Ah, IKEA: a window-less haven packed with the finest Swedish flat-pack furniture mass production has to offer. Whether you go for the meatballs or the free pencils, the badly illustrated DIY instruction manuals or the endless aisles of plastic decor, there’s a reason the chain is so universally loved by many. Now, a disused IKEA in London’s Tottenham is getting a makeover – and is slated to become the city’s next large-capacity club.
Headed by the same team behind the recently shuttered Printworks, the 608,000 sq ft building will be transformed into Drumsheds, a 15,000-capacity events space, showcasing “a carefully curated programme of music, arts, culture and community”. It will be one of the largest indoor venues in the city, surpassing the likes of 10,250-capacity Alexandra Palace and 12,500-capacity Wembley Arena.
“Guests will be able to see the old lift shafts, loading bays, sprawling floors and machinery as they transition through the impressive space,” said Broadwick, the company behind Printworks.
“We want Drumsheds, like all the spaces we create, to be new centres of cultural gravity that provide the basis for human connection. A connection that people crave now more than ever,” added the company’s director of strategy, Simeon Aldred.
Printworks closed back in April amid plans by Southwark Council to redevelop the area, despite a 10,000-strong change.org petition calling for plans to be scrapped. Although Broadwick intends to reopen the space in 2026, there are yet to be any concrete plans set in place.
Join Dazed Club and be part of our world! You get exclusive access to events, parties, festivals and our editors, as well as a free subscription to Dazed for a year. Join for £5/month today.
