Switch

The floor that lit up again

Under the arches of Parque Itália, in the heart of Boavista, the dancefloor regained its light on May 9, 2026. The new club occupies the venue where Swing marked the night of Porto from 1981 until the fire on a São João night in 2007. More than a decade of silence and a year of construction were enough for architect Sérgio Rebelo to reinterpret the venue without turning it into a souvenir: he preserved the squares of the original resin floor, combined them with wood, and laid almost five kilometers of cable so that each piece of the pavement can be programmed separately and change the atmosphere.

The first floor evokes the mirrored bar of the old Swing; the restored stairs go down to the dancefloor; an elevator opens another entrance for those who cannot use the steps. Scenes from the film O Lugar do Morto were shot in the same building, and the space was part of the city's nightlife imaginary for decades.

The booth in the middle of the dance

The main dancefloor is organized at a single height, like a dance temple. The central booth—removable to become a stage—places the DJ in the center and discards elevated platforms and extra-pay areas. On the sides, bars; upstairs, cocktails, jazz, and downtempo; further away, the Red Room to talk or get some air. A cloakroom, a ramp to the only elevated section, and gender-neutral bathrooms complete a venue designed for proximity. There is no VIP: the architecture forces everyone to share the same dancefloor.

Multi-generational House

The artistic direction of Ruben Domingues—twelve years at Indústria and head of the Elétrico festival—places house at the center, with a mix of generations and emerging artists. In the first few weeks, Raresh, Diana Oliveira, and Rui Azevedo performed; later Deep Dish, DJ Vibe—resident of Swing in 1987—, Rui Vargas, Carl Craig, Tiga, or Michael Mayer. Switch also presents itself as a cultural hub: concerts, residencies, listening sessions, and showcases, not just club nights.

Friday to Sunday in Júlio Dinis

The venue is open from Friday to Sunday, from 22:00 to 06:00, at Rua de Júlio Dinis 766. The programming changes with the lineup. It is not Swing with a different sign: it is a contemporary club that preserves stairs, a floor, and a memory, and that wants to return a stable club culture venue to Porto.