New venue Quarters to launch within former home of Brighton's The Zap nightclub

A new nightclub called Quarters is set to launch within the former home of iconic Brighton nightspot The Zap. 

Quarters is the brainchild of London-based electronic music promoter A Man About A Dog (AMAAD). The new venue, set to open this Autumn, will join AMAAD's other projects such as Junction 2, LWE, Bristol's The Prospect Building and Boundary Brighton. 

The team are said to be "completely renovating" The Arch, a storied venue space on Brighton's seafront that has operated as a nightclub under various names since 1982 when it first opened as The Zap. 

Full details around Quarters have yet to be announced, however the team have confirmed that the venue's two rooms will be combined into a single dancefloor – with the room set to feature a bespoke L-Acoustics A15 surround soundsystem, new lighting and a 360 degree DJ booth.

The Zap was an important focal point for dance music in the late '80s and early '90s; DJ Harvey, Choci and Rev's party Tonka - which started at the venue in 1985 - is credited as one of Brighton's first acid house parties, while gay night Club Shame is credited as providing the "blueprint for gay clubbing the '90s". 

The venue would later see the launch of Protechtion, which along with its resident DJ Eric Powell, helped establish a new UK techno sound, while Sasha & John Digweed's Northern Exposure party championed progressive house throughout the '90s. 

It was shuttered in 2005 and then relaunched as The Union, then again as Digital and then later as The Arch – under various titles it had hosted DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Laurent Garnier, David Morales, Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Annie Mac, Deadmau5 and Jamie Jones. 

“We have a long track record of transforming ideas into culturally significant projects, and we’re very excited about Quarters," AMAAD founders Paul Jack and Will Harold say.

"We aim to showcase world-class talent while also providing a platform for collaboration with Brighton’s diverse creative community," they continue. "We’ve always loved Brighton’s independent attitude and see a great opportunity to build a forward-thinking venue that supports a wide range of culture in the area.”

AMAAD has confirmed that Quarters will feature "multi-genre, balanced programming" that puts a focus on "the art of DJing", with plans to base parties around "one key headline act" with all DJs performing extended sets. 

The venue will collaborate with events company Ghostwriter for a live offering; the team also runs programming at The Prospect Building, which has seen performances from the likes of Little Simz, Yungblud and Mac DeMarco.

More details around Quarters will be announced in the coming months, with "further expansion" confirmed for 2026; AMAAD is set to offer a discounted ticket scheme for Quarters via its WhatsaApp for early sign-ups.

Sign-up for exclusive information on Quarters' launch here, and check out some concept imagrey for the new venue below.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter