Gone are the days when the only South Asian club nights in town were rogue Bangra events in a restaurant in Wembley or Southall. Times have moved on, and South Asian talent is now at the forefront of London’s music scene. Collectives such as Daytimers and Dialled In — who curated a whole stage at last year’s Glastonbury — have paved the way for showcasing the best South Asian DJs around, whilst other independent collectives focus on shining a light on subcultures within the scene.
From queer-friendly nights to Bollywood disco, there’s something for everyone — and you needn’t worry about there being any dodgy remixes of Jai Ho. So, whether you already dabble and want to enjoy more of it, or are new and need to learn the ropes, below are the best South Asian club nights to check out in London.
Ambassy
One of the newer club nights championing South Asian culture, Ambassy takes place in the basement of London’s coolest Punjabi restaurant, the Ambassador’s Clubhouse (25 Heddon Street, W1B 4BH, ambassadorsclubhouse.com ). Guests are invited to party and let their hair down until late, with sets running from 11.30pm till 3am. So far, the nights have featured the likes of Juggy D, Panjabi MC and the Artful Dodger. In short, it’s somewhere for the best of British-Indian sounds in the comfort of a stylish venue. Make sure to try out their party cocktails while you’re at it. Nothing quenches the thirst more than a masala margarita.
Daytimers
The name Daytimers takes inspiration from the day party scene in the 1980s and 90s where young British Asians would sneak away to party in the day and be back home by the evening to avoid getting in trouble with their more traditional parents. This UK-based collective started during the peak of lockdown after noticing a huge wave of emerging South Asian talent, and their mission was to create a platform to help nurture it. Since then, they’ve championed acts including Yung Singh, Gracey T and many more. If you see their name on a line-up, you’re guaranteed a good night out. Follow @daytimers_uk to see where they’re performing next.
Jawani
By no means is Punjabi music a new phenomenon in the club world — the likes of Punjabi Hit Squad, B21, Punjabi MC and more paved the way for British Asians — but Jawani has been a big step forward for the scene, and now is UK’s Biggest Punjabi underground music event — in their words “Boiler Room but with a Punjabi Twist”. The nights are regular, with the next on July 26 at XOYO. Follow @jawaninights for details.
Club Kali
Club Kali carries the distinction of being the world’s first LGBTQ+ club night to cater to the South Asian community, and has been championing South Asian queer culture since 1995. Founded by DJ Ritu and psychologist Rita Hiran, who teamed up to create a safe space for queer members of the South Asian community, the night has continued to gain momentum over the last two decades, and DJ Ritu has become a leading voice for the UK’s South Asian LGBTQ+ community. Keep up to speed at clubkali.com.
Vedic Roots
Hailing from Southall, Vedic Roots is a sound system and record label that celebrates all things reggae music, inspired by the sounds of dub legends such as Jah Shaka. The collective was established in 2016, and has gone on to play Glastonbury and Boiler Room, and also successfully runs events across the capital. The Vedic Roots team is comprised of Gurcharan, Harmanjit, Indy, Indi and Jagz, all of whom bonded over their love for the genre. Their Instagram, @vedic_roots is regularly updated with details of upcoming shows.
Hungama
This is essentially London’s Studio 54 queer night. As founder Ryan Lanji told the Standard: “Hungama was a courageous activation of being myself and all the industries I dabbled in, such as fashion, art, queerness and music.”
The night fuses Bollywood with queer club culture and offers a fun and safe space for those who resonate with those communities.
“There’s been so many highlights”, says Lanji. “We took over the Tate Modern and we had 700 people in the turbine hall. We took over the Ministry of Sound and drowned it in Bollywood, and we headlined the Azaadi stage at Glastonbury this year.” Ryan also has another night called Nazar that focuses on the SWANA and South Asian communities. For details of upcoming nights, follow @hungama_ldn.
