The Arches: Nightclub to open in Glasgow venue after eight years

A nightclub will open in The Arches for the first time in eight years since the renowned venue lost its late licence.

It went into administration in 2015 after a midnight closing time was imposed by Glasgow's licensing board.

The move was prompted by police complaints about drug abuse and disorder.

Organisers said nine club nights would run from 21 October and include sets from big-name DJs, with line-ups announced on Tuesday.

Tom Ketley, founder of events organiser Watchtower, told BBC Scotland the project was designed to give Glasgow back "one of its sleeping giants".

He hinted that some of the acts were Scottish and had played the venue before.

Tom Ketley is founder of Watchtower - the event organisers that will jointly bring the club nights to The Arches

He said: "This project is of huge cultural significance for music in Glasgow, Scotland and beyond. Seeing the unfortunate closure of numerous venues in recent years has been hard on the industry.

"The venue's history is renowned, and it holds a special place in people's hearts, so we know that today's news will mean so much to so many.

"Glasgow is legendary for having one of the best crowds in the world and our aim is to champion that by attracting dance music fans from all over the UK and beyond."

Located under Glasgow Central Station, The Arches was set up by Andy Arnold in 1991 and was named after the red brick Victorian railway arches.

It was known as a "powerhouse" of the electronic music scene and was said to have nurtured Scottish acts who later achieved international fame.

The Arches was named after the red brick Victorian railway arches

Platform took over the The Arches as a bar, restaurant and events space

Cultural figures who protested the loss of the club's licence said it was widely regarded by leading professionals as "one of the best venues in the world".

The new club events will be called the New World series and are a collaboration between Watchtower and Platform - who took over The Arches as a bar, restaurant and events space.

In 2014, The Arches raised its minimum age for admission to 21 after the suspected drug-related death of a teenager.

However the over 18's policy was later reinstated.

In the space of a month the following year, a woman was found unconscious in the venue and police officers recorded 26 drug and alcohol-related incidents.

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• Police seek Arches nightclub closure

• Club raises age limit after death

This led to the city council "varying" the licence, meaning the troubled venue could no longer stay open until 03:00 and had to close by midnight.

Tens of thousands signed a petition to reinstate the licence, which was backed by 400 cultural figures including Makar Liz Lochhead, novelist Irvine Welsh and members of Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand.

Management later said they had no choice but to go into administration.

Platform then opened in July 2020 as a 350-capacity restaurant and bar.