FOLD

FOLD is a club and creative space in Canning Town, East London. Founded by The Shapes Collective, it was established by artists, DJs and party organisers associated with Hackney venue The Glove That Fits; Seb Glover and Lasha Jorjoliani are also named as founders. The club opened on 18 August 2018 in a former printing factory on Stephenson Street, above a working print shop near Star Lane. Its location is non-residential, and the former factory’s construction provides sound insulation.

FOLD has two rooms with a combined capacity of 900, including a main dancefloor with room for 600. The main room’s Funktion-One system is rated at 110 dB, with low-frequency response down to 32 Hz, and the venue has a 24-hour dancefloor and licence. Its early layout had one main room and a bar, alongside a no-photography policy. The club books techno and rave, with line-ups featuring Goldie, DJ Flight, Cesco and Amy Kisnorbo.

Its Sunday series UNFOLD moves the DJ decks to the centre of the dancefloor; the daytime sessions often feature local artists, sometimes without announced line-ups. FOLD also runs FUTUR.SHOCK, a programme combining visual art, experimental music and talks. The club’s opening was marked by a 24-hour event involving London underground parties and collectives. Its licence was suspended in November 2019 and later reinstated, allowing it to reopen.