Police Shut Down 100-Person Illegal Rave in Abandoned East London Argos

Police have shut down a 100-person illegal rave staged inside an abandoned former Argos store in East London, adding another familiar chapter to the city’s long-running standoff with unlicensed music events.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the crackdown on their Met Engage site, saying officers were called to complaints about loud music coming from the building on Sandringham Road in Dalston at 8am on Sunday, May 10. The noise had reportedly prompted calls from residents two streets away, with two separate reports describing the gathering as an “unlicensed music event” that was disrupting the area.

By the time police consulted Hackney council and arrived at the venue at 11:40am, they estimated there were “around 100 people within the venue.” Under Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, officers asked 20 people to leave and seized a large quantity of sound equipment. One person was also arrested after being wanted by Westminster Magistrates Court for failing to attend court on an offensive weapon charge. Police said no arrests were made directly because of the rave.

They also recovered three stolen bicycles, which officers said they hoped to return to their owners. Some attendees were allowed to remain because they were protected by “Squatters Rights,” police acknowledged. Officers left the scene at 1:20pm.

The episode sits neatly within a wider story that NME has tracked before. In 2018, the publication reported on the resurgence of illegal raves, with photojournalist Connor Matheson describing a scene that had become increasingly hidden and harder to locate: “Underground music is thriving more than ever. It’s word-of-mouth, behind closed doors. You have to know about it to know where it is.

“There’s so many unusual spaces and DIY venues popping up all the time. There’s more free parties and stuff than ever. There’s been a shift away from the confines of traditional night out towards something more relaxed.”