Florida 135

The Origin of a Dynasty

Affectionately known as The Cathedral of Techno, the history of Florida 135 is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating stories in the global electronic music scene. Located in the town of Fraga (Huesca), in the region of Aragon, this legendary venue holds the proud title of being the oldest active club in Spain. Its doors originally opened in 1942 under the direction of Juan Arnau and his wife Francisca Ibarz, who inaugurated a leisure space that in its early years functioned as a cinema and traditional dance hall. Over the decades, the venue knew how to reinvent itself to survive the country's social and cultural changes, moving through live music programming, the disco phenomenon in the seventies and eighties, until finding its true identity at the beginning of the nineties.

The Cathedral of Techno

It was during the nineties that the Arnau family made a risky and historic decision: to bet unconditionally on the new electronic sounds arriving from Europe and the United States, such as techno, trance, and acid house. To accompany this musical metamorphosis, the interior of the club was radically transformed, creating a spectacular decor that perfectly imitated a street in the New York Bronx, with its urban facades, dark alleys, graffiti, and industrial aesthetic. This immersive aesthetic turned Florida 135 into an unavoidable epicenter and a place of pilgrimage for lovers of the most hard-hitting electronic music from all over the Iberian Peninsula and the south of France. From the roots of this club, other global entertainment giants were born, directed by the following generations of the Arnau family, such as the legendary Monegros Desert Festival and the well-known global brand elrow.

Legacy, Artists, and Today

Absolute royalty of world techno has passed through the iconic DJ booth of Florida 135: legends of the stature of Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier, or Ben Sims, in addition to its charismatic historic resident DJ, Andrés Campo. Currently, the club has adapted its business model and no longer opens every weekend uninterruptedly, but instead reserves its celebrated nights for specific dates, anniversaries, and occasional events. Each opening continues to be a massive event that manages to gather nearly 3,000 faithful who travel by bus from all over the territory, proving that the magic, energy, and legacy of the club remain more alive than ever in the heart of Fraga.