Culture
These 20 Photos Capture The World’s Most Iconic Illegal Raves
From disused meat factories to the sewers of Newcastle, some of rave’s most iconic moments have occurred beyond the prying eyes of the law.
Raves have always been equally linked to music, political principles and attempts to foster new forms of community solidarity. They have fought against criminal injustice, urged action on environmental issues—like the 1998 “Cars My Arse” rave—protested the closure of radio stations in East Berlin and stood as much for thinking independently as they have for listening differently.
The consequences of linking politics and music, however, has meant that some of the edgiest raves have had to turn to secret locations like warehouses, abandoned office blocks, or even train stations. Luckily, what the police didn’t see, a number of photographers did. Mixmag has compiled 20 of the best images from around the world from these illicit locations. We’ve put some of our favorites below, but you can check out the rest here.
Read more: How a bunch of ravers changed Berlin forever in 1991
