26 25
PACHA NY NEW YORK, NY, US CAPACITY: 3000
PACHANYC.COM
08
SETup by Eddie Dean in the building that used to be Sound Factory (and eventually Twilo) in 2005, the NY wing of the eminent Pacha brand brought a touch of glamour to the same soil walked by residents Louie Vega and Junior Vasquez. Today, just over seven years on, it’s very much carved its own identity, imbued with all the class associated with the two cherries. Danny Tenaglia loves it; Morillo thinks it’s a godsend and, despite the relatively snug size of its 2000-strong main room, recent scalps are those more used to filling stadiums (Skrillex, Avicii, Afrojack). Sprawling top-to-bottom with various balconies, VIP mezzanines, even a separate upper floor dubbed “Little Pacha” — not forgetting an in-club shower and Mirror Lounge — Pacha NY is a buzzing hive of clubbing activity every time it opens its doors.
PAPAYA PAG, CROATIA CAPACITY: 4500
PAPAYA.COM.HR
24 07 05
THOSE prone to a bit of brave rave exploration outside their clubbing comfort zone will have already sampled a slice of Eastern Europe’s club culture. Slowly becoming a lucrative rental space for British promoters and a regular walking ground for tourists and Croatian holidaymakers alike, Pag’s Papaya has climbed another few spots in this poll again this year. The music policy’s pretty sturdy too, boasting anything from house to techno to progressive, even r&b and dubstep. Armin van Buuren, Axwell, Loco Dice, Ricardo Villalobos, Marco Carola and Hardwell are some of the biggest hitters who’ve all made waves on Papaya’s shit-hot Martin Audio soundsystem; it’s also the choice spot for our very own DJ Mag festival, tag teamed with MTV. You can even launch yourself into a bungee freefall, mid-rave. No joke.
MUCHlike how Hoover is the adopted nomenclature for a vacuum cleaner, El Row is the synonym most true dance heads use for Row 14. Starting out as an afterhours event during Sonar in 2009, since it’s been forced to revert to the evening/night, due to changes in licensing laws. None of this, however, has prevented Row 14 from scoring highly in this poll once again, its reputation no doubt bolstered by El Row’s presence in the newly souped-up back room of Privilege (Ibiza) last season. Reasons for its unbridled success are clear. Its generous deployment of balloons, inflatables and foam floats, coupled with a booking policy encompassing only the purest in top-notch techno talent (Loco Dice, Richie Hawtin, Marcel Dettmann), ensure this sultry terrace party is arguably Europe’s most fantastic. Think DC10 with party hats.
23 22
ANZU CLUB SAO PAULO, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 3000
ANZUCLUB.COM
05
GUVERNMENT TORONTO, CANADA CAPACITY: 2100
THEGUVERNMENT.COM
05
GUVERNMENT’S décor screams simplicity, impeccable taste and the billings aren’t a far cry either. Part of the monumental complex that sits on the shoreline of Lake Ontario, Guvernment welcomes a plethora of specialist socialites each weekend. Trendsetting on a multi-genre flex, nights range from prestigious awards occasions such as the Independent Music Awards to mass hordes gathering for large-scale concerts from the likes of Foals and Netsky. But of course, it’s its gritty late-night shift we’re most interested in. You’ll catch anyone from Armin van Buuren to Cosmic Gate, Paul Oakenfold and Thomas Gold, spinning on the brick-shit- house soundsystem any given weekend.
21 PACHA SHARM
SHARM EL SHIEKH, EGYPT CAPACITY: 3000
02
PACHA’S Egyptian outpost is every bit as spectacular as its Ibiza parent. With a mere single day of rain a year on average in winter, set in sun tourist haven Sharm El Sheikh, Pacha Sharm is open to the elements all year round, with no roof over its courtyard-like central dancefloor, surrounded by VIP terraces that incorporate subtle Arabian design features in a nod to the club’s location. The venue books the biggest DJs from the more commercial end of dance music, with Bob Sinclar, Pete Tong and Joachim Garraud featuring over the last year, and like Pacha Ibiza, its productions are dazzling, with acrobats and fire spinners a regular sight.
djmag.com 047
AJapanese translation of “apricot” seems rather a bizarre motif for a club based in an all together opposing cultural landscape. Madness is the method, however, for Anzu. What started as the acquisition of one of the most lucrative restaurants in Sao Paulo in ‘97 is now a 3000-person capacity superclub that’s hosted an arm-long list of big-wig DJs over the past 12 months (Paul van Dyk, Skrillex, Alesso, Steve Angello, AN21). Celebrating 15 years in the game in 2013, this parking lot-cum- restaurant-cum-emporium offers anything but zen.
ROW 14 BARCELONA, SPAIN CAPACITY: 2000
ROW14.ES
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