Memories of Bristol's Motion as it closes after almost two decades

BBC News

19-07-2025

It can often be underestimated how much impact a nightclub can have on a town or city.Starting out as a skatepark in Bristol in 2003, Motion started putting on club nights three years later (with the skate ramps forming part of the dancefloor), before it became a full-time nightclub and music venue in 2015.It has since hosted some of the world's biggest DJs.But when its lease expires this weekend, Motion will close its doors at the warehouse it has called home for almost 20 years for the final time.The owners are hoping Motion will be able to reopen at another site in the city, but to many, the city centre warehouse holds almost two decades-worth of memories.We asked DJs and clubbers to tell us about some of those special moments.
Eats Everything, DJ & producerMy favourite memory of Motion is doing the [Radio 1] Essential Mix live. It was me, Calvin Harris and Pete Tong and I was just becoming successful at the time.It's like, you're doing an Essential Mix live from your hometown club and it's like what?! What?!Dan (Motion's managing director) lent me decks. I didn't have any CDJs at home, so he lent me four CDJs.I practiced and I practiced - I never plan anything ever - and I planned it meticulously, beat for beat and it worked perfectly and it still sounds good today.It still makes my heart melt whenever I think about it.[Motion] holds a big place in my heart.
Jenna Todd Jones[I've had] so many great times. But my very first time going, me and my mate got our photo taken up front and it was published in a Bristol mag that week. I'd only been in the city a few months it felt like the most incredible thing ever. I'd never even been in a club before I felt like the coolest kid in town.I also remember a friend got one of their first gigs at Motion and were on first of the night so was unlikely to have a crowd. [It] felt like the entire psychology department headed down there to party with him in the tunnel, I'll never forget his face looking up to suddenly find 20 familiar faces dancing to his tunes.Also, that first time we'd won a competition to get to the VIP lounge above the stage, I remember sitting with DJ Yoda like 'what is my life?!' Obviously no club night was quite as good after that.
James Threlfall, skateboarder & BBC presenterIt was funny for me to go from skating at Motion as a kid, to then having a crossover of skating and partying at Motion, and then obviously it became just partying when the skatepark side of things closed for it to become solely a venue.What it offered two passions of mine at different points in my life is amazing and I guess part of its legacy is that different people and generations are likely to have unique perspectives on how Motion impacted them.
Graciela SotoWhen I went to see Marlon Hoffstadt it was my first time visiting Motion and oh my God I will never forget it. I have been out many times in the past 10 years but the energy I felt in that crowd was something else; everyone was dancing with each other and smiling. It was like if you were in a magical forest surrounded by lovely people. The music was very fun too and I really enjoyed the singalongs.It's rare to have a crowd so invested in the show that everyone sings, it was beautiful.I don't remember the last time I felt so much harmony in a rave.
Dan Wild, resident DJ and Just Jack founding memberThe early days of Motion were very special. The area wasn't as developed as it now so we could have music on the terrace all night, with no-one to complain. It had a raw hedonistic feel. With the derelict Post Office building opposite it had this dystopian, industrial, Berlin vibe. One morning, with the sun rising, sound-tracked to deep trippy house, someone took all their clothes off, dived off the terrace into the canal, a quick swim to the other side and he ran off completely starkers into the distance, to a load of cheers from the crowd. When we packed up the club at the end of the night, his clothes were still on the terrace. I could only imagine him still running round Bristol naked somewhere in the euphoric state he left.There's lots that go into making parties special, but people forget, the most important thing is the crowd, that's what made those parties incredible.
Dan Deeks, managing director of Motion A real special memory for me is the night that Eats Everything did his [Radio One] Essential Mix.We had Pete Tong on that night and we also had Calvin Harris. That for me was a real highlight.What's quite special about this club is we don't have any VIP areas.We like to think that we're not like big clubs in Ibiza where you can pay to get a booth or a table.Everyone's treated equally. It's a diverse mix of events and some of them are very Bristol centric. That's what really makes it special for me, is Bristol as a city and the people that come here.
Carly Heath, Bristol night time economy advisor and former music promoterWinning the Red Bull Culture Clash with Gutterfunk was a significant moment.Putting on Subloaded here and having the most amazing bass sound system to support it, that was a moment.Even more recently seeing Gardna do his Gardna and Friends show in the Marble Factory.Seeing a lad that had come through from being in the tunnel, being in the cave, going up to the main stage then having his own party - this place is really special and it's been here so long now that it's like multigenerational talent.There's too many good memories to share.
Conal KellyIt was 2022. Me and a couple of friends went down to Love Saves the Day [festival].We got absolutely drenched, so drenched, so grumpy, couldn't get the bus home, so we were stuck walking through the rain for an hour to get home.We got home, ordered a curry, we were pretty grumpy, and then realised that DJ Seinfeld was playing at Motion so, last minute, bought tickets, went down and managed to turn it around and had one of the best nights we've had. We're still talking about it now.It was awesome. Very, very, very sad that it's closing.
Summer BolithoI've always been huge fan of Eats Everything - Bristol icon and lucky to know Dan! Me and my partner Mace officially met 10 years ago but our paths reconnected and we got together at Eats Everything's New Year's Eve party.Motion is a staple of Bristol culture and has been for the past 10 years. A true loss to see it go, but looking forward to making new memories at Motion 2.0
Bateman, DJI've been fortunate enough to play four times now. One year after the other. And a year on from that, I played it again for their last-ever free party and once more for a Lockyard session. I'd been dreaming of playing this monster since I was 14, and to have played it four times now is just incredible. Cannot put it into words.Motion owns a piece of my heart that will disappear with it.
Pete GizauskasCraig Richards playing two gigs in one night - one in a special secret toilet party that you had to access through a hidden entrance (wink wink) and then playing a surprise set in the main room afterwards. The secret room was decorated with huge taps, rubber ducks and toilet seats hanging from the ceilingBoth were absolute masterclasses from a legend in the UK rave sceneIt was brilliant.
The Scribes, Bristol-based bandSupported MF Doom there, was crazy seeing the man himself in Bristol.It was one of The Scribes' first big support slots so we were very excited, and we all loved MF Doom.I remember being mind-blown just by the fact he was in the building, and Motion was the perfect place; just the right amount of grimey for the crowd to really get down.