The History of the World's Greatest Nightclubs

When WOMB opened in 2000, Japan’s nightlife scene was still in its infancy with a strict ban on dancing after midnight that made it almost impossible to run a regular nightclub. But over the past two decades, the revolutionary club has transformed the way people in Tokyo party. This is the story of how the club went from an idea born on the dancefloors of New York into one of Japan’s most famous nightclubs. How a club that’s been open for over 20 years, became a hotspot for international DJs and found a way to uplift local talent and survive through the pandemic.  

Fela Kuti was a musician and activist who pioneered the jazzy, uniquely West African genre of Afrobeat. His musical testing ground, political pulpit and spiritual home was a nightclub he created in Lagos, The Afrika Shrine. A venue at the heart of his community that would welcome legends, be burnt to the ground by the military, set the stage for some of his greatest performances, and inspire some of his most legendary songs. 

Ibiza is no ordinary island and Space was no ordinary club. The open-air party which lasted 22 hours every day, revolutionized the international clubbing scene and transformed the people who flocked to its dance floor every summer. Space was the blueprint for all-day outdoor Terrace parties, became one of the most awarded clubs in history, and helped to establish Ibiza as a global party hot spot

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a new counter-culture emerged as the city came together to form a new identity. That cultural shift inspired the birth of Berghain, an iconic but ultra-private techno hotspot and sex club. Berghain ushered in a new era of hedonism, excess, and freeing secrecy that gave the city’s queer community a space to release their inhibitions and establish Berlin’s place as a party capital.

New York was the epicenter of the 90s Hip Hop Renaissance and Funk Master Flex’s legendary Sunday night parties at The Tunnel, gave Hip Hop fans a home. From the phenomenal performances it hosted to the iconic songs it premiered, each night at The Tunnel was filled with cinematic scenes starring hip-hop royalty, making the club a vital cultural touchstone in the legendary 50-year history of Hip Hop.