XOYO

Bad reviews for XOYO could be said about literally any dance club: crowded, hot, creepy guys, expensive drinks, whatever.

The difference is the vibe. Typical dance clubs look like middle school dances with men on the prowl and girls screaming it's their birthday. XOYO wasn't even in the same realm. I went on the night they switched party planning agencies and it was possibly the most epic night i've ever spent at a club.

The cover was 7 pounds, no bigs. The line was long extending down the street but moved fast. When you walk in there are 2 floors the upper one being (ironically) a bit of a downer. But when we went down the basement level... my gosh... the room was literally moving. The DJ onstage was playing the best hip hop has to offer with the smoothest transitions - timing them to perfection. He had his whole posse on stage hyping the crowd up, people were moshing, every man woman & child was dancing their faces off, it was madness. In the venue there are multiple stages for anyone to get up on so we bounced around a little bit from stage to stage before finding a spot on the floor. There is no room to breathe or even think but you're probably too wasted at that point to care. For 1-2 hours the nonstop rager that is the XOYO basement becomes your only reality. Don't fight it.

I'm not sure what possessed me to agree to go to a club. I guess I was curious if clubbing in London was any different. Ironic that it was Valentino Khan spinning that night since I could see him any time in LA.

Ambience: This club was so dingy and hot. The lights and disco ball were on point though. Having very low ceilings made it feel claustrophobic. There were also platforms that people could dance on. I'm not sure if that's the best thing for drunk people though. The platforms made it difficult to see the artist if you were standing in the back.

Bouncers: shoutout to the bouncers. They were vigilant and made sure everyone stayed in line (without being unnecessary). They totally made my experience just a little bit better. I saw them break up a fight before it even started. They quickly yanked a guy out of the women's restroom before he was even able to get both feet in. Also, they cleared the pathway for me when they saw me struggling to get through the crowd with two drinks in my hand.

Drinks: it was $5 pounds for a mixed drink. They measure their shot of alcohol very precisely here

Creeps: Not sure if this was the norm or not, but there were creepy vultures here who would literally move on from a female to the next. It was annoying having to stand up for myself the whole night

Good music, very varied.
Holds mid-week events, which can range from orchestral interpretations of the Fugees to drum and bass artists' album launches.

-Prices are reasonable, within the range of London clubs.
-Security is friendly (Enough).
-Sound system is quite good.
-+21 is the most positive thing about this club. It is nice not having to battle with overzealous children getting excited about being let out of school early.
-Entry is steep, but I would much rather attend XOYO than EGG (Which is dreadful) and possibly Fabric (Overcrowding is getting a bit ridiculous, especially before 3am).

-100% Recommended-

The decor is pretty cool, and the bouncers were lovely, however I had a bad experience at the bar. They ran out of wine at 8pm, so I had a very watery gin and tonic (no gin in it?), then a SUPER sweet Prosecco which was too sickly to drink. Wasted quite a bit of money trying to find drinks that were actually drinkable!

2 rooms and a bangin' sound system, love the deep base when you can feel it through your toes. The music changes regularly so know what you're going in for. The loos are tiny for 850 capacity and air circulation is poor in the main room (basement) but you can expect to get sweaty on a good night out!

A word for the lads - keep your hands to yourself and ladies don't hesitate to tell security if the boys get too friendly, they are there to help.
We all just want to have a fun night out.

Very Disappointing Night
My friends and I went to XOYO with high expectations and ready to dance as it seemed like it would be a fun venue. We were greeted by a condescending bouncer who started to interrogate my friend and told him he would need to wait an hour before entering because he looked "a bit wavy". I understand wanting to keep customers safe but he had only consumed two beers before coming and was not acting wild or sloppy in any way. The bouncer was aggressive and rude but we were respectful and left to wait before coming back to try again. Upon coming back, we reluctantly paid £20 to get in but it was genuinely not worth it. The venue was cool but the music was pretty mind-numbing on the night we went and could only be enjoyed if one was blackout or on something illegal. There are many other fun clubs in London to the point where I really could not recommend XOYO as much as I wanted to love it.

Andy C night - dangerously busy!
They should have charged more money on the tickets and cut the capacity down by 200-300 people! The night albeit ok (music was amazing) was basically a disaster waiting to happen! This place needs a safety review before something tragic happens...

WEEBS + RIDS = GOOD TIME
On my friend's birthday we went to XOYO. Everyone was friendly and we had a good time however my friend - who's birthday it was - was really drunk. We got escorted out and Weebs who escorted us was really lovely and made sure we got home safe as well as Rids (not sure if this is correct spelling) but both men were very accomadating.

Xoyo best club in London!!
Been to xoyo a few times! Best club in London!! Stewards/security are so nice and friendly!! Xoyo is the place to be whichever day!!

What a night!
Passed down the XOYO the other day with a few of the lads what a great place great music drink and girls. They have a great bunch of security lads around the venue and along the street easy-going guys and funny especially one guy called lamar but this place is fantastic and i recommend it to anyone looking for a good night out in london

It's great dance club! Downstais packed, but the green room upstairs was just perfect. Amazing lights,  quality of sound, amazing DJ set. The bouncers were very professional, not intrusive but paying a lot of attention and helpful.

Had the best time at XOYO! Ask for Jake, he's the best steward. All the staff are really nice, really friendly. Best night club in London!

So last week got accused of dealing drugs because I left the club and realised my friend still had my phone so asked to go back in and get it off him, refused by the bouncers in the pouring rain and was told I’m a drug dealer, got the police called on me, had to be searched and of course they found nothing. Tried to go back tonight with my friends for a birthday, was told I’m not allowed because I’m a drug dealer even though I explained everything last week, thanks for ruining my friends birthday for me and my friends guys!

- signed apparent drug dealer

Very nice establishment! Was welcomed by Daniela at the entrance who did a very good job!! Good music and good people!! We have also found a friend's lost phone that the found staff found! Thanks Mike and everyone from the staff!

Went for Andy C Residency. Pretty cool venue with a couple of rooms. Don’t find the stamp system for going out into the smoking area very reliable, as it could rub off in the rain. Also understand bouncers are doing their job but they’re so miserable! Lol. bit physical too. My partner was resting his arm on a wall/barrier that separates ‘VIPs’ with the crowd, just looking over to the centre stage and got shoved by the bouncer behind him. Maybe say something or lightly tap next time?

At times found it to be very compact and overcrowded. Although with this in mind, one of the best in Shoreditch for a good night out with headline artists.

We went to Ram Records dnb party on Friday for my 35th Birthday celebration at XOYO and it was a terrific night out. From when we arrived we felt welcome and looked after by the excellent staff at the venue.
It was a great atmosphere and good vibes all night, which is not always easy to find these days.  The sound system was on point, the drinks were reasonably priced and all the facilities were clean and working well.
We will definitely be coming back to the venue again soon and I highly recommend this place for a good night out.

Fabulous All Inclusive Five Star Clubbing Experience.
Falling over myself to know where to start, have been to this brill venue a number of times over the years, on so many levels you tick all my boxes.
When celebrating my 63rd Birthday weekend and taking advantage of the Dalston Roof Park Saturday afternoon warm up combo ticket with XOYO, yet again I felt so comfortable in this no attitude venue, you so can be yourself by what you wear (more often personally very little!) and how you dance.
To highlight just how inclusive, more recently I met Susan wearing a glamourous sequin dress, for eight years this 'lady' has been coming to the club with the full support of his wife.
XOYO is one of the very few clubs that offers a DJ residency and is a great attraction, The Blessed Madonna and Dimitri From Paris have always blown me away.
Offering two rooms with the main attraction downstairs (I love the raised stage where you can also boogie) this venue also has the added appeal of 'Less is more' some clubs which have multiple rooms is not always an advantage.
The ground floor smaller room usually has an all night DJ, with plenty of chillout area seating, so often lacking elsewhere. Catching up with the fab HI-FI Sean in this room after so long was a great joy.
DJ Joshua James an XOYO regular, your sets are mind blowing.
With friendly security, lovely bar staff, terrific lighting and an imaginative events line up, well done!

Had another excellent night at XOYO! I come all the way from the wilds of west West Wales for Drum and Bass events here. Been coming for years, but last summer it was for the Goldie residency - wicked! Last weekend it was classics of DnB played by a 16-piece orchestra! Have to give a big shout out to Russ and all the Security Crew who not only helped me find my lost iPhone, but also held on to my treats for me while I partied away inside - never rude and ever helpful. The band was ON FIRE! The lead singer was infectiously effervescent, with a sweet and powerful voice, and that poor, poor drummer - 180bpm… - deserves a medal. Thank you XOYO for your dedication to holding innovative and legendary DnB events. Can’t wait for more. Big Ups!!

Really enjoyed our night, music was great. a few people try to spoil it for others with their stupidity but security was professional and lovely in dealing with situations. Big shout out to the security Bas and lockman for their help. Will defo be coming back.