Nightlife is community. A night out is made special by the people you meet, the drinks you share, the photos you capture, and the memories you create. In major metropolises, going out becomes synonymous with community and in Barcelona, it is no different. I moved to Spain’s vibrant coastal town for a year-long study abroad. Underneath the expectations of nights wandering by the beach and days drinking countless sangrias, were doubts about whether I would find my people. I found it was the get-togethers and parties which adopted me into this new culture.

Within the past decade, the British diaspora has begun discovering a network of venues that host Black events or engage with Black culture in some way. Historically, there has been pushback from club owners and residents alike, validated through years of criminalisation at the hands of the police (think about Form 696 and its detrimental long-term impacts on Black nightclubs). Despite the scarcity of Black-owned clubs and late-night spaces, Black nightlife is currently thriving