London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

‘It’s unreal’: London clubbers see in ‘freedom day’ at Fabric reopening

‘It’s unreal’: London clubbers see in ‘freedom day’ at Fabric reopening

As nightclubs and venues in England reopen without restrictions, revellers celebrated with elation and a little caution

As Sunday night turned into Monday morning, the London nightclub Fabric threw open its doors for a night of clubbing unlike any seen at the venue since March 2020.

Billed as “an immersive world of artistry, expressiveness and innovations”, the underground electronic music night at the Farringdon club was attended by hundreds of young ravers. At venues across England, at least a dozen similar “freedom day” club nights, leading to scenes of stuffed clubs and scores of people queueing outside venue.

“I keep thinking ‘is this illegal?’”, said Jake Jeffery, 24, a recent film and TV graduate from the University of Nottingham.

“This is our first time inside a club in ages. You could have a night out sat down with a DJ but indoors, proper clubbing, it feels really strange.”

Jake was one of many who said he “wasn’t afraid” of getting Covid or passing it on to others. But Covid was a concern for some.

“It’s a gamble,” said Josh Lee, a 25-year-old UCL student from Singapore, attending the event. Lee had twice tested negative for Covid-19 the day before. But leaning over the staffed “dedicated water bar”, he expressed anxiety about “the hygiene” of the glasses of water being left out for people to take.

“The government’s spent so much money on propping up the economy that they can’t afford for nightclubs and hospitality to be closed any longer,” he said.

If cases did rise over the next few weeks, Lee said, it would be “unfair” to place too much blame at the clubs’ doors (“everyone shut their mouth about Covid during the Euros”) and that while he would be taking precautions he expected most would not be. “If the government gives it the green light, then the majority of people will take that as permission to do what they want,” he said.

At no point were clubbers asked to present proof that they had tested negative and vaccination passports were not required. Government guidance encourages use of the NHS contact app but it will not be a legal requirement, and the same goes for showing proof of being vaccinated.

Those queueing were told that if they could produce evidence of a negative Covid test taken in the last 48 hours then they were eligible for the “VIP queue” 50 metres up the street. Would the test need to be PCR or would a lateral flow suffice? No one was quite sure. To the obvious irritation of many, being fully vaccinated would not grant you the same privilege.

Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie said the government’s guidance for nightclubs just added a huge layer of operational confusion.

“We had in the region of 900 there last night … Operators feel in an impossible position trying to implement and communicate effectively. Nonetheless, we’re very pleased with how this early event went as a prequel to our big reopening this weekend.”

Clubbers inside Fac 51 nightclub in Manchester after midnight.


However, most in the red glow of the underground cavern seemed to be unaware of safety concerns. “It’s unreal to be honest,” shouted Katy Jebson, 19, from Greenwich over the music. “I’ve not been clubbing for a year and a half.”

Dylan Talfe was out clubbing for the first time at Fabric after turning 19 last week. He said he was enjoying spending the night “mainly in the techno room” after spending most of his first year as an adult “sitting around outside”.

“To a degree it felt like my life was on hold … it’s great to be out dancing and feeling free.”

Robert, 25, moved to London from Germany last August to work as a teacher for the year but said he couldn’t leave the city without attending at least one night at Fabric. “I’m overwhelmed by how many people there are here,” he said. “It’s a bit risky being so carefree with no restrictions, but we’ll have to see what happens inside.”

He added: “There’s this apprehension. It feels like the first day of school.”

In the smoking area, student Beth, 24, said she was “so emotional” as she had not been back since her 18th birthday (the reopening event is only for those aged 19 and over). Standing next to her is Lois, 22, a graphic designer. They met at a rave three years ago but hadn’t seen each other since.

“It’s bare weird,” says Beth. “It feels like I forgot how to dance. But it’s coming back.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×