Zouk Hops Onto The Cloud Clubbing Phenomenon With Closed-Door Live Streams

Zouk brings its signature parties to the cloud (Credit: Zouk Facebook page)

With the unforgiving downfall of party venues, no thanks to social distancing measures triggered by COVID-19, comes the emergence of innovative initiatives to keep the industry afloat. In recent weeks, the act of ‘cloud clubbing’ has taken the Internet by storm, whereby promoters and venues live-stream closed-door acts to digital audiences in hopes of generating exposure and revenue – it’s a development that’s actually been working in China. Locally, it appears that Zouk Singapore has made the first move in bringing this trend to the scene, and it might be the start of something great considering the debilitating restrictions imposed lately.

Starting 27 March, the industry pioneer will be streaming closed-door sets exclusively on Bigo Live, in collaboration with Razer and Martell. Its signature series, such as One Dance and Crowd CTRL, will be broadcast in half-hour chunks, showcasing the club’s resident DJs while viewers remain in the safety of their homes. It even boasts an interactive element, where spectators can show support by sending comments and gifts online (whether this translates to financial donations remains to be seen). To check this out for yourself, you need to log into Bigo Live at this link.

For commercial listeners, they can still party while staying home (Credit: Zouk Management)

Zouk isn’t a stranger when it comes to shaking up the scene. In its nearly three decades of operations, the nightlife giant bolstered the industry with its groundbreaking programming in its formative years, established ZoukOut as the leading dance music festival in Southeast Asia in its heyday, and even took its legacy to the high seas. While its top-dog commercial status and underground credibility have been sidelined in recent years by institutions like Marquee Singapore and The Council, it’s inspiring to see the superclub taking initiative with gestures like this. If this takes off, perhaps it’ll set a precedent for the scene in these harrowing months to come.

Log onto Bigo Live to join the Livestream on 27 March, 8pm-11pm. Follow Zouk Singapore for more updates.