Blow Up

Event information

Blow Up returns to Colchester for the first time since the 1990s. Colchester was the first town to hold a Blow Up event outside of the weekly London events way back then. We look forward to the return.

Blow Up, a bona-fide legendary club night at the centre of the mid-Nineties Brit Pop explosion, cited as the catalyst and birth place of the BritPop scene, influencing the style and sound of a generation. Blow Up was voted No.4 in Time Out’s Top Ten Clubs of the 90s, described as one of ‘5 Classic Clubs of Our Time‘ by Vox Magazine (alongside The Blitz Club, Shoom, The Roxy) and as ‘The club that changed the world’ by Melody Maker. Describing Blow Up in Time Out’s London Calling book as “the breeding ground of the Brit Pop sound” and in NME’s Original’s Blow Up was listed as a Top Ten Britpop Moment. In July 2022 Time Out once again listed Blow Up as one of the greatest London clubs of the past 40 years.

Blow Up has also hosted events around the UK and internationally over the years, including across Europe, USA, Russia and Japan. Whilst the Blow Up club compilations (‘Blow Up A-Go-Go!’ and ‘Blow Up presents Exclusive Blend’) have increased the reach of Blow Up around the world..

Blow Up was founded and launched by Paul Tunkin 16th October 1993 at the upstairs function room of a Camden Town pub the Laurel Tree. After just a few months Blow Up had become the epicentre of a seismic musical and stylistic change in what was later called the Britpop scene. From its origins at the Laurel Tree, Camden Town (1993-1996) to Soho venues the Wag Club (1996-2001), the Metro Club (2002-2009, the Metro which Paul Tunkin co-ran with former Wag Club manager Alan Campbell) Blow Up maintained a weekly club event interspersed with various one-off events. Post the Metro Club’s closure Blow Up took up weekly and monthly residences in various venues including Bar Rumba, 4 Denmark St and Peckham's Bussey Building followed by a weekly five year Friday night residency at the St Moritz Club, Wardour St Soho (2015-2020) once again interspersed with occasional monthly events including the Troubadour London. Blow Up ran continuous weekly events until the nightlife lockdown in 2020 and finally returned for a three night residency at Vout O Reenee’s London (Oct - December 2022). November 2023 saw the first part of the Blow Up 30 year celebrations with a sold out club and live event at Jamboree Kings Cross. Whilst in May 2024 saw Blow Up take to the roof terrace of members club the Century in Soho as part 2 of our 30th celebrations.

Hope that you can join us for what promises to be another special night.