Printworks opening: Welcome to London's industrial playground

As soon as you step out of Canada Water tube station it’s clear an event at London’s newest venue is no average night out. For one thing, it’s 3pm on a crisp Saturday afternoon. Another is the amount of ravers outside the Surrey Quays shopping centre.

This is the opening of Printworks, London’s new mega-venue. With a capacity of 2500 people it’s another step forward for a city that has felt a lot more open as of late. Located in the former Metro and Evening Standard printing facility, the surrounding area is populated by a Pizza Hut, an Odeon Theatre and endless carparks. Seemingly not the best place for a rave but once you catch a glimpse of the venue, all of that melts away.

It’s an impressive building from the outside, a relic of the past that towers over the strip mall below. Approaching the venue, the sense of something more than a regular club night is evident. We’re excited and it’s obvious the people around us want to get on it with Seth Troxler, The Martinez Brothers and Loco Dice b2b for a 10-hour tech-house marathon that will open the Printworks account.