FOLD

FOLD is a nightclub and multi-disciplinary arts venue on Stephenson Street in Canning Town, east London. Housed in a former print factory on an industrial estate between Canning Town and Star Lane, it has a two-room, roughly 600 to 900 capacity dancefloor (depending on configuration) and operates on a 24-hour licence, making it one of only a handful of venues in the capital able to run round-the-clock events.

The club opened on 18 August 2018, founded by Seb Glover, previously of the Hackney Wick venue Shapes, and DJ-producer Lasha Jorjoliani, who performs as Voicedrone. It was conceived partly as a response to the closure of established London nightlife spaces and the licensing pressures facing the city's club scene at the time. The venue's design is deliberately stripped back and industrial, with a dark, no-frills main room, a DJ booth set at floor level rather than on a raised stage, and steel scaffolding used for dancer platforms rather than elevated DJ positions, a layout intended to put the emphasis on the crowd rather than the performer. FOLD also enforces a strict no-photography policy on the dancefloor, aimed at keeping patrons present in the moment and supporting a more open, uninhibited atmosphere.

Musically, FOLD built its reputation on underground techno, electro and rave, though its programming has broadened over the years to take in house, drum & bass, jungle and other strands of electronic music. Long-running nights associated with the venue include the in-house Sunday session UNFOLD, drum & bass night Rupture, and Boudica, a queer- and women-led event series and conference founded in 2019 that holds a residency there. The club has hosted sets from drum & bass figures such as Goldie, Skream and Benga, alongside visiting international DJs and label showcases, and it also runs FUTUR.SHOCK, a programme of visual art, experimental music and talks that sits alongside the clubbing side of the venue.

FOLD has positioned itself within London's club culture as an artist-led, community-driven space with a visible queer-positive and safer-space ethos, supported by a dedicated welfare team. Alongside its public events, it houses affordable studio space for local musicians, DJs and artists, and supports emerging talent through resident DJ slots, live streams and mentorship schemes. As of the latest information, FOLD remains open and operating in Canning Town, continuing to host extended, marathon-length sessions and a rotating programme of techno-focused club nights.