No plans for Valentine’s Day? A ’90s underground rave is taking over the CBD

Posted on 29 January, 2026

If a candlelit dinner is off the agenda this Valentine’s Day, we have the perfect suggestion on what you can do instead: dance the night away in a Euro-Techno bunker.

A world away from roses and restaurant bookings, it will be an immersive, late-night descent into the gritty, hypnotic world of 90s-inspired rave culture, transporting you from Canberra’s CBD to Berlin basements.

For one night only, the former Transit Bar space at Bailey’s Corner will be reborn as a Euro-techno bunker, as the  Brass Knuckle Brass Band (BKBB) brings high-octane beats to the CBD for Futeuroscope.

Known for their high-energy New Orleans street sound, the band is promising a “Berghain-style” experience, complete with horn-led dance music inspired by Europe’s underground electronic scene.

Designed to feel intimate, immersive, and just a little bit secretive, with Transit Bar currently sitting between tenancies, Futeuroscope offers a rare glimpse of what temporary activations can bring to Canberra’s late-night landscape.

Stripped back and reimagined as a closed-door club environment, venue manager Marc Brown – who is facilitating access for the one-off event – says the activation is a vital pulse-check for the city’s nightlife.

“It is great to be able to do something positive for this area and create a more positive story for the hospitality economy, rather than a negative one,”

“The late-night economy needs to feed off itself, and while we are still dealing with external factors like the construction on London Circuit, there is a clear potential and appetite in Canberra for these types of immersive, temporary events. Seeing this space come alive again for something this unique is incredibly exciting.”

To complete the club transformation, BKBB has also enlisted local electronic mainstays d’Opus, who will be spinning a dedicated House set, and Mariana Dub, known for their deep, whirlpool-inspired sonic energy.

BKBB trombonist Michael Bailey says that the project has been quietly evolving behind the scenes for years.

Inspired by European brass collectives like MEUTE and Hackney Colliery Band, the group became fascinated by the idea that a live brass ensemble could create the same immersive club atmosphere as a DJ-led set. And now they’re ready to share this darker, electronic edge with a Canberra audience.

“We’ve been obsessed with the European brass movement for a long time—bands like MEUTE and Hackney Colliery Band showed us that you don’t need a DJ booth to create a club atmosphere,” he says.

“We’ve spent the last two years reworking our sound to find that relentless, mechanical drive. The band is incredibly excited to finally bring this darker, electronic energy to a Canberra audience.”

Playing a mash-up of original club bangers and brass-heavy reworks of EDM anthems from the likes of Alice Deejay, The Prodigy, Rufus du Sol, and Flume, whether you’re ditching Valentine’s clichés or heading out with friends, this is your sign to swap soft lighting for strobes and love songs for pounding techno beats.