It's game over for Arcade, the popular cocktails and retro games hangout on Fuxing Lu. The people behind the bar announced on Friday that September would be the last month for the venue 'due to some unforeseen circumstances'.
Given other recent nightlife closures in the area – JZ Club, The Shelter and Cotton Club have all been forced out from locations just a short walk from Arcade in the past 18 months – the circumstances were perhaps not as 'unforeseen' as they could have been, but the team at Arcade say that having tried their best to stay put they're finally being moved on.
It's been five years STD co-founder Reggie Ba-Pe III and his team took over the old Tara 57 spot and turned it into a cocktail and craft beer-focused space with a relaxed vibe and a retro games theme. Over that time it's also hosted an array of DJs, producers and musicians, both for official sets and just as somewhere for them to unwind before or after their STD-booked shows at other venues.
The bar's last night will be the 'STD House Party' on Saturday 30 September. Between now and then, they're stacking their weekend line-ups with DJ friends including The Uhhh and Allan Marshall (September 16), Lacy Chu, Skinny Brown and Kin J (September 22), and Ado 8 and R3 (September 23).
