6 Best Techno Clubs in London


 

Who even needs sleep?

For those party animals looking to have an experience beyond the local pub, London is full of nightly opportunities that extend well into the morning. Locals going to blow off some steam, or tourists looking for a night they won’t forget, going clubbing in London is a sure way to make memories to last a lifetime. The techno club scene in the city is only evolving, and growing in venue diversity, locations, music choice, and atmosphere. If you have an early morning flight out of London and want to go right from your night out to the airport, these locations will keep you buzzing all the way into your plane seat.

1. XOYO

WEBSITE

We’ll start this list with a classic, and one every Londoner has gone to, or at least heard of. XOYO is your staple techno club, with two rooms containing high-class sound systems. The room upstairs is a bit smaller and more intimate, while the downstairs is a massive dance floor, with a bar and booth at opposite ends.

The appeal of the upstairs room is a smaller space, and the added effect of light-lasers zooming their way past your head as you attempt to dance to the high BPM songs. Since this club has made such a name for itself, you might find some more tourists and less music-oriented attendees, so some of your fellow ragers might not know the DJ playing. Be nice anyways, right? It’s not their fault they’re not as culturally experienced as you.

The entrance is inexpensive, which is saying a lot, considering you’re in one of the most expensive cities in Europe (and in the world, perhaps?). Even though entrance is cheap, this offer, unfortunately, doesn’t extend over to the drinks, with two cans setting you back £10. Even though this isn’t that pricey for a London venue, it isn’t exactly on a budget plan either.

Lastly, if you’ve decided to hit up this club to dance the night away with your friends, be sure to dress the part. The bouncers aren’t overly-friendly or overly-strict, but if you show up wearing a tracksuit or look like you’re headed to the gym for a session instead of the club for a session, there’s a good chance they won’t let you in. But really – would you go to a nice bar or even your corner pub in a tracksuit? We didn’t think so. Sure you can be comfortable, but look at least a little like you’re trying. It’s the least you can do for cheap entry, a good sound system, and a classic London venue.

2. Village Underground

WEBSITE

Ringing in spot number two on this list is Village Underground. For those wanting simple techno beats forever, this might not be the spot for you. For music-goers who want something a little different, this venue could be your saving grace. This space will provide a different atmosphere than the usual cavernous dance hall, but you can definitely go see your favorite DJs if you plan your night accordingly.

An intimate spot in the ever-trendy Shoreditch, this space provides a great sound system, high-quality lighting, and elite production in their gigs. The staff is friendly and helps you out with any issues you might have.

Despite entrance being a bit expensive at £20, the helpfulness of the staff is worth the fee. The bar is set off to the side on the main dance floor, with two costing about £10, a price that won’t break the bank considering your proximity to central London.

The only issue with these prices is the size of the cans; they don’t sell normal-size beer cans, and only sell small ones, so the 2 for 10 deal you’re thinking isn’t so bad is actually… pretty bad. If you don’t care about trying to have pints while you’re out listening to some music and dancing, then this could be a great spot for you. A spot that plays house and techno music until 6 am, Village Underground can make for an unforgettable night, just remember to pre-drink beforehand!

3. Corsica Studios

WEBSITE

Up next, we have somewhat of an oxymoron coming at you; a laid-back techno club. The atmosphere of Corsica studios is more relaxed than your traditional experience, being slightly more intimate. The lighting is expertly choreographed to match the mood of the music, setting the scene for an interactive experience.

Corsica has two decent-sized rooms with quality sound systems, playing the thumping sounds and fast-paced beats with ease. There is a large smoking area out the back, letting you cool off and take a break from the sweat-producing dancing on the floor. The smoking area isn’t too crowded, and lets you actually have some space of your own to chill out before returning to the intense atmosphere.

What really sets this place aside is professional security; this can be up your alley, or it might not be your cup of tea. The security will perform welfare checks on people in the club, ensuring no one has passed out without anyone to help them, and to make sure no one has fallen asleep in the middle of the club.

If you’re someone who likes to take naps with blaring music in your ears, then this might not be for you. If you’re someone who wants to ensure that yourself or your friends aren’t abandoned in the corner asleep, then this could be a lifesaver – literally. To quench your thirst, you can head to the bar, and grab a cocktail for £8.

This might seem steep, but honestly, for London, this is a pretty decent price. The only downside of this is that there is only one bar, so it can get pretty crowded at times. We’d say try to limit your trips to the bar, so you don’t spend more time queuing than dancing, and get drunk off of the music and the mood, not the drinks.

4. Fabric London

WEBSITE

For the avid techno fans, this one’s for you. Fabric London is a place that techno lovers go-to party into the next day. To consider yourself an avid party-goer, you have to make until past 3 am, when the music really takes it up a notch and all the tourists have stumbled back to their budget hostels or gone in search of the best drunk-kebab shop.

The music here varies based on the night, with the offerings of techno, house, EDM, drum and bass, and anything else you can think of that features a strong beat and a hard drop that makes even the laziest of people get up and dance. You will definitely pay the price to experience this true techno experience, with entry being at £25.

If you take advantage of what Fabric has to offer, this won’t be too steep of a price, since you can stay and rave until 8 am. Yes, you heard that right. While your roommate is getting up to go for a Sunday morning jog, you’ll be stumbling home from an insane party. Not bad.

£10 for a cocktail and £6 for a small beer isn’t necessarily cheap, but when you take into account the entry price, I guess you can be thankful it isn’t double that. The sound system and acoustics are top-notch, and theme nights will keep you coming back for more. There’s no dress code to enter, but we recommend at least sprucing it up a little from your pub-jeans-and-t-shirt.

The security is tight; be polite, don’t try to argue, and don’t try to sneak anything in. You won’t make it. Despite being classed as ‘expensive’ even for Londoners, the die-hard techno fans will like the authenticity and homage to techno here.

5. Ministry of Sound

WEBSITE

Ringing in at number five on this survivor’s guide to London techno, we have Ministry of Sound. This open-until-6 am spot is sure to get you in the mood to dance all night, with their three different rooms, electric atmosphere, and talented DJs. The multiple rooms let you choose what music you’re in the mood for, and switch up your clubbing experience.

Some nights you might find a proclivity towards solely house music, so if techno and house are your thing, you can rest assured to not be disappointed, regardless of what night you visit. The entrance is pretty expensive, but for an all-night venue, the price of entry can definitely be justified.

The sound system is top-notch and will leave your hearing bass drops until the next morning – when you finally exit the club to the London sunrise (unless it’s winter – in which case, you can make it home in the dark, avoiding the disapproving looks of the office-goers on their way to work).

Even though you compromise with expensive prices and some instances of not-so-friendly staff, if you’re a real house or techno fan, this could be a great spot to end your night.

6. Phonox

WEBSITE

Last on our list of best techno clubs in London, we have Phonox. Similar to Fabric, this place is one of the best for solely techno in the whole city. Situated in Brixton, this south London spot is out of the way of the central-city madness, and brings a madness all on its’ own.

The more inexpensive neighborhood of Brixton brings a whole different crowd than Shoreditch or Soho, and that is what makes this place so fun. The layout of the club is second-to-none, with numerous sitting places and nooks to stand and hide-out in.

The bar downstairs gives you a little respite from the pounding bass, and lets you regroup for a few minutes. The bouncers do their best to not over-sell the venue, providing a busy but not too-crowded venue for everyone to party.

The friendly bouncers, unique location, and top-notch layout make this one of the best places by far in the city to go and party well into the morning, with doors shutting at 4 am.

It’s time to pull an All-Nighter…

Even though New York claims to be the city that never sleeps, we’d say London gives it a run for its’ money. The techno clubs that open until 8 am provide a place for tourists and locals alike to forget about the outside world and dance until they drop. The six on this list are accompanied by many others, but we found these choices either classic institutions, venues that provide a little variety, or true techno-die-hard locations that are sure to give you what you want. Unless that’s sleep of course, in which case you’re going to have to wait until the next day. And hopefully a shower, too.

 

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.

Also check this
Discover the Best Tours in Paris with Local Guides. Check Paris Walking Tours
We run free tours: Montmartre walking tour and Trendy Marais Tour are our best sellers. Free walking tours in Paris