Inside Elrow, the Party Taking Over the World from Confetti Cannons to Inﬂatable Spaceships, This World-Travelling Carnival Is a Must-See

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Inside Elrow, The Party Taking Over The World From confetti cannons to inﬂatable spaceships, this world-travelling carnival is a must-see.

BY LOUISE DONOVAN 06/12/2018

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Little green men sprint past me. A group of apes with toy guns parade onto the stage and start dancing. Moments later, astronauts with oversized bubble helmets rise up and start swinging from the ceiling on circus hoops. Giant confetti cannons explode without warning, while house music reverberates around the 5,000-strong capacity venue.

I'm in Ibiza, at Elrow's closing party in superclub Amnesia. Whacky, explosive and filled with lots of balloons, their USP is immersive clubbing. This particular party? It's called RowAttacks and takes place in the year 3135 when all the other planets have disappeared. The galaxy and all space creatures 'died of boredom' after being 'killed off by the evil Planet Sensible.' Luckily, 'the wildest party animals from every planet survived.'

ANDREI OPRESCU

Sounds mad, sure, but that's just tonight. Other themed parties included 'Psychedelic Trip' and Brazilian jungle carnivals. You might find yourself dancing next to a stormtrooper, or in front of lots of oversized space ships.

What started as a jamboree on the outskirts of Barcelona has now expanded into a world-travelling carnival. In just two years, Elrow have gone from just Spain to hosting parties in Johannesburg, Australia Sao Paulo and Peru. They've expanded to five continents; next year they'll be doing 14 shows in China.

In the UK, clubs have been shutting at an alarming rate (the numbers halved between 2005 and 2015). Hackney council in London, for example, introduced a midnight curfew in one of the city's top nightlife spots. On top of that, young people simply don't get as smashed anymore. View this post on Instagram

¿Qué sentiste cuando viniste a elrow por primera vez? / What did you feel when you first came to elrow?

A post shared by elrow (@elrowofficial) on Oct 10, 2018 at 6:55am PDT

Yet here's the thing: Elrow regularly sells out 2,000, 4,000 or 6,000-capacity event spaces within a matter of hours. Where other clubs struggle to make ends meet, Elrow is thriving.

Its founders – the Arnau family – are a dynasty of party organisers. The family's roots can be traced back to their ancestors in 1870s northern Spain, who ran a social club popular amongst the local traders and gamblers. From music halls to electro clubs, six generations of Arnau's have thrown parties. Today, Juan Arnau Jr, the brand’s CEO,

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along with his sister Cruz, is behind Elrow. Originally named 'El Row' after the venue for the first party, it started as a Sunday party for his friends in 2010 in Barcelona.

Over a decade later, the brand is one of fastest-growing – and popular – parties in the world. Their headquarters are located in Barcelona but the company also has storage rooms in New York and China. It employs more than 100 people, will turn over more than £18m and by the end of this year will have thrown 131 parties.

So, what truly makes an Elrow show?

View this post on Instagram

elrow Dublin - After two days of dancing non-stop, we can only say that it has been a pleasure to do it with all of you. This is not going to be forgotten!! #elrowdublin #elrow

A post shared by elrow (@elrowofficial) on Nov 18, 2018 at 6:05am PST 'It is 25% music, 25% the performers, 25% the decoration and 25% the crowd,' Juanito told the Independent.

No two party is ever the same. Mainly because Elrow promises a new theme at every 'show', in every city. Plus, you're paying for the performance; an over-the-top, but accessible party. An extravagant tangle of performers seemingly stream in from nowhere, soaking up your attention for what feels like hours on end. You're too busy staring at the spectacle – the props and wacky games – to notice, well, anything else – not least the DJ.

Tickets cost (roughly) £40 – cheap when you consider you'll be forking out £50 upwards for most super clubs in Ibiza. With Elrow, however, you get both: incredible lineups (Joris Voorn and Claptone, for example, played Amnesia) and immersive entertainment (stilts, inflatable toys and jaw-dropping decorations). It's looks great, too. Big-budget club nights for the Instagram generation.

ANDREI OPRESCU

According to creative director Jo Vidler, Elrow continues to grow because the team is constantly evolving the show and production.

When creating an event, Vidler says she begins with the concept for each party before deciding how exactly that will play out, such as ball pits or astronauts hanging off hoops.

Up to 500 people work on the shows, plus 150 to 200 characters are employed to act for each theme. For those worried about the sustainability of all that confetti, the company produces all materials in-house and reuses everything by innovating pre-exisiting themes.

It truly is a family affair. According to Arnau, a member of the family or company is present at every show. Whether it's colourful creations or veteran DJs, Elrow isn't just any club - it's a fantastical world in which to escape reality. Their motto isn't too far from the truth: 'Together we make magic happen.'

Elrow have upcoming parties at Studio 338 in London (28-30th December) and The Warehouse Project in Manchester. More details here.

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