Help us keep the lights on Support us
The Bristol Cable

Photoessay: Lakota at 30

Photography

The Bristol institution, which has hosted internationally-renowned DJs, celebrated its 30th birthday in June with a night headlined by Bristol's own drum and bass legend Roni Size.

Photo: Mark Simmons.

The sprawling Stokes Croft club opened on 7 June 1992 during the heady days of the rave scene. Lakota went on to survive plans to develop the venue into flats in 2020, with the team stating they are “invested and as passionate as ever about securing the legacy of the club for the next decade and beyond”.

The venue saw through the pandemic by hosting sit-down events dubbed Lakota Gardens, before reopening to sold-out nights last July. These archive photos were digitised in June by the Lakota team.

Keep the Lights On

Investigative journalism strengthens democracy – it’s a necessity, not a luxury.

The Cable is Bristol’s independent, investigative newsroom. Owned and steered by more than 2,600 members, we produce award-winning journalism that digs deep into what’s happening in Bristol.

We are on a mission to become sustainable – will you help us get there?

Join now

What makes us different?

Comments

Report a comment. Comments are moderated according to our Comment Policy.

Post a comment

Mark if this comment is from the author of the article

By posting a comment you agree to our Comment Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related content

Racist and traumatising: inside a Section 60 suspicionless stop and search operation

Officers searched innocent children, disproportionately targeted people of colour and undermined their anti-racism reforms during a 48-hour police operation in February. Their narrative that it was an effective knife-crime deterrent, done with consent, is misleading.

We’re hiring: Engagement Lead

The Engagement Lead is the driving force behind the Cable’s presence and engagement with people in Bristol, and responsible for our membership growth and retention.

Explained: What is Labour’s new Employment Rights Bill, and what does it mean for Bristolians?

In October Labour introduced the Employment Rights Bill, calling it the 'biggest upgrade to rights at work in a generation'. Why does it matter, where could it be better – and when will it make a difference to people's lives?

Who’s the real joke – the bin-faced comedian or the clowns in charge?

Political satirist and prime minister-baiting candidate Count Binface talks nationalising Adele, the dangers of Keir Starmer’s ‘inch-deep’ majority, and how his pastry policies can improve Bristol.

‘We need to move the dials’: Avon and Somerset Police must show real change on institutional racism

The police have been gaslighting us for generations – and officers’ use of intrusive stop-and-search powers is still blighting Bristol’s young Black boys, a local racial justice advocate argues.

Black children and adults strip searched 25 times more often than white peers in Avon and Somerset, leaked report reveals

EXCLUSIVE: The sensitive ‘deep-dive’ review also reveals the police officers who prolifically and disproportionately stop and search Black people in Bristol

They built a huge wind turbine, but can they bring Lawrence Weston’s last pub back from the dead?

The Giant Goram closed five years ago and is a sorry state after being repeatedly broken into. What would it take for a campaigning group of residents to return it to viability?

Join our newsletter

Get the essential stories you won’t find anywhere else

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter to get our weekly round-up direct to your inbox every Saturday

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter

Get our latest stories & essential Bristol news
sent to your inbox every Saturday morning