Legendary Glasgow club The Arches to reopen after eight years
It returns with a new 2AM licence and nine-part series the New World
Legendary Glasgow nightclub The Arches is set to reopen after being shut for eight years.
The iconic club went into administration in 2015 after Glasgow's licensing board revoked its late licence following police complaints about drug use and disorder. Now, it's returning to the same space in Glasgow city centre with a 2AM closing time and new series, the New World.
Running from 21st October in its home underneath Central Station, the nine-part series is a joint venture between events company Watchtower and venue Platform, with the former's club brand Fly notable for taking over Scottish locations including Edinburgh Castle and Scone Palace in recent years.
Speaking to Mixmag about the return of The Arches, Watchtower founder Tom Ketley said: "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 launch of a new large-scale event series in the city centre will bring job opportunities, boost the local economy, and most importantly provide a music space for the next generation to enjoy."
Ketley added: “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. Having delivered safe and successful events in Scotland for the past 10 years we know what it takes to launch a project of this scale. 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."
Featuring a line-up to be announced soon, the New World series nights will take place on 21st October, 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th November, and 17th, 26th, and 31st December. Stay in the loop with the new series here.
Before shutting in 2015, The Arches was held in various arches underneath Glasgow Central since launching in 1991. The Licensing Board move in 2015 was opposed by almost 40,000 people in an online petition and 400 arts figures, including author Irvine Welsh.
The announcement comes a week after the launch of Glasgow's new community-run club, EXIT. Glasgow's city centre saw the launch of SYMBØL on Boxing Day last year.
In 2021, a book celebrating the club featured over sixty original interviews with former directors, clubbers, bartenders, staff, audience and acts including Siam and Carl Cox discussing artists such as Daft Punk, Banksy and more.
