Kellys Lush! nightclub to close

Lush! will continue as a touring events company

The Lush! nightclub at Kellys in Portrush is to close after more than 25 years of drawing revellers from across Northern Ireland.

The venue regularly hosted internationally renowned DJs such as Fatboy Slim and Tiesto.

The owner of Kellys said they were responding to an "ever-changing nightclub culture, not to mention a global pandemic".

Peter Wilson said last year had been "extremely difficult" for the industry.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic had sped up plans which were in place beforehand and "changing times have brought about new trends".

"The nightclub business model simply isn't sustainable in its current format," he said.

"The market has changed, demand is still there, but not as we knew it."

The Kellys owner said the essence of Lush! was about much more than bricks and mortar

As part of the move, the Kellys complex will undergo an investment programme to transform the complex into a "world-class family-entertainment and holiday park".

Mr Wilson said the essence of Lush! was about much more than bricks and mortar, and the nightclub would "go on the road".

Lush! will continue as a touring events company, with a number of concerts already planned across Northern Ireland.

The Kellys owner said it had seen the popularity of its touring events increase over the past five years, and that its Lush! Classical at the SSE Arena in October had already sold out to a crowd of 10,000 people.

'Magical'

Speaking on BBC's Evening Extra programme, one of the co-founders of the club, Col Hamilton, said it was a sad day but he had been left with "amazing memories".

"Lush! has been at the forefront of the clubbing in Ireland," he told the programme.

"I've been to dozens of weddings of people who've met each other in Lush! and ended up married with kids. I'm proud of what we achieved and did for the club scene in Ireland.

"You can't stand still or you get left behind so you have to adapt to the times."

Global superstar DJ Seb Fontaine, who has been playing at Lush! for over 25 years, said "Lush! was the beginning of so many people's journeys".

"Lush! has booked some of the greatest talent in the world in this beautiful, picturesque corner of NI and everyone used to descend on the place and to describe it in any other way than magical wouldn't do it justice," he added.