The Night Movers Made Us Move

DJ’s rPal & Molly at Movers

Movers
15 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH
Tues-Wed 09:30-18:00 | Thu-Sat 09:30-00:00
DIY day-night venue & coffee spot

Sometimes the best nights out happen by accident. What started as a casual post-pub debate outside The Lord Roberts turned into our introduction to Nottingham's newest addition to the dance scene, and frankly, we couldn't be more pleased with how the evening unfolded.

"Where we going then?" one of us mused after a couple of pints. The plan seemed simple enough, Jam Café for a few more drinks, maybe catch the last of those precious warm summer evenings we've been clinging to. But then someone mentioned Movers, that new place down in Hockley. "Why don't we pop in, maybe have a bit of a dance?"

Dance? In Nottingham? When was the last time any of us had properly moved to electronic music? After spending most of the evening discussing everything from diet jabs to the state of the world, the prospect of actually moving our bodies to some decent beats felt surprisingly appealing. Maybe we could even burn off a few of those pub calories.

So that's how we found ourselves walking into Movers at half past nine, and immediately we knew we'd stumbled onto something special. A small but committed crowd was already moving to the expertly curated sounds being laid down by rPal and Molly, Robin and Molly to their friends—the night's resident DJs who clearly knew their craft.

The venue itself feels authentically DIY, the kind of place that emerges organically from a genuine love of music rather than corporate planning. By day it operates as a coffee spot, but when evening falls, it transforms into something altogether more electric. There's an intimacy here that larger venues simply can't replicate; everyone feels part of the same collective experience rather than just another face in the crowd.

Quick hugs with friends who'd already claimed their corner of the dancefloor, then a dash to the bar to investigate their intriguingly named cocktail (well mixers) menu. "Special Mixers" they call them, with names like Rum Bull, Vodka Mate, and Bitte Boy that somehow perfectly capture the venue's playful, irreverent spirit. These aren't your typical cocktail bar concoctions, they're honest drinks with honest names, designed to fuel the dance rather than impress the Instagram feed.

We found our spot in the corner, letting our bodies remember what it felt like to actually move to music. The track selection was impeccable, Mojave Skyline got our feet tapping, Synthestitch had us properly moving, and by the time Katanga Slide (apparently Ukrainian Electro, though genre boundaries felt refreshingly irrelevant) kicked in, we were fully committed to the cause.

What followed was exactly what Friday nights should be: hours of dancing, genuine conversation, and the gradual exploration of more Special Mixers. The evening happened to be the launch party for their new "Open Decks Wednesdays" starting September 17th, a promising development that suggests Movers is serious about building a proper community around electronic music in Nottingham.

All good things must end, and with the venue closing at midnight, the DJs brought the night to a perfect close with Helms Deep by Darren Roach. It took a moment to place it, my brain had to reach back to proper party days to correctly identify it as deep house, but that nostalgic mental archaeology was somehow fitting for a night that felt like rediscovering something we'd forgotten we missed.

Movers is part of SwingDash, described as "a dance social self serve radio live stream platform supporting the Notts dance music community." That might sound like tech jargon, but what it really means is simple: real people supporting real music for real dancers. In an era of algorithm-driven playlists and corporate-sponsored events, there's something genuinely refreshing about a space dedicated to the pure, uncomplicated joy of moving to good music.

We left knowing we'd found our new go-to spot for those evenings when our feet demand movement and our souls need electronic salvation. Nottingham's dance scene has gained something special in Movers, a place where the music matters, the crowd cares, and the vibe is absolutely right.

Go check it out. Your feet will thank you.

★★★★☆

Next time: We'll be back for Open Decks Wednesday to see what the community brings to those turntables (bet we’ll see Justin there).