77A Charterhouse St – London, UK
It is considered one of the most important nightclubs in the world. It was voted No. 1 in the world in DJ Mag magazine’s “Top 100 Clubs” list in 2007 and 2008, and has maintained prominent positions in subsequent years.
It was founded in 1999 on Charterhouse Street, Farringdon, London, occupying the renovated space of a former cold storage warehouse (Metropolitan Cold Stores), opposite the famous Smithfield Market.
Emphasis on the “Underground”:
Since its founding, Fabric has focused on providing a platform for unsung heroes and the most avant-garde and underground genres of electronic music, offering extended sets for DJs to develop their musical narrative.
Genre Diversity:
Although famous for electronic music, its nights are dedicated to different subgenres:
Fridays (FabricLive): Focused on bass music, mainly drum and bass, but also grime, breakbeat, dubstep, and bassline.
Saturdays: Focused on underground house and techno.
Sundays: Promoted by the Wetyourself event, with a musical policy of underground house and techno.
Record Labels:
The club has cemented its prestige with its own record labels, the best known being:
Fabric Records:
Famous for its series of long-running and highly prestigious mix CDs (fabric and FABRICLIVE).
Houndstooth:
A spin-off label launched in 2013, which also promotes electronic music.
The club has three separate rooms, each with its own high-quality sound system.
The Bodysonic Floor (Room 1): A distinctive feature is the vibrating dance floor in Room 1. It is a bodysonic dance floor where sections of the floor are equipped with transducers that emit bass frequencies, allowing clubbers to feel the music through their feet and body, beyond just hearing it.
The total capacity is between 1,800 and 2,000 people.
In 2016, the club lost its license and was closed after several drug-related deaths inside the venue. This event sparked a massive international campaign (#SaveFabric) that highlighted its cultural importance. Finally, it was allowed to reopen in early 2017 with heavy restrictions and a significant increase in security measures and zero-tolerance drug policies.
Its impact has transcended nightlife. In 2022, it was announced that Fabric would be the first club in the world to have a residency at the Museum of London to celebrate its cultural relevance in the city.
