SPARK Clubnight comes to Laurenskerk Rotterdam

HAPPENING 10 JULY 2026 | SPARK Clubnight brings an alcohol and drug-free night out to the Laurenskerk on Friday 10 July. The four-hour programme combines breathwork, live music, dance, stories, meditation and collective movement, with a line-up built around Rotterdam artists and changemakers.

Rather than recreating a traditional club night without the bar, SPARK follows a structured journey from stillness to the dance floor. The organisers call the idea “going out by going in”, with connection, imagination and reflection taking the place of a night built around drinking and constant stimulation.

A club night with a different rhythm

SPARK is aimed at young adults looking for a social Friday evening without alcohol or recreational drugs. The Laurenskerk setting adds another break from the familiar club format, replacing a dark dance venue with one of Rotterdam’s most recognisable historic buildings.

The event is also a no-phone experience. Visitors can store their phones and belongings in a guarded cloakroom, giving the evening a deliberately offline character and keeping attention on the programme and the people sharing the space.

SPARK arrives during a wider conversation about how young adults spend their nights and protect their wellbeing. The Trimbos Institute’s major nightlife study examines alcohol and drug use, health and intentions to reduce or stop using substances among young people who go out, while the Dutch Council for Public Health and Society has warned that performance pressure, acceleration and individualisation contribute to what it calls a “hypernervous society”.

The founders of IMAGINAL CELLS connect those concerns directly to the concept. “More and more young people are not looking for another place where they can numb themselves, but for a place where they can find themselves again. We believe that going out can also be a source of inspiration, connection, wonder and resilience,” say Dennis Karpes and Josine Bakkes.

SPARK Clubnight comes to Laurenskerk Rotterdam

Four stages shape the evening

The programme begins with Consciousness, using breathwork, meditation, music and sound to bring attention back to the body. This is followed by Wisdom, with stories intended to connect the audience with nature, community and older traditions.

Imagination introduces young changemakers who have turned ideas into practical work. The final stage, Transcendance, brings everyone together through live music, dance and meditation, allowing the evening to end with movement rather than a conventional closing DJ set.

The experience starts at 19:00 with breathwork coach Fleur Lefers, soundscapes by Naomi He-Ji and Giorgi Dwayne Franklin, and live piano from Lorenzo Nsumbi. Winti priestess Marian Markelo contributes to the Wisdom section, while social entrepreneur Pim Roggeveen shares his perspective during Imagination.

Rapper Winne, dancer and theatre maker Amira Al Rawi and DJ JAMSY lead the closing part of the evening. Yasmin Wilnis and Rotterdam presenter Paulo Lopes host the programme and guide the room between its different stages.

What to expect on arrival

Doors open at 18:00, an hour before the programme begins. Tea, soup, drinks and light snacks will be served, although the organisers stress that this is not a full evening meal. The experience begins at 19:00 sharp and ends at 23:00.

The entire event is held in English. No earlier experience with breathwork, meditation or guided movement is needed, and each part is introduced during the evening.

Tickets cost €15 and are available through https://luma.com/rh83d3tw. More information about SPARK and its programme can be found at https://imaginalcells.one/spark/.

The Laurenskerk edition is expected to bring together around 300 young adults. That makes it large enough to feel collective, while the guided format keeps it from becoming a standard open-ended party where everyone is left to work out the vibe for themselves.

SPARK continues after the club night

IMAGINAL CELLS describes SPARK as a continuing local community rather than a single event. Monthly Clubhouse evenings are planned on the first Monday of each month, with each edition introducing a different tool or practice.

A longer programme is also planned later in the year. SPARK is currently active in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with expansion to Utrecht, The Hague and Eindhoven expected.

Whether the concept represents the future of nightlife is far too grand a conclusion after one Rotterdam edition. It does, however, offer a clear alternative: a night in the city where you can dance, meet people and experience live performance without alcohol, phones or staying awake until the first metro starts running again.

How to get there

SPARK Clubnight takes place at the Laurenskerk on Grotekerkplein, beside the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk in central Rotterdam. Blaak station, the Markthal, Meent and the Binnenrotte are all within walking distance, while several tram and metro connections stop nearby.