Ministry of Sound Details...

Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6DP. 

Ministry was ranked sixth in the 2009 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2009. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt. The Ministry of Sound brand also includes various other products such as dance music compilations and clothing. Ministry of Sound is owned by MSHK Group Limited, which has offices in London, Sydney, Berlin and New York.

One of the most famous and certainly one of the best, Ministry of Sound still cuts it up like no one else and is never short of a top class act to mix your night up.

The Venue

Located in a disused bus depot, the venue was initially chosen to deliver a warehouse feel, reminiscent of early '90s dance scene. From the outside, it's a massive concrete structure with the only the pounding bass seeping through the walls to hint at what awaits within.

With three rooms to choose from, Ministry of Sound has managed to keep that awesome warehouse feel, matched perfectly with a touch of glamour. The main bar is the best place to stock up on drink or rest those weary feet with raised sofas at the rear. A long metallic balcony stretches across the ceiling, offering a perfect vantage point for people-watching and, if you’re glam enough, access to the VIP area.

The Baby Box packs a punch for its size: doused in disco balls and an array of lights, it always offers a cracking atmosphere, but it's The Box where all the action really happens. One of the best sound systems, minimal decor, and outrageous lighting ensures this room epitomises the dance scene that’s made Ministry famous. All the big names have played this room and it's easy to see why they keep coming back for more.

The Atmosphere

From the hairs on the back of your neck to the soles of your feet when you leave, every inch of your body feels The Ministry of Sound experience. The punters just want to dance all night and only the best DJs make the Ministry grade, so every night is set to be a good one. The only let down is the queuing outside, but then this is pretty standard wherever you go.

The Music

It’s urban on Fridays and house on Saturdays - pick your poison and the club will do the rest. With the likes of Pete Tong, EZ and Roger Sanchez at the helm, it's a fairly high pedigree in the booth - all you have to do is check out the listings and attend the right night for your taste.

The Last Word

It’s easy to see why Ministry of Sound survives where others have fallen. World class talent, a venue in a league of its own, and a certain je ne ces quois makes this club a true superclub.

Club Night Review...

Lost in a commercial wilderness for much of the early noughties, the Ministry of Sound has since enjoyed a credibility restoration that is little short of a miracle.

Still commercially savvy, Saturdays might feature the populist electro-house of Toolroom, Pete Tong's Wonderland and house bastion Defected but equally showcase nights like Renaissance, Steve Lawler's Viva, Sander Kleinenberg's This Is…, Global Underground and the techno purism of Derrick May's Hi-Tek-Soul. Even underground party fiends secretsundaze used the Ministry's courtyard for a series of al fresco shindigs last summer, meaning DJs like Argy and Dixon played the legendary venue.

Fridays, meanwhile, have been bolstered by the acquisition of the longest running weekly in London - The Gallery - as DJs like Paul van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren and Timo Maas cause weekly roadblocks.

Of course, one thing that has never been in question is the layout of Ministry's main room - the famous Box - and the quality of both the soundsystem and production in there. An engulfing chasm of sound and light, shot by two multi-coloured Martin RGB 1.6 lasers, DJs ranging from Tim Sheridan and Steve Lawler to Pete Tong and Mark Knight agree it one of the best systems on the planet.

"The Ministry of Sound is like the Old Trafford of main rooms, it's the venue that all DJs aspire to play," believes Mark Knight, whose recent Toolroom Knights party had to turn away nearly 800 clubbers. "Everything about the venue is right - the sound, the lights, the vibe. In my opinion is has the best soundsystem in the world and allows me to play certain records that only really translate there because of the sound dynamics."

Again standing tall as one of the globe's clubbing standard bearers, the Ministry of Sound remains one of the few reasons you should ever step foot into London's Elephant & Castle area. If only because it provides such a consuming escape from the outside world around it.