On Friday 26th December, Shine Classics takes over The Limelight for one final chapter in the event series that pays homage to an iconic era of underground dance music in Belfast. This year, Shine – which started in 1995 – celebrates 30 years of events in the city with a series of shows that have all sold out. Boxing Night Shine Classics is also expected to be hugely popular with dance music fans who attended Shine, especially during the period from 1995–2016 at the iconic Mandela Hall / QUBSU venue.
“Supershine”, this Boxing Night, features a stacked line-up across three rooms of original Shine residents, local favourites, and regular guests. In the Mandela Hall-inspired main room are regular Shine guests since the mid-90s, Scottish duo SLAM, who return to Belfast with a rare “Return to Source” DJ set. Their previous Return to Source shows, usually reserved for their hometown of Glasgow, capture the spirit and magic of those legendary SLAM sets, with the duo revisiting iconic tracks from their extensive record collections to craft unforgettable journeys through electronic music.
Joining SLAM is a very special appearance from local legend David Holmes, making his first Shine appearance in over 25 years, having been a regular fixture of Shine’s early years. Having DJ’d from the age of 15, David went on to run one of Belfast’s most revered club nights, Sugar Sweet, with guests such as Andrew Weatherall, Orbital, and The Chemical Brothers, bringing acid house and early rave culture to a city still steeped in the Troubles. Soon after came numerous record releases, collaborations, and legendary DJ mixes (his 1997 Radio 1 Essential Mix is still considered an all-time classic).
Across the other two rooms, we focus on the much-loved Bunatee and Snack Bar of the old Shine venue at QUBSU – two cult classic spaces whose mention sparks a deep sense of nostalgia for seasoned ravers across multiple generations. IYKYK.
A stacked line-up of residents & local favourites head up both rooms to warm you up, and guide us through the music synonymous with each.
Tickets on sale Friday at 10am from usual outlets
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