeric or matcha latte in the pretty shop.
Boxpark
The pop-up mall made out of shipping containers is certainly unique and perfectly fits into the scenery of the industrial neighbourhood of Shoreditch. The hub called Boxpark was opened in 2011 and offers a great selection of shopping, eating, and drinking spots as well as daytime events.
Where to stay in East London
ACE Hotel
ACE Hotel Shoreditch is a hip boutique hotel, focused on industrial and innovative design. The sophisticated interior and design elements surprise it’s guests not only in the individual rooms, but also in the lobby and the café. If you are not a hotel guest, you should at least check out the café and the modern brasserie Hoi Polloi, run by Chef Simon Gregory.
The Hoxton Hotel
Living like a local in the Boutique Hotel ‘The Hoxton‘ in Shoreditch. Perfectly embedded in the surrounding area, this hotel attracts design lovers and world traveller. A lively home away from home, that predominantly convinces with vintage furniture and the Shoreditch typical industrial style.
The Hoxton is a series of open-house hotels inspired by the diversity and originality of the streets and scenes that surround us.
Record Shops in and around East London
Find some old treasures and fresh new tunes at Flashback Records around the corner of Brick Lane or extend your record collection with limited editions at Phonica Records in Soho.
You are interested to find out more about East London? Check our interview with the shooting stars IDER.
What are your favourite spots and clubs in London? Join us in the closed community for techno&travel lovers worldwide and share your thoughts with likeminded people.
Transparency: in friendly cooperation with Desperados.