This London disco party promises pure 1979 New York chaos

Detour Discotheque, the roaming party known for popping up in more off-grid, slightly hedonistic locations, is pitching up in central London for the first time. Instead of a warehouse or countryside escape, it’s taking over Somerset House for a one-night-only throwback to 1970s New York.

On paper, it sounds like a mismatch. In reality, it's the reason why you will want to attend.

The plan is to turn Somerset House’s riverside terrace and Setlist bar into what’s being described as a “disco time warp”, with mirror balls, hazy lighting, and a dancefloor built to channel the energy of legendary NYC spots like The Loft, Paradise Garage and Studio 54. Basically, less polite drinks by the Thames, more full-blown sweatbox by midnight.

The setting does a lot of the work. You’ll start outside, drink in hand, watching the sun go down over the Thames with the London Eye and Houses of Parliament doing their usual postcard thing in the background. Then, once it gets darker (and people loosen up a bit), it shifts indoors and naturally kicks off.

Music is firmly disco at the core, but not just the obvious playlist. You’ll get the big hitters, Donna Summer, Chic, ABBA, but the Detour lot are known for digging a bit deeper, so expect left turns into Latin rhythms, Afrobeat, jazz-funk and no doubt plenty of tunes you'll be humming for weeks after.

It all happens on Saturday, the 25th of July, with things starting at 5pm and running through to around 2am. Tickets start at £19.50, and it’s capped at 500 people, which should mean actual room to dance, rather than the usual London shuffle.

Drinks are geared for summer: spritzes, cold beers (including imported US stuff) and whatever else keeps things ticking over. Food’s handled by the on-site kitchen, with pizzas, tacos and lighter bits available late into the night, useful, given how these things tend to escalate.

The dress code is refreshingly loose. You can lean fully into the brief, sequins, flares, a bit of Studio 54 excess, or just turn up and get involved. No one’s policing it, but you’ll probably wish you’d made a bit of effort once you’re in there.

There’s also something quite appealing about the scale. At 500 people, it’s big enough to feel like an event, but small enough to avoid tipping into festival chaos. More “everyone’s here for the same reason” than “lost your mates 20 minutes in”.

For a party that’s built its name on escaping the obvious, landing in central London could have gone either way. But with the setting, the soundtrack and a bit of summer luck on the weather, this feels like one of those nights that quietly ends up being very good.

Or at the very least, a solid excuse to dance by the Thames until 2am, which is rarely a bad idea.

• Cooper's Cut, London: New melt-in-mouth Wagyu-led steakhouse brings quiet luxury to Tower Bridge

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!