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Clublife
Updated 30 June 2001
So Ayia Napa may be most well known for its UK garage scene, but this year, there are many more clubs and club nights to choose from, with big names like Ministry Of Sound, Slinky, Cream, Clockwork Orange and Miss Moneypenny's setting up regular nights in the heart of the town. We headed for Seferis Square to find out just where people are spending their nights out this year...
First stop, Club Abyss, one of Napa's biggest and most luxurious clubs. Fittingly, Radio 1's very own Dreem Teem have a Thursday night residency here, as well as playing here on the Saturday night of Radio 1's Ayia Napa weekend, on the final date of The Dreem Teem tour.
In the heart of the square, you'll find rammed bars like Marinella's, Minos and The Buzz Bar, with stylish new drinking spots like Titanic and Hollywood just off the main drag. Chart tunes blast out of all the bars round the square, and scenes like this aren't uncommon!
 Getting back to the clubs, The Castle is another one of Napa's 'superclubs', with 3 main arenas, plus a chillout terrace on the rooftop. Decked out to suit its name, complete with ramparts and armoury, The Castle actually hosts some of the coolest club nights, with Ministry Of Sound bringing their garage night S'Move on Wednesdays, Slinky presenting progressive and hard house on Thursdays, GodsKitchen in residency on Tuesdays and The Velvet Rooms bringing a variety of garage and drum & bass nights on Fridays. It's also where Fabio and Grooverider did their Radio 1 show from this year.
James from Basingstoke is living in Ayia Napa this summer, selling tickets for clubs like Slinky, and MCing part time: "Last year, the garage scene was hitting it off, but this year, it's house and garage. I think the scene here will last about four years. The Castle is one of the main clubs, because it has rooms with house, r&b and garage every night of the week. With Radio 1 and MTV coming out here this year - bang - Napa is everywhere!"
The Bristol Boys: "We're getting hammered - sun, sand and sambuca! We've been here a week and we've been to The Castle five times. Ministry Of Sound last night and Slinky tonight with Guy Ornadel."
My name is Steve - DJ 279. I came last year, and I'm back again this year. I'm known for being a hip hop DJ - I play at the Black and White Club. UK garage had much more of an edge last year, but this year R&B has come on so much, so it's balancing out. It's a good thing. A lot of people I've spoken to who haven't been here before think it's really good.
John Digweed would be proud of this one...
We managed to spot Napa's one and only rock bar, just round the corner from The Castle Club. Okay, so it looks like it's straight out of Covent Garden, but if rock's your thing, it's pretty much the only place to head in Napa. "Music in Ayia Napa sucks. We suck less"
Natalie from Leicestershire and Katie from Warwickshire: "Ayia Napa's got a mixture of everything, so it suits everyone. We go to the garage clubs as well, but we prefer rock music. Ayia Napa's not what we expected though. The clubs and pubs are brilliant."
Radz from Yugoslavia: "I don't like UK garage at all - it's all b******! I like jazz clubs, but there aren't any here."
The Gosport Lads: "We're in Napa for the shant! (A quiet drink down the local) We went to The Castle Club last night - Shola Ama was there and Mikee B was Djing - it was quality. The Dreem Teem this weekend are gonna be big! We're into garage, r&b and hip hop. It's a novelty to be out here for all the music."
Miss Moneypenny's have set up residency in Napa this year, hosting Thursday nights at Rise Club, and these girls are fans: "We're from Birmingham, so it's good to come away to somewhere like Ayia Napa and still feel at home! The great thing about Napa is that if you go to a club and don't like what you're hearing, there's at least five other clubs to choose from on the same street."
Ayia Napa, UK garage mecca? Open your ears!
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