Printworks is a

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

and events venue in

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...

, South London. It is located in the former Harmsworth Quays printing plant, which printed newspapers including the ''Daily Mail'' and ''Evening Standard'' until 2012. Some features of the printing plant have been retained including the van loading dock and metal stairs, creating an industrial feel in the club. The premises has an overall capacity of 6,000 people across two performance rooms: the Press Halls and Inkwells (Formally known as the Darkroom). The site is also available for hire and has been used for events, movies and commercials.

Artists, music and perception

The venue opened in 2017 with an event by

Seth Troxler Seth Troxler is an American DJ and record producer from Lake Orion, Michigan. His DJ work focuses on house and techno, while he has produced on the Wolf + Lamb, Crosstown Rebels and Circus Company labels, collaborating with artists Art Departmen ...

The Martinez Brothers The Martinez Brothers are a duo of disc jockeys, music producers, and remixers from The Bronx, New York known for their long-term residencies at clubs in Ibiza. In 2014 they were named as DJs of the year by ''Mixmag'', who wrote that "no other DJ ...

and

Loco Dice Loco Dice (born Yassine Ben Achour on 10 August 1974) is a German DJ and electronic music producer born and based in Düsseldorf, Germany. He is best known for his work in the house and tech house genres and his residencies at Ibiza nightclubs ...

. It primarily focuses on electronic music, but has also been host to other genres such as orchestral music. Printworks has been described by ''

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

'' as "the saviour London clubbing desperately needed" and as "one of the most striking venues the capital city, if not the country, has to offer". The venue was repeatedly voted into the "Top 100 Clubs" list by the readers of ''

DJ Magazine ''DJ Magazine'' (also known as ''DJ Mag'') is a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. Founded in 1991, the magazine is adapted for distribution in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Lat ...

''. The venue follows a template similar to that of The Warehouse Project, where they run events (Around 20) in seasons - for a period of weeks (Around 13), but not throughout the full year. Generally, SS (Spring and Summer) runs from February until April, then AW runs September until December. With occasional special events, such as New Years and Bank Holidays.

Potential Closure and Redevelopment of the Area

In autumn 2021, the owners of the site,

British Land The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm became a real estate investment trust when REITs were introduced in the UK in January 2007. It is headquartered in ...

, submitted plans to

Southwark Council Southwark London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. History There have previously been a number ...

to redevelop the site into office buildings which would involve the demolition of the Printworks venue. This was widely opposed by the music community as destruction of a key part of London's music scene. In 2022, the plans were approved, meaning SS23 will be the last season for music events in the venue, for a number of years after outcry from the community saved the venue. The team opened a new venue in East London, called The Beams, in October 2022.

Awards and nominations

DJ Magazine's top 100 clubs

References

{{reflist Nightclubs in London Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Southwark