Quick Info at a Glance
Venue: Metropolis Night Club London
Address: 234 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9NN
Area: East London (Hackney / Bethnal Green)
Nearest Station: Cambridge Heath (Overground)
Established as Metropolis: 1991 (building dates back to 1861)
Club Nights: Every Saturday, 10 PM – 4 AM
Strip Club: Tuesday to Friday, 9 PM till late
Total Floors: 5 floors
Total Capacity: Approx. 560 guests across all spaces
Music: House, Tech House, UK Garage, R&B, Disco, Dancehall
Age Requirement: 18+ with valid ID
Website: metropolisclub.co.uk
So, What Even Is Metropolis Night Club?
Okay so if you have never been to Metropolis in East London, you are genuinely missing out on one of the most fun and different club nights the city has to offer. This place is not your average night out. It is not some fancy Mayfair club where you have to spend a fortune just to get through the door, and it is not some big anonymous warehouse either. Metropolis is kind of its own thing — and that is exactly why people love it so much.
Check hidden night club of London
The club sits on Cambridge Heath Road in Bethnal Green, which is right in the heart of East London. You probably walk past it and think it looks like any other building on the street. But step inside on a Saturday night and it is a completely different world — five floors, multiple dancefloors, a rooftop bar, a hidden beach room with actual real sand, and a crowd that is honestly one of the most mixed and welcoming you will find anywhere in London.
Every Saturday night the whole place runs its signature event called ‘Escape to Metropolis’ — house music, tech house, UK garage and R&B from 10 PM all the way through to 4 AM. It is the kind of night where you lose track of time because you are just genuinely having a great time. And unlike a lot of London clubs, the vibe here is unpretentious. Nobody is standing around trying to look cool. People are actually dancing, actually laughing, actually enjoying themselves.
The venue has also been around a long time. It has been called Metropolis since 1991, which means it has survived decades of London nightlife — no small thing in a city where clubs open and close all the time. Before it became Metropolis, the building was a pub called The Arabian Arms, first opened way back in 1861. So the walls of this place have seen a lot of London history, and there is something genuinely cool about that.
What Does the Place Look Like? The Five Floors Explained
One of the things that makes Metropolis so different from your average London club is the layout. Most clubs are basically one room with a bar and a dancefloor. Metropolis has five completely different floors, each with its own vibe and its own atmosphere. So even if you are not feeling the music on one floor, you just head upstairs or downstairs and you are in a totally different world.
Let’s walk you through each one.
The Main Room
This is where the main action happens on a Saturday night. The main room holds around 250 people and this is where you will find the headlining DJs playing house, tech house, and UK garage. The sound system is seriously good — this is not the kind of setup where you have to shout in someone’s ear to have a conversation. The music hits properly. The lighting is done well too, with a good production setup that makes the whole place feel energetic without being overwhelming. If you are coming to Metropolis for the music, this is your room.
The Basement
Head downstairs and you find The Basement, which fits around 120 people. This is where things get a bit more underground. The atmosphere down here is darker, more intimate, more focused on the music. It has a full DJ booth setup, club lighting, dance podiums, poles, and booth seating around the edges. For people who want to dance properly and really get into the music without any distractions, The Basement is often the favourite room of the night.
The Beach Bar — Yes, an Actual Beach
Okay so this is the one that surprises everyone the first time they visit. One of the floors at Metropolis is literally a beach bar. Not themed-like-a-beach. An actual beach, with around five to ten tonnes of real sand covering the floor. There are beach chairs, a bar, and DJs playing dancehall, bashment, and carnival tunes. The whole thing feels completely mad in the best possible way.
You are in East London at one in the morning standing on actual sand while dancehall music plays. It is the kind of thing you have to experience to fully appreciate, and it holds around 80 to 90 people. This room has quickly become one of the most popular spaces in the whole venue, and honestly you can completely understand why.
The Rooftop Terrace
When the weather is decent — and sometimes even when it is not — the rooftop at Metropolis is one of the best spots in all of East London. Open air, with its own private bar, the rooftop holds around 100 people and gives you views over the surrounding area. If you need a break from dancing and want some fresh air and a drink, this is where you go. On warm summer nights it gets absolutely packed up here, and the energy is fantastic. Even on a chilly night, there is something really special about being up on a rooftop in London with music drifting up from the floors below.
The Balcony
The balcony is a slightly more private space that works brilliantly if you are coming in a big group and want your own area where you can still feel part of the main event. It seats around 45 people and gives you a great view of what is happening on the floor below. It is also available for private hire if you want to do a birthday or a special occasion in a more exclusive setup.
The Music — What Are You Actually Going to Hear?
Music is obviously the main reason people come to Metropolis, and the venue takes its programming seriously. The headline event every Saturday is called Escape to Metropolis, and the musical focus is house, tech house, UK garage and R&B throughout the main floors. But the beach bar is doing its own thing with dancehall and bashment all night.
What is really great about Metropolis is that it brings in genuinely brilliant DJs both as residents and as guests. Over the years the club has hosted the likes of Late Night Tuff Guy, Crazy Cousinz, Kraak and Smaak, Lovebirds, Scratch Perverts, Wookie, Lovebirds, and loads of others. These are not unknown acts — these are names that people who care about dance music actually get excited about.
The club also runs special events beyond the regular Saturday night. Bank holiday weekends sometimes see Thursday and Sunday specials added to the schedule. There are day and night parties that run from the afternoon all the way through to 4 AM. Residency nights from individual DJs. One-off collaborations with promoters and music collectives. The calendar is always moving, so it is worth checking the website or their social media to see what is on before you go.
Some of the regular nights and residencies that have run at Metropolis include Truly Madly, which focuses on rare tech house, UKG and minimal sounds. Then there is On Smoke, which brings cold UKG fusions to the dance floor. The Disco Express has been a popular residency for disco lovers. And of course the core Escape to Metropolis night anchors every single Saturday without fail.
Metropolis and the LGBTQ+ Community
Something that is really worth knowing about Metropolis is that it has a long and genuine history as a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community. This is not a recent marketing decision — it goes back years, and the people who run the venue talk about it as something they are genuinely proud of and committed to maintaining.
The most visible expression of this is Harpies, which launched as the UK’s first ever LGBTQ+ strip event. Harpies runs on Friday nights and features a lineup of LGBTQ+ performers in a space that is explicitly designed to be fun, inclusive, and completely non-judgmental. It was a huge deal when it launched and it continues to attract a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd.
Even on the regular Saturday club nights, the crowd at Metropolis tends to be really diverse and mixed in the best possible way. You will find all ages, all backgrounds, all identities on the dancefloor. It is one of those places where you genuinely do not feel judged for who you are or how you dance or what you are wearing. That kind of atmosphere does not happen by accident — it is something the venue actively works to create and protect.
Getting In — How Does It All Work?
One of the genuinely good things about Metropolis compared to a lot of London clubs is that getting in is not a nightmare. It is not like trying to get into some exclusive Soho members’ club where you need to know somebody who knows somebody. Metropolis is welcoming and accessible, which is a big part of why so many people love it.
Tickets for Saturday nights are available online through Resident Advisor (ra.co) and Fever. The prices are reasonable compared to a lot of London club nights — usually somewhere in the range of £10 to £20 depending on how far in advance you buy and what event is on. Buying your ticket in advance is always a good idea because the club does fill up, especially when there is a guest DJ on that people are excited about.
Walk-ins are possible on the door but you might end up queuing, so honestly just get your ticket sorted beforehand and you will have a much smoother evening. Show up, show your ticket on your phone or printed out, and you are in. No drama, no attitude from the door staff, no nonsense.
Opening Times
The Saturday club night runs from 10 PM to 4 AM. So you have got a solid six hours of dancing if you want to make the most of it. A lot of people do not arrive until around 11 PM or midnight, which is fine — the place runs at full energy right through to closing time. There is no sense that it winds down early.
The strip club side of the venue operates Tuesday through Friday from 9 PM till late. The club night is Saturday only.
Age Requirement
You need to be 18 or over to get in and you will need to show valid ID at the door. This is strictly enforced so do not forget your ID at home — you will not get in without it, full stop.
The Dress Code
Good news — Metropolis is nowhere near as strict on dress code as some of the posher London clubs. The vibe here is more East London creative and expressive than it is Mayfair smart-casual. People come in all kinds of outfits and the atmosphere is genuinely non-judgmental about what you wear.
That said, there are a few basic rules. The venue says no hoodies and no sportswear. So leave the tracksuit at home and wear something that shows a bit of effort. Beyond that, you have a lot of freedom. People show up in everything from full-on going-out outfits to quite casual looks, and nobody gives it a second thought. The crowd at Metropolis tends to be stylish in an East London sort of way — interesting, expressive, individual — rather than in a trying-to-impress-someone way.
Basically just wear something you feel good in and that you can dance in comfortably. That is genuinely the most important thing for a night at Metropolis. You will be on your feet for hours so comfort matters as much as style.
Is It Good for a Birthday or Special Event?
Yes, honestly Metropolis is a brilliant option if you are thinking about doing a private hire for a birthday, an office party, a brand launch, or any other kind of event. The venue has done loads of these over the years including magazine launches, gigs, after-parties, and corporate functions, and the five-floor layout means there is a space to suit pretty much any size of group.
Here is a quick breakdown of the spaces available for private hire:
- The Basement: Great for private parties of 50 to 150 people. Has a full DJ booth, club lights, dance podiums, poles, and booth seating. You get the whole space to yourselves until 4 AM.
- The Beach Bar: Available for groups of 30 to 80 people. Comes with CDJs and your own private bar, plus access to the rooftop. Genuinely one of the most memorable private party settings in London.
- The Rooftop: Open-air space for up to 100 guests with its own private bar. Perfect for daytime or evening events when the weather cooperates.
- The Balcony: A more intimate private area for around 45 seated guests where you can still feel part of the main event happening downstairs.
For pricing on private hire you need to contact the venue directly as it varies depending on the date, the space, and what you need. Reach them through the website at metropolisclub.co.uk or call them on 0208 980 2917. They also do TV and film shoots, which shows just how versatile the space really is.
Why Do People Keep Coming Back?
This is the real question, right? Because London has hundreds of clubs. So why does Metropolis keep pulling people in year after year?
Honestly the answer is a combination of things that are hard to find all in one place anywhere else in the city.
First, there is the layout. Five floors with completely different vibes means you can actually tailor your night to what you feel like in the moment. If you want to dance hard to tech house, you go to the main room. If you want something more underground, you go to the basement. If you want to chill out with a drink on a beach made of real sand, you go to the beach bar. If you want fresh air, you go to the rooftop. You can float between all of these spaces throughout the night and each one feels fresh. That is rare.
Second, there is the atmosphere. Metropolis genuinely does not have a pretentious atmosphere. The crowd is mixed, welcoming, and there to have a good time rather than to be seen having a good time. This makes a massive difference to how an evening feels. You can just relax and enjoy yourself.
Third, there is the music quality. The venue books properly good DJs and the sound system does the music justice. You are not going to come here and be disappointed by the tunes.
Fourth, it is affordable by London standards. Getting into a good Saturday night here without breaking the bank is actually possible, which is something you cannot say about a lot of London club nights.
And fifth — and this might be the most important one — it is fun. That sounds obvious but a lot of clubs forget this. Metropolis feels like a place where the people who run it actually want you to enjoy yourself. The beach bar alone shows that someone had a sense of humour and a willingness to do something mad and creative with the space. That energy carries through the whole venue.
So Is It Worth Going ?
Yes. Absolutely yes. Metropolis Night Club is one of those London venues that you genuinely cannot replicate anywhere else. A Victorian building that has been partying in one form or another since 1861, now running as a five-floor nightclub with an actual beach inside it, an open-air rooftop, a proper underground basement, seriously good music, and a crowd that is genuinely there to have fun rather than perform for social media.
It is affordable, it is inclusive, it is welcoming, and it delivers a proper night out. Whether you are a die-hard house music fan who wants to spend the whole night in the basement, or you are just someone looking for a fun Saturday night with your friends where you can dance, explore different rooms, stand on an actual sandy beach while dancehall plays, and watch the sun come up on the rooftop — Metropolis has got you.
East London has a reputation for producing some of the best nightlife in the world, and Metropolis is a big part of the reason why. If you have not been, you should go. And if you have been and loved it, well — you already know everything we just said is true.
2 Responses