South London: Wandsworth Road in Lambeth gets new nightclub in railway arch

Gaffe, also known as Commune Studios, off Wandsworth Road will be able to open until 3.20am on Fridays and Saturdays going forwards.

The venue, which describes itself as ‘a new home for the heads’ on Instagram, will hold club nights on weekends and be rented out for activities like DJ workshops and birthday parties the rest of the time.

DJs including Hodge, Parris and Seb Odyssey are expected to play at the club over the next month, according to listings platform Resident Advisor. Bosses said without this licence, “incredible events” had to be denied.

Luca Marchal, the man behind the club, told a Lambeth Council licensing meeting that he wanted to create a permanent space where artists could perform, after successfully hosting a limited number of events at the venue in 2024.

Speaking on Tuesday (January 28), he said: “It’s a place where… the LGBT+ community have [sic] found a safe haven for expression and where photographers and film-makers are building their portfolios.

“We’ve had to turn away so many incredible events due to our limited licence which just shows how much South London needs cultural venues like this, especially when they’re disappearing at an unprecedented rate across the UK.”

See what’s going on in London - check us out on TikTok

After the club’s bid to open permanently was blocked by councillors in 2024, Mr Marchal brought back the application to the council with extra security measures including ID scanning and beefed up security.

Hannah McInerney, a promoter who held sober rave Club Soft at Gaffe in November last year, told the meeting that attendees reported they had ‘never felt so safe’ in a venue.

She added: “I was really impressed with the soundproofing. I stood outside the venue and I thought you could barely hear anything. […] It’s clear that the Communal [sic] Studios team have been very thoughtful at ensuring the venue had [has] minimal impact on the surrounding area.”

Go beyond the story - sign up for our LondonWorld newsletter

One resident, whose flat is next to railway arches where the club is located, said he had some noise concerns and complained there was broken glass on the floor the day after events.

Councillors David Robson, Sarina da Silva and Adrian Garden approved the application with conditions, including that the venue provides a ‘safe space’ for customers and passers-by during its opening hours.

Cllr Robson, chair of the committee, said: “The applicant has taken time to submit a well thought out application and was satisfied the business model put forward and license conditions will promote the licensing objectives.”