«Minsk's nightlife is going through its worst times». A cry from the heart of a capital DJ about the crisis in the party scene
Belarusian DJ Ilya Trishin, also known as Diana Advocat, raised the topic of nightlife in the capital in his blog.
The guy has been involved in the club scene for about five years. He notes that the crisis started a long time ago, it is systemic, and has now reached its peak.
Why did this happen? The DJ lists the main reasons, in his opinion.
«Firstly, there are practically no decent foreign acts brought to Belarus. Of course, some lesser-known artists visit us, mainly from Moscow and St. Petersburg. But this is not the kind of news event that would attract a large crowd. I won't even mention that there were almost zero Western artists in 2025.
All this greatly diminishes the quality; parties become monotonous. Local DJs, of course, are great, but if they stew in their own juice, everything starts to fade», — comments Ilya.
Secondly, the DJ articulates a global trend — young people are less and less interested in going to clubs, staying up all night, drinking alcohol, and then recovering from a hangover for two days.
«Now, this is an unacceptable luxury. Previously, going to a club was something «wow», an aura and magic. But today, have you been to club «58»? There's no magic there. It's better to go to a quiz, a quest, go skiing, jump on a trampoline — some kind of active recreation».
Ilya names the economic situation as the third reason.
«Going out to party today is very, very expensive. Entry to parties — about 50 rubles. A taxi there and back — another 50. Alcohol has become very expensive: cocktails at 20, beer at 15. Partying all night — that's a minimum of 200‑250 rubles».
Continuing, the guy also addresses the organizers themselves.
«People are afraid of big losses — it's difficult to get legalized, your event can be banned on the day of the event, and you've already sold tickets, spent a lot of money on setup, light and sound rental, advertising… And then one day they'll just tell you: «Sorry, we're canceling your touring certificate because we felt like it.» That's why no one wants to take risks — everyone organizes such small parties that even if you take a hit, it's not a big deal. But aiming for scale — that's too expensive and risky».
In the end, the DJ asks a logical question: how to get out of this?
«Perhaps we need to come up with a new format — maybe less nightlife, more evening life. There's a lack of formats for people who can't afford to party all night, who have families, children. I myself, for example, would gladly play at a party that started at 7 PM and ended at one or two in the morning. So we could party properly, and instead of alcohol, drink, for example, some great pu-erh teas or filter coffee».
In the comments, many agreed with Trishin, though ironically noting how he skillfully listed various reasons while avoiding the main one — the political crisis in the country, which led to a large number of restaurateurs, artists, and creative youth leaving, as well as the closure of once stylish and iconic venues.
«We already live in rather dark times, so nightlife is not relevant», «2020 + war = we have what we have», «After the raids on Zybitskaya, there's no longer any mood to lie face down on the floor», «You haven't even been to Homel yet — only memories remain» — people share their pain in the comments.
«I didn't experience the parties at Ok16, and «Maf» closed right under my nose, but tears well up when I pass by the former «Hyde», «Lo-Fi», and «Komuna» — it feels like once these places of power were taken from Minsk, now there's simply nothing to breathe with», — lists one of the capital's residents, referring to the lost venues that maintained the party scene on Kastryčnickaja street.
Most agree that alcohol is indeed not as fashionable as it used to be, worldwide, and this leads to the closure of clubs and venues even in progressive, party-centric cities like Berlin.
«Morning raves! I found such a solution for myself! It's really cool to go to a nice cafe on a Saturday morning with beautiful, stylish people and listen to great electronic music», — recommends one of the commentators as an alternative.
As for new entertainment, some commentators also advise paying attention to gyms/fitness clubs.
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