The Barbican is set to party till 3am with new nightlife programme

This early '00s dance classic has been completely ruined by a misheard lyric

You may not look at a pillar of Brutalist architecture and think Party!!! However, the idea of London’s iconic Barbican turning into a nightclub is a pretty appealing idea, with its labyrinth-like layout, jagged edges, and exposed raw materials. It basically sounds like an edgy club night venue already.

This isn’t the first time the Barbican has dipped its toes - or its concrete walls - into the party pool, having held a couple of late-night parties, all of which have received rave reviews. Now, the venue has announced a series of late-night events, with a new programme called Anyone Can Dance, which will see it host a whole run of parties that will run to 3am – if you can stay awake that long. You can still go if you’re a Cinderella kind of clubber (disappears to bed at midnight).

View of the world famous Barbican Centre, in the City of London on October 22, 2017. The Barbican Estate is a brutalist architecture residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s within the City of London in Central London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions. It also hosts a conservatory which contains several plants, and a luxury tea room

So far, five Anyone Can Dance events are planned for 2026, all set to celebrate different diasporas through the freedom and joy of dance. All of the events are set to take place at Barbican ClubStage, otherwise known as the -1 Level Foyer, which will be turned into a dancefloor, ready to catch all the shapes thrown.

First on the list is a night by Eastern Margins – a collective that celebrates the music of East and South East Asian artists, featuring bedroom DJ nick cheo, KOLLIN, Rapper Jianbo, and alt-pop artist MEYY. It’s kicking off on Friday, 20th February, with general sale tickets now available via the website.

We don’t yet have details for the rest of the events, but news about each of the events will be released on the Barbican’s website if you’re keen for updates. It’s definitely one to tick off your London bucket list.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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