
The dreaded hour is here my friends – after 25 years, it’s time to say goodbye to Zouk. The one on Jiak Kim Street anyway. The world famous nightclub has seen many of us through our highs and our lows, and whether or not you were a regular, it’s just going to be plain weird not congregating there anymore.
I’ll admit, I never thought this was going to affect me that much but, I guess it makes sense since most of my formative clubbing years were spent ratchet-ly traversing the many tunnels and rooms. Mostly looking for people. Or the toilet. Or my shoe (happened one time only ok) but I digress.
Here are 10 things I’m going to miss about Zouk:
10. Pre-Drinking At The Bridge

It was the standard protocol when I was younger to meet a few friends at Holiday Inn to queue for cheap(er) alcohol options at the famous umm, alcohol shop. And so my ratchetness was born when we would then proceed to pre-drink at THE bridge near Zouk (this was wayyy before the 10.30pm alcohol ban).
I’ll miss getting pins and needles from sitting in a circle in skimpy clubbing outfits, drinking out of plastic cups and just waiting till we’re buzzing enough to head inside.
9. Knowing ALL The Bouncers
If you went often enough and got too drunk one too many times, you would’ve soon somehow made friends with most or all the bouncers. Fast forward eight years and it was nice knowing I could rock up, recognise familiar faces and be reminded of all the times I made a fool of myself on the property.
Thanks for everything you guys :’)
8. Being Able To End Up At Members Somehow
As far as VIP areas in clubs go, Zouk members lounge on the 2nd floor seemed the least intimidating of the lot. Whether we were #blessed or not, my friends and I seemed to sometimes just randomly end up there, watching the action from above.
It’s one of the best scenes I’ll remember from the club.
7. Chit Chats With Random People Around The Fountain Sink

Toilets are a VERY important part of any night out and like the rest of Zouk’s interior, the Gaudi-inspired toilet areas were pretty darn nice. I seemed to spend quite a bit of the night just hanging around the fountain sink (you know the one), and would have some of the best conversations.
Random people would converge like animals at a watering hole, discussing anything from philosophy to the way my teeth and bits of my outfit glowed in the UV light. Very strange, but very memorable.
6. The Famous Guest DJs

For a nightclub on a small island, Zouk Singapore has impressively managed to book some of the biggest names in the industry. I still remember the time Avicii performed during Zouk’s Summer Special and as hazy as the night may now seem, I was SO proud to be on home turf.
5. All The Regular Music Nights

TGIW, Fresh, Poptart, Mambo Jambo; Zouk was never going to let me down. I’ll miss the podium dancing, coordinated dance moves and belting out the anthems that saw me transition into adulthood.
Hopefully we can look forward to more of such nights at the new venue but for now, I insist on grieving.
4. Having Options – Phuture, Main Room, Velvet Underground

I mean c’mon, clubs within a club? I loved that I could go through phases and kind of grow up with Zouk, starting at Phuture for nights of RnB and Hip Hop and then gradually finding myself in Velvet Underground for more house and techno.
Not forgetting dipping in and out of the main room to throw myself on the multi-level dancefloor. A HUGE shoutout to all the Zouk Resident DJs for years of dedication and entertainment!
3. Bangers and Mash

It’s ridiculous how sad I’m actually feeling as I type this and reminisce the bangers and mash from the food cart right outside Zouk. People traditionally tend to get it as drunk food at the end of the night, but I’m that one friend who just won’t go in unless I’ve had my fill.
I’m pretty sure the sausages and mash were actually really good and it wasn’t just because I was drunk.
2. Being Able To Spend The Whole Night At Wine Bar

It increasingly became the norm for me to get a stamp for entry and just… never make it in. Zouk’s Wine Bar was so popular and fun enough that I was perfectly happy spending the whole night there with friends and rounds of sour plum shots.
Oh, how I’m going to miss the One-for-One and Media Card promotions.
1. All The Memoriessss
It’s been a wild journey Zouk, and I’m so glad we got to celebrate our 25th birthday together this year. I know I’m being dramatic and the new venue will be open soon enough but, it’s the memories that I’m going to miss the most.
They will never be replaced so I guess I’ll just hold on to that one last dance. THNKS 4 TH MMRS <3
Zouk Singapore: 17 Jiak Kim Street, Singapore 169420 (Just going to leave this here forever) | Website
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