Oval Space and the Pickle Factory: Everything you need to know about the two east London clubs

Tucked away on a quiet industrial side road in east London, are two of London’s best clubs.

Oval Space, a warehouse-style venue with two breezy outdoor terraces, sits across the road from the Pickle Factory, a much smaller, more intimate club. The former opened in 2012 and, the same team opened the latter three years later.

Although they do occasionally join forces to run huge nights across both clubs, for the most part they are two distinct entities. Oval Space gets the bigger headliners, showcasing artists at the top of their game, while the Pickle Factory is more focused on the sharpest new talent, but also hosts big-name sets from time to time.

Here is the GO Clubbing guide to Oval Space and the Pickle Factory.

Vital statistics

• Where is it? 29-32 The Oval, E2 9DT (Oval Space) / 13-14 The Oval, E2 9DU (The Pickle Factory)

• What’s the capacity? 1000 (OS), 200 (TPF)

• When did it open? April 2012 (OS) / October 2015 (TPF)

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What’s the music like?

The music at both venues is always at the forefront of the biggest trends in dance music. No one genre that dominates, although you will find a lot of techno and electro, with a decent amount of disco and soul, especially at Oval Space. The Pickle Factory, with its windowless main space and low ceilings, tends towards the darker, heavier sounds.

Who plays there?

Oval Space gets the bigger bookings, simply as it’s the bigger, more established venue. Floating Points, Marcellus Pittman and Peggy Gou all delivered killer sets there in 2018, with the popular Secretsundaze party proving a consistent highlight. That said, Pickle Factory punches well above its weight when it comes to its programme, welcoming the likes of Objekt, Margaret Dygas and DJ Bone.

Both venues occasionally host midweek live gigs, too.

How expensive are tickets?

The two clubs are similarly priced, although the Pickle Factory does tend to be slightly cheaper. Both offer early bird tickets that start at £5, with the Pickle Factory going up to around £15 by the time of the last release. Oval Space, meanwhile, often reaches £20 for a final release ticket, and sometimes is even costlier.

How late do they stay open?

Thanks to the two venues’ relatively isolated locations, both stay open until the morning. On both Fridays and Saturdays, the two places usually keep things bouncing until about 6am, although they do occasionally wrap up an hour or two before this.

How good are the sound systems?

They’re both impressive, kitted out by German firm d&b audiotechnik. Truth be told, the sound is probably sharper in the Pickle Factory, though, probably down to the fact it's a much smaller, more conventionally shaped venue.

What should I wear?

There isn’t a dress code, and the general vibe when it comes to clothing is pretty casual at both venues.

Is there a cloakroom?

Yes, at both venues, costing £2 per item.

How do I get there?

Cambridge Heath station on the Overground is only a couple of minutes’ walk away. The nearest Underground station is Bethnal Green, which is about 10 minutes away on foot — although it is on Night Tube at weekends, so is one of your best bets for getting home.

Meanwhile, there are a number of bus routes (D6, 26, 55, 48, 106, 254, 388, 394) that will drop you off nearby the venue, with three night buses to pick you up afterwards: N253, N26 and N25.