Max HeyraudHere’s our guide: 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Irish Club Culture in 2026.
Everyone is dusting off their dreaded New Year’s resolutions at this time of year, including dry Januarys, kale smoothies, and gym memberships. We’re avoiding all that bollix in favour of concentrating on what matters most: how to improve Irish club culture in 2026.
More Trust in Local Headliners
Relying on international headliners every weekend is no longer sustainable: financially, environmentally or culturally. Ireland has already shown it can develop artists into genuine headliners, with recent examples like DART, Tommy Holohan, Yasmin Gardezi and KETTAMA proving that local progression works. Another generation is ready, but advancement depends on trust from clubs, promoters and festivals. Prioritising local artists strengthens the entire ecosystem, creating a feedback loop where scenes support themselves rather than outsourcing momentum.
Rethink Our Relationship With BPM’s
BPM has become a blunt metric for intensity. The post-pandemic rise of hard, fast sounds pushed tempos upward, and conversation followed suit. DJs now discuss numbers more than feelings. But BPM alone says very little. Energy, tension, release and pacing shape a dancefloor far more than the numbers on the CDJs. Two tracks at the same tempo can feel worlds apart. Moving the conversation away from BPM and toward flow and atmosphere would lead to better sets and healthier standards in 2026.
Fewer Token Female Bookings
Progress has been made, but tokenism persists. Too often, women are booked to tick a box, opening slots or one-off appearances that protect promoters from criticism rather than spotlight real talent. As Niamh Elliot Sheridan wrote in 2021 for Four Four: “Having an all-female lineup for the purpose of a token gesture removes the merit. Having no women suggests there is no merit at all.” In 2026, representation should be real, not symbolic.
Support Communities, Not Brands
Club culture has increasingly adopted the language of branding. Artists, collectives and parties are often treated as marketable identities rather than cultural contributors. As a result, people travel to support brands while overlooking scenes in their own cities and towns. Branding prioritises scale and profit; communities prioritise sound, risk and continuity. When branding overtakes curation, dance music becomes diluted. Strong scenes are built by supporting local parties, venues and people, not logos.
Darker, Smokier Dancefloors
Dancefloors have become brighter, flashier and more performative, shaped by how they appear on social media. While this suits some settings, it shouldn’t be the default. Dark, smoky rooms create anonymity, immersion and freedom. Spaces where people can disappear into the crowd and focus on the music. Darkness has always been central to club culture. Reclaiming it shifts the emphasis back to collective experience rather than constant visibility.
Make the Soundsystem the Headliner
A great DJ can’t overcome a bad soundsystem. Yet sound quality is still treated as secondary in many Irish venues, sometimes without even a dedicated sound engineer. Club culture is rooted in sound system tradition — physical, immersive and intentional. When sound is done properly, it transforms how DJs play and how dancers respond. Investing in sound is essential and not optional.
Pay Local DJs Fairly
The gap between what local DJs are paid and what events or headline acts generate is often stark. While not every party is profitable, underpaying locals has become normalised. DJs aren’t paid just for their time behind the decks, but for years of digging, music purchases, practice and artistic development. Fair pay signals respect, and respect is essential for a scene that wants to sustain itself.
Club Nights Should Be Working Together
For a small country, Ireland runs a huge number of club nights, often without enough venues to support them. The result is frequent clashes: double bookings, overlapping lineups and similar artists playing competing parties on the same weekends. Much of this comes down to poor communication between promoters. Irish scenes often rely on a relatively small but committed crowd, and when parties compete unnecessarily, everyone loses. A little planning goes a long way.
More Focus on Regional Scenes, Not Just Cities
Irish club culture doesn’t begin and end in Dublin or Belfast. Some of the most vital scenes have always existed beyond the cities. Places like Sligo, Carlow, Louth, Westmeath, Roscommon and Derry have long supported tight-knit micro-scenes where experimentation thrives, and communities actually stick around. These environments often foster deeper connections than larger urban circuits. A healthy national scene needs regional infrastructure to survive. Supporting local venues and promoters across the island creates stronger artists, better crowds and a more resilient club culture overall.
Use Your Voice for Better Nightlife in Your Local Area
The fight for more clubs, longer hours, and a more open approach to late-night culture is ongoing. Clubs continue to close, while governments do little to protect these vital spaces, places where communities gather, share ideas, and, most importantly, dance. Groups like Give Us the Night & Free The Night have been at the forefront of this fight, but everyone can get involved. Reach out to local councillors and TDs. Ask why Ireland still has some of the earliest and most conservative closing times in Europe. Push for updates to legislation like the Sale of Alcohol Bill. Use your voice. Irish club culture is worth fighting for. Governments may hope we give up, but this is our future, and it’s worth defending.
