Exclusive: Inside the Ouseburn ‘sewer rave’ that happened this weekend

Yesterday, police released pictures online of a rave that happened on Saturday night in a former WW2 bomb shelter. They say those responsible for organising the event are thought to be university students. So we spoke to the people who went, to find out what it was really like. All of the names in the article have been changed.

Jess arrived at the pub and was then escorted with everyone to the party. She told The Tab: “It was honestly one of the best nights I’ve had at uni – it was nothing like anything I’ve ever been to before.”

She added: “I went with a group of 15 and when we got there it was packed, at least 200 people there. As the night went on it gradually decreased. I remember looking round at about 4:30am and there being about 50 people left. Then at 6:15am when I finally decided to call it a night there were about ten people left raving in the tunnel.”

Jess said: “It didn’t smell. It wasn’t a sewer, it was like a storm drain or some sort of flood defence – or that’s what I got told it was, but there was sooo much mud. Leaving the rave it was so surreal. I felt like I had been kept hostage from a zombie apocalypse under ground for about 20 years, and when I emerged I just wasn’t the same person anymore haha.”

Around 200 revellers waded through shallow waters to access an area clad with lighting and speakers. The event was organised on Facebook with attendees invited to a pub beforehand and then taken to the tunnels.

Jack, who also went to the rave, told The Tab: “It was a storm drain that we used, wasn’t a sewer. And it used to be a WW2 bomb shelter. Was really good vibes and everyone was looking out for each other, on the way in and out.”

Jack continued: “There was a good 250, 300 people inside at one stage, and a mix of locals and students which was cool. Mostly students though, the locals saw people setting up and just ended up staying and brought their mates round.”

He added: “There was a carbon monoxide alarm fitted to the generator to make sure it was safe. It didn’t get shut down at 4am like the police keep saying. It kept going until about 7am. People who left after 5am weren’t allowed back in, though.”

Another reveller said it was “a corker of a night”. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the event. Police have warned the public about the danger of these types of raves and the risk the organisers are placing themselves in.