In April of this year, Sneaky Pete’s took over the Fruitmarket gallery’s new Warehouse space and transformed it into Edinburgh’s latest club. With a line-up of cutting-edge DJs, the venue was thrown back to its past life as a music venue, including a time as Electric Circus. Across two weekends this October, Sneaky Pete’s will return to the space, hosting six major parties with bolstered line-ups.

^{Eclair Fifi}

When Fruitmarket acquired the space, they saw an opportunity to do some interesting events but wanted to work with someone from Edinburgh who shared their values around art and community. That’s where Nick Stewart, booker and director of Sneaky Pete’s, came in. The show in April was something of an experiment, with a forward-thinking line up and production beyond what the 100-capacity Sneaky Pete’s can manage. ‘It looked and felt different, not only from what we normally do, but from what everyone else is doing,’ insists Stewart.

The upcoming October nights run from 7 or 8pm to midnight, which Stewart views as a blessing, allowing a lot of older clubbers to attend. ‘We found that a lot of people love Sneaky Pete’s but are a little bit too old for 3am clubbing,’ he notes. They also found that the gender balance in April was better than a lot of comparable events, presumably reflecting the line-ups. This ambitious and open ethos has resulted in Sneaky Pete’s developing from young upstart to a crucial part of the Scottish music scene, earning them the 2019 Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene award from Music Week which helped them nab the top spot on The List’s Hot 100 that year. And in 2021, they sneaked into DJ Mag’s esteemed Top 100 Clubs In The World list. 

^{Jacques Greene}

Off the back of April’s success, Stewart was keen for a return to the Fruitmarket space and build something extra special. Aside from drafting in some Sneaky Pete’s MVPs like Jacques Greene, Eclair Fifi and Leon Vynehall, they’ve also been able to get some legendary acts that simply too big for the tiny Cowgate space, like Giant Swan and Cid Rim. He has also hooked in lighting designer Sam Jones, fresh off a tour with James Blake, to give the events an immersive feel that feels true to the venue’s day job as a visual arts space. ‘Clubbing is a context-specific thing and I wanted to build something that felt of the city itself,’ says Stewart as he bids to marry the capital’s love of adventurous arts and culture with Scotland’s fervour for high-energy parties.  

Sneaky Pete’s Installation Series, Fruitmarket Warehouse, Edinburgh, Friday 14–Sunday 16, Friday 28–Sunday 30 October.