The dates for this year’s Top 100 Clubs poll were announced today by DJ Mag, the world’s leading electronic music publication. The 2021 edition of the poll, which usually runs from December to April, was postponed due to the pandemic’s impact on the nightlife industry, but it will now be released this Wednesday (12th May) – reimagined for the modern era.
Thousands of clubs around the world have been forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some clubs are beginning to reopen this year in some parts of the world, many are unable to do so. DJ Mag decided to use their platforms to celebrate and support the global nightclub industry as we begin to imagine a return to the dancefloor globally, with the unifying belief that now is not the time to hide clubs away.
DJ Mag will honor venues by launching the Top 100 Clubs 2021 Virtual World Tour, a nine-week virtual showcase open to clubs of all sizes from around the world that can be viewed on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.
The sets can take a variety of forms, including a DJ set from an empty club, a classic set from the club’s heyday, or a live set from a club that is currently legal and safe to open.
In addition, DJ Mag will support clubs through a directory on top100clubs.com (starting May 12th) and all voting pages during the event period, which will be available to any venue around the world. This directory will compile fundraising efforts from organizations all over the world. In terms of the pandemic this year, each territory is in a different place. As a result, each club is in a unique situation.
These fundraising efforts could include a direct link to a Crowdfunder campaign supporting the club in question, a link to purchase advance tickets for the venue once it opens, or a link to purchase club-related merchandise. It could also be a link to a local charitable organization, such as a food bank or a local community organization, that a club supports.
There will be a link within the Top 100 Clubs 2021 Virtual World Tour content that will allow viewers to donate to crowd funders while these streams are running on DJ Mag’s channels.
DJ Mag has also pledged to donate a portion of their advertising inventory to participating clubs that are suffering from the pandemic.
While dancefloors in certain parts of the world are beginning to reopen, many more are unable to do so. We believe this year’s reimagined Top 100 Clubs will provide an exciting new platform for our community to celebrate and support global nightclub culture safely, until we can all return to the dancefloor together – Martin Carvell, managing director, DJ Mag
Electronic music clubs from all over the world are invited to apply for the virtual world tour by emailing top100clubs-
The Top 100 Clubs Virtual World Tour will begin on Saturday, May 15th, and will continue every Saturday until mid-July. Keep an eye on DJMag.com and our social media channels for updates.
It is something to be proud of when it comes to club culture. Please join DJ Mag in supporting and celebrating the world’s most exciting dancefloors wherever you can.
Voting begins on Wednesday, May 12th, and will continue until July 14th at vote.djmag.com.
