
Glasgow venue The Arches reopening after eight years
The famous Glasgow venue The Arches is set to reopen after eight years of closure.
Notably, the Scottish nightclub closed its doors in 2015 after the city’s licensing board imposed a midnight closing time following police complaints about drug use and disorder. On the return, organisers have said that nine club nights will run from October 21st this year, including sets from prominent DJs. The lineup will be announced on September 12th, with it inferred that some of the acts are Scottish who have played at the venue previously.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, Tom Ketley, the found of events organiser Watchtower, explained that returning to the venue is to give Glasgow back “one of its sleeping giants”.
He continued: “This project is of huge cultural significance for music in Glasgow, Scotland and beyond. Seeing the unfortunate closure of numerous venues in recent years has been hard on the industry.
“The venue’s history is renowned, and it holds a special place in people’s hearts, so we know that today’s news will mean so much to so many,” he added. “Glasgow is legendary for having one of the best crowds in the world and our aim is to champion that by attracting dance music fans from all over the UK and beyond.”
Famously, The Arches was known as a “powerhouse” of Scotland’s electronic music scene and is closely tied to the stories of multiple celebrated acts. However, its closure was brought forward when, within one month, a woman was found unconscious on the premises, and the police recorded 26 different drug and alcohol-related incidents.
However, the venue went into administration after the City Council elected to “vary” the license, meaning it was forced to close by midnight. At the time, thousands signed a petition to return to the original licence, including Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai, Irvine Welsh and Belle & Sebastian.
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