Last week, the dance world was saddened with the news that UK clubbing institution Fabric London would be closing indefinitely while the council investigates recent deaths in the club.
“In order to understand how this has happened, we have agreed with the police and other agencies to suspend our operation whilst we investigate,” Fabric London said in a statement last week. “The club will therefore be closed this weekend.”
Fabric London is without a doubt one of the UK’s most iconic clubs for underground club music, and its closure happens among a difficult climate for the country’s clubbing scene, following reports last year that half the nation’s nightclubs have shut in the past decade.
However, newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan indicated earlier this year he’d be supportive of his city’s status as a dance mecca.
“I don’t want young and creative Londoners abandoning our city to head to Amsterdam, to Berlin, to Prague, where clubs are supported and allowed to flourish. I want them to be able to celebrate what they love in the city that they love, rather than punish them or force their activities underground or abroad,” Khan said on the campaign trail this year.
Fittingly, the country’s DJs have been vocal over the past week in their call for Khan to heed this promise.
I hope @SadiqKhan keeps his 'night economy' promise and works w/ @fabriclondon + others on solutions to the issues at the core of all this
— Alan Fitzpatrick (@AlanFitzpatrick) August 16, 2016
@SadiqKhan save London's soul before it's too late, you can do it. Saving @fabriclondon will be a courageous step in the right direction!
— Jamie Jones (@JamieJonesMusic) August 16, 2016
Hoping that @SadiqKhan listens to pleas from DJs around the world to help @fabriclondon reopen. London needs Fabric.
— Sasha (@sashaofficial) August 16, 2016
We need to keep London's nightlife alive @SadiqKahn , @fabriclondon is much more than just a nightclub. #savefabric
— Cassy (@Cassy__official) August 16, 2016
Khan emerged late yesterday with a brief but clear statement delivered via Twitter, urging the Metropolitan Police and local council to work together with Fabric to ensure the club’s survival.
I'm urging #Fabric , the Met & Islington to find an approach that protects clubbers' safety & the future of the club. https://t.co/g9X5bZm02e
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) August 16, 2016
