Pogo
This story is part of our fall 2025 series, Offline, where we investigate IRL spaces and explore our relationships with music and the internet.
The club is not immune to the evils of the algorithm. Promoters spend weeks pushing their events online against an increasing tide of slop while letting go on the dance floor is increasingly difficult when you can become a meme for simply existing. But at its best, the club offers a sanctuary away from doomscrolling and that dreaded feeling of opening an app you closed just seconds before.
With that in mind, here are a selection of parties offering the most forward-thinking music and attitudes towards building community IRL being thrown across the globe. From amapiano events in South Africa to the queer rave scene in Tokyo via sounds from the Black diaspora in London and New York, these are the events making music feel three-dimensional in every major city we could think of — so not going out is no longer an option.
Ponyboy
Where: Glasgow, Scotland
What: Named after the SOPHIE song and with its origins in a queer-friendly hair salon, Ponyboy in Glasgow, Scotland, is about “building increasingly bold, theatrical worlds and fantasies that evolve with every event. Each night tells its own story, often feeling more like a piece of theatre or a fashion show than a traditional club night,” according to its promoters. Performance is at the heart of the party series, whether that’s the artists and DJs they book or the Club-Kid aesthetic its regular attendees tap into for their unforgettable looks.
Offering a space for the trans and queer community to party and explore their identities, Ponyboy’s inaugural event featured 16 cast members exploring “the internet age as predicted by Mugler in 1995,” according to promoter Dill. And their gospel is spreading: Ponyboy was the natural choice to host one of FKA Twigs’ EUSEXUA raves earlier this year.
How to attend: Their next event is Ponyboy Halloween on, naturally, October 31. Otherwise, keep up with their schedule on Instagram.
Touching Bass
Where: London, U.K.
What: Speaking to The FADER, Touching Bass founders Errol and Alex Rita described “not experiencing enough musical spaces where Black music, in all its vastness, could move bodies at peak time” for their generation. The overwhelming reaction to playing D’Angelo’s “Spanish Joint” at around 1 a.m. on the first night left them convinced that other people wanted it too. Touching Bass consider themselves to be more than a party: a London-based club night, NTS Radio staple show, award-nominated record label, concert series (most recently in collaboration with The Barbican), and curatorial studio.
Since launching in 2016, the Touching Bass founders have toured internationally (most recently with their toddler in tow) and shared the stage with the likes of Theo Parrish, Josey Rebelle, Erykah Badu. Their 2022 compilation Soon Come included contributions from musicians including keiyaA and Nala Sinephro. In celebration of their cultural roots, they’ve hosted an all-ages, Notting Hill Carnival-warm up for the past five years; featuring local Caribbean food vendors, dedicated children areas and appearances by Skiifall, Wayne Wonder and Greentea Peng.
How to attend: On November 7, Touching Bass will host a night honoring the American painter Kerry James Marshall. Follow their Instagram for future events.
Pogo
Uffie at Pogo
Where: Madrid, Spain
What: Pogo promises to bring a “new, united, healthy, and diverse scene” to Madrid by tapping into 2000s nostalgia and dragging Gen Zs offline and into the club.
“We got to a point where partying in Madrid started to feel too expensive, boring, and like something was missing,” says promoter Ade Martin, who was a member of the indie rock band Hinds prior to starting Pogo. “At the same time we realized the younger generations were not partying and staying at home not because they wanted to, but because they had nowhere to go that was fun and accessible.” With everyone needing a place to let loose, Pogo was born in late 2024. Among those to grace the party so far include Uffie and Taylor Skye of Jockstrap, as well as London duo Fcukers.
How to attend: Pogo will throw a Halloween bash with musician Mietze Conte on October 31. Keep up with their events on Instagram.
