FOR a nation so overrun by tourists, Greece has done a mighty fine job of preserving its cultural identity. It’s produced a healthy stock of dance music too, with house talent in the shape of Nikola Gala, Argy and Actor One emerging from a nation traditionally more renowned for smashing plates on the dancefloor than throwing shapes. Big thanks, then, to Cavo Paradiso and its massive outdoor poolside dancefloor, which welcomed in the likes of Frankie Knuckles, Miss Kittin and Ricardo Villalobos with all the open-armed warmth expected of the Greeks during the last season. Set within a stunning Cycladic white-sand setting and armed with a thumping soundsystem to rival them all, Cavo Paradiso is one location worth writing home about while on a rave holiday this summer.
15 13 07
CAVO PARADISO MYKONOS, GREECE
CAPACITY: 3000
cavoparadiso.gr
05
14 02 BERGHAIN
CAPACITY: 1500
berghain.de
NOBODY can be told about the pandemonium dwelling within Berghain, it simply has to be experienced in person. Only once you’re past the half-a-mile queue and that censorious bouncer, through those foreboding factory doors sans camera, does the full scale of this dark dungeon of musical masochism become clear. On ground level is the cacophonous cauldron of visceral energy that is Berghain, its ascetic music policy a weekly religious experience for the noir-chic nocturnal revellers of techno’s second city. While, upstairs, the housier, shoulder-to-shoulder bump of Panorama Bar is the lick of any international aficionado’s spoon, its intermittent window-shuttering a reminder that the outside world is still there, alive and bright, but thankfully of no concern to this dissident, sleep-deprived lot. Then, there’s the hidden nooks and crannies of the venue where the lascivious clientele get up to whatever they please, while minds in the main room get lost even further after two days on the trot. Really, honestly, seriously, there’s nowhere in the world quite like it. Don’t take our word for it. Go there!
PANORAMA BAR BERLIN, GERMANY
HE might have been talking about another Privilege, but the almost unbelievably vast size of the world’s biggest club (according to official arbiters, the Guinness Book of Records) might still deserve Michael Winner patronisingly telling first-timers to ‘calm down dear’. Once upon a time, it was just a restaurant called Ku, but Privilege now boasts 25-metre-high ceilings and an indoor pool. Such surroundings have proved perfect over its illustrious history to host defining events such as the debauched shows of the infamous Manumission in the ’90s, where the likes of Fatboy Slim rose to superstar status, while promoters Mike and Claire had sex on stage for kicks, or for former Top 100 DJs No.1 Tiësto to reach his swathes of fans. With Godskitchen, Sheffield powerhouse Gatecrasher and Supermartxe also in the mix, checking out this Ibiza institution isn’t just a privilege; it’s a rite too.
12
YALTA CLUB SOFIA, BULGARIA
CAPACITY: 1000
yaltaclub.com
07
BULGARIAN clubbing institution Yalta is a stunning example of modern European nightlife. Based smack-bang in the centre of Sofia and attracting a crowd of party-loving, fist-pumping beauties, the venue plays host to DJ talent as diverse as Mark Knight, Marco Carola, Axwell and Danny Tenaglia. There is no VIP and the bars are floating islands where most of the regulars serve their own drinks. If you can find a friendlier crowd, then we’d like to see it! Not content with running the best club in Bulgaria, the Yalta crew is also responsible for the Solar Summer Festival, which takes place every summer at Cacau Beach/Sunny Beach and brings international big hitters like Tiësto, Dubfire, Fedde Le Grand and Loco Dice to town. So for thumping sound, a warm and friendly vibe and the richest array of international DJ talent this side of Europe, look no further than Yalta. Trust us — you won’t regret it!
PRIVILEGE IBIZA, SPAIN
CAPACITY: 10000
privilegeibiza.com
11 058
www.djmag.com
MARQUEE LAS VEGAS, NV, USA
marqueelasvegas.com
DC10 IBIZA
circolocoibiza.com
69
STRUTH! A 69-place leap in this year’s poll? Only in Las Vegas, the new clubbing epicenter of the US dance storm, can a club be catapulted to such heady heights, just a single spot off the top 10, after less than two years of operation. Clearly thriving under the auspices of Las Vegas’ booming entertainment industry as the States continues to wake up to clubbing once again, Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub has clearly taken the baton with a level of pride and sophistication light-years beyond its peers. Not only can this seven-bar clubbing complex casually refer to stratospheric names like Kaskade, Chuckie and Morillo as its residents, it boasts two pools, food and sunbeds by day, and a 40ft LED DJ booth, projection stage surrounded by a coliseum of banquette seating and two dancefloors after dark. Postured with all the glitz and glamour expected of a Las Vegas nightclub, Marquee is head-and-shoulders above the rest, the perfect place to squander those winnings on a weekend in Sin City.
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