A Time, A Place. Culture Club 25Y. (pre-order)

This is a pre-order. The book will be ready by mid-January 2027, and you’ll have it in your hands before 29 January. Every pre-order comes with a printable gift card, sent to you by email as a PDF. 
 
Win one of the last 25 duo-tickets to the ‘25 years Culture Club’ party at S.M.A.K. on 30 January. From now until 5 December, we’ll give away five duo-tickets every Saturday evening in a prize draw among everyone who has pre-ordered the book. Winners will receive their tickets by email the following Monday.

Culture Club was the talk of the town, both in Belgium and beyond. 'A clubbing phenomenon', wrote The Sunday Times, ‘spoken of in reverential whispers by the hipster masses’. THE FACE called it ‘one of the best clubs in Europe’. Twenty-five years after it first opened its doors, the iconic venue is being celebrated with a party at S.M.A.K. museum and a book.

Spanning more than 200 pages, this beautifully designed coffee-table book brings the legendary Gent nightclub (2001–2017) back to life through unique archival material and original photography. At its heart is the community that once gathered at the club – a meeting place for the tastemakers of music, fashion, design and art – stylishly designed by renowned architect Glenn Sestig. 

Thanks to the personal archives of photographers such as Thierry Van Dort, Melissa Van Belle and Boy Kortekaas, A Time, A Place. Culture Club 25Y exudes glamour, rock ’n’ roll and excitement. The words of journalist Jonas Boel, himself a protagonist in the story, do the rest. There could be no better writer to capture the atmosphere of those days and bring to life the stories of its many key figures – dancers, staff members, DJs, creatives, promoters and more.

The book is designed by Diederik Serlet, who created Culture Club’s iconic paperclip logo 25 years ago and meticulously shaped its visual identity for years to come.

Testimonials by Stephen Dewaele, David Dewaele, Erol Alkan, Murielle Scherre, Mo Becha, David Fouquaert, Delfine Bafort, Glenn Sestig, TLP, Colin H. Van Eeckhout, Bernard Gavilan, Jan Hoet Jr., …

“Culture Club was a starting point for a whole generation. The message was: it’s okay to take nightlife seriously. To take yourself seriously. Go for it!” (Fredo, resident DJ)

“It was undoubtedly a calling card for me. As an architect, you couldn’t wish for anything better than a public venue to show off your work.” (Glenn Sestig, architect)

“We didn’t have much money, but we had plenty of imagination.” (Evelien, clubber)

“When I was starting out with my brand, my first public show was at Club 69. Later there was a time when nearly all my models either worked behind the bar at Culture Club or were on the dancefloor every week.” (Murielle Scherre, designer, La fille d’O)

Hardcover with plastic jacket, 230x305mm, 208 pages, English.
Release date: 29 January 2027
Limited Edition

This image is a digital mock-up and has been created to be as accurate as possible.