A popular Belfast club night, known as one of the 'biggest in the country', has found a new home in the heart of the city centre.
Craics 90 first started in 2011 in Box Nightclub, once one of the city's most thriving clubs located in the Odyssey Pavillion.
Promoter Sanjeev Passi, who has been involved in the nightlife industry for 25 years, is delighted to be able to replicate the madness that made Craics 90 so popular in its new location at the LUX superclub in Cathedral Quarter.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, Sanjeev shared how he was actually part of the senior management team that launched Box Nightclub back in 2006.
He said: "As slightly older readers will recall Box as a game changer in Belfast at the time and there has been nothing like it since it closed its doors.
"Box midweek had the biggest nights in the country - Thursday was absolutely huge at the beginning, then I developed a new Wednesday night 'BoxRox' which then became weekly student Night in Belfast.
"In 2011, I created the Craics 90 brand as the club capacity had increased to 1800 and it just exploded from day one! Near full capacity week in and week out for many years."
Sanjeev credits the success of Craics 90s to the different vibes across the two-floored club and that the night was "never too serious". With nostalgic bops on one floor and modern club sounds on the other, Sanjeev said it was "anything goes" at Craics 90s.
"The entertainment was so varied, it had a commercial widespread appeal.
"It ranged from guest appearances from the latest Reality TV/Game show stars to nostalgic DJs/Artists such as Cascada and Basshunter," he explained
"We had many of the theme nights which were a first in the country - silent discos, paint parties etc which added to the hype and was lots of fun with likes of Paul Chuckle who always brings a laugh."
When Box closed its doors in July 2017, Sanjeev moved the brand to a new location but found he was never able to replicate the feeling of those nights in the Odyssey, until now.
He continued: "This being the first Christmas season in three years, I feel it's the right time to bring it back Craics 90 in its full glory and I am very excited to have the opportunity to bring such an iconic brand back to life.
"I would not have thought it would be ever possible again until the opportunity arose with Common Market - another Game Changer.
"It is a very similar environment and essentially, we will be able offer a similar experience as Box, with Common Market and adjoining venues Lux and Gordon Street.
"The Option of three different areas with three different sounds and enjoying getting lost making your way through them all was also what made Box so enjoyable."
Craics 90 will launch at Common Market this Wednesday, December 21 with a massive 'Jingle Ball' event.
Sanjeev added: "The cost of living crisis and energy costs have dealt us another blow but thankfully the management at Common Market want to give a full Craics 90 experience so even the original drink promotions will be back!
"We really are aiming to replicate the iconic nights. Ticking all the right Box(es) - pardon the pun."
Looking to the future of the club scene in Northern Ireland, Sanjeev hopes new venues such as the superclub will have the city partying until late after a difficult number of years.
"We hope to continue the growth with the new Wednesdays, have three big events planned over festive period and into the New Year, then refreshers plans are well underway with some big surprises in store for the students.
"So with Common Market management, there is lots of planning going on behind the scenes for different kinds of events, especially for Saturday nights in 2023," he said.
"Hopefully, some of these events will attract the original Craics 90 customers from a decade ago - why not!"
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