The Arch Brighton releases exciting summer lineup ft. Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex...

The historic coastal music venue will reopen its doors to the public this June, showing off its all-new makeover in addition to boasting a stellar lineup of upcoming summer events

Skiddle Staff

Date published: 28th May 2021

Following what might have been the bleakest of periods in the long history of one of the UK's most iconic live music venues, Brighton's The Arch is finally readying itself to open to the public once again this year, with a snazzy new refurbished look and a huge summer season of shows to boot.

A space that has defined clubbing on the South Coast for decades, The Arch first opened back in 1984. Championing an always underground sound, the venue has attracted a serious and loyal music-loving crowd over its many years. Previous incarnations as The Zap Club, Digital and Coliseum have seen influential acts like Chemical Brothers, Sonic Youth, Moby, Paul Weller and DJs Harvey, Sven Vath, Laurent Garnier and countless more performing to huge audiences. The club has also been a blueprint-setting location for LGBTQ+ nights such as Club Bent and Club Shame as well as many more.

Announcing its grand reopening on Saturday 26th June, after what must have seemed like a lifetime to music fans in the popular coastal city, the celebrated nightspot will welcome eager dance floor revellers to take in the venues recent renovations, carried out whilst the nation was in lockdown last year.

Including the construction of two new archways, the installation of two hefty Funktion-One sound systems, an upgrade to more immersive lighting, some new LED screens, a 4D laser show, CO2 canons..., the new makeover has completely revitalised the landmark venue, as explained by Damien Fell, Head of Music at The Arch:

"Rather than resting on our laurels (throughout lockdown), we decided to give this historic Brighton venue a new lease of life and committed to a big refurbishment. The last year has been extremely challenging; to keep the business alive we built a takeaway bar from the venue's fire exit and dug in to get the job done. The Arch is looking the best it ever has and I can only sit here in awe of the work that has been done by the team."

Image credit: The Arch Brighton (Facebook)

Speaking candidly about The Arch, Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim also added:

"The music community in Brighton is close to my heart; it’s where I live and I’ve been a part of it for decades. The Arch is also part of that and they’ve put Brighton's nightlife scene at the centre of the UK underground movement for several years now. It's been a struggle for them during the pandemic and it's great to see them refurbishing the space. The club is part of Brighton's musical heritage (I can remember the heady days when it was Zap Club!) and the team at The Arch are preserving that for future generations. I really hope to play there again this summer!"

Alongside the refurbishment, The Arch team have also launched their very own festival, 'Life in the Park', a run of eight special shows which will welcome 2,000 people to party on the grounds of Brighton's Rugby Club to the sounds of Orbital, Denis Sulta, Nightmares on Wax, David Rodigan and more.

Adding to the forthcoming celebrations, The Arch's unparalleled calendar of events is also set to resume this June, with a sensational lineup of summer shows confirmed to take place. Breaking in the newly refurbished space, skilful selector and globally admired producer Jamie Jones will headline the 'Otherworld' reopening party, alongside respected DJs Prok|Fitch, Denney, Joseph Edmund and Summer Ghemati. Dates to follow throughout June, July, August and September will also welcome huge performances from the likes of Skream, Maceo Plex, Mark Knight, Shanti Celeste, Riva Starr, Fleur Shore and many, many more.