At nightclubs all over the world, once crowded dance floors have remained empty for months. If you need to be reminded, clubbing is a close contact activity: People share drinks, hugs, kisses, and generally invade each other’s private space until dawn.

And while such an escape and the opportunity to emit some steam might be welcomed after locking up all over the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, the current situation poses problems for nightlife. How can people safely touch the dance floor while respecting new social steps that distance?

Initial attempts to reopen the club and live music scene have provided clues about what might be happening in the nightlife. In China, where the nightclub has reopened, participants undergo temperature checks before entering and registering their personal information to facilitate contact tracing. Places offer extra precautions such as disposable cups and disinfecting the bathroom every hour.

“Fear is the challenge,” said Shane Davis, co-founder and creative director of the Brooklyn Public Records venue, via video chat. “This is fear of the unknown, fear is among people you don’t need to believe.”

For decades, nightclubs and raves have provided a sense of togetherness in times of social or political upheaval, which often develops under limitations and restraints.

In the 1970s, New York City discotheques offered a safe place for LGBTQ visibility; in 1988, the rebellious and hedonistic acid house parties swept through Britain and gave birth to an entirely new musical movement; in the 1990s, German techno flourished after the fall of the Berlin Wall, bringing together the youth of the once separate country.

While many places will struggle to stay afloat without filling capacity every weekend, it seems like design, technology and some creative ingenuity can help reshape how people return to the nightclub, even if touch is not permitted. Here are some ways that the party can do in 2020 and beyond.

A new wave of subculture styles

“What we have designed will not become medical equipment,” said creative director Miguel Risueño. “Because then it’s a mistake rather than something that makes you happy.” Credit: Production Club, Inc.

“We decided we needed to find a solution to bring back events – not in one year but tomorrow,” said creative director Miguel Risueño. “We came up with the idea of ​​creating a suit that allows you to socialize.” Being aware of the cultural history and costumes of the club, Risueño and his team chose a more sophisticated futuristic design.

“What we have designed will not become medical equipment,” he said. “Because then it’s a mistake rather than something that makes you happy.”

The Production Club hopes to hold their first party with Micrashell later this year. Credit: Production Club, Inc.

Dancing in the open air

Because Spain makes locking easy, the country will allow indoor spaces to operate with a maximum of only 80 people – unsustainable capacity for spaces that often fit hundreds or thousands of visitors – while up to 800 people will be allowed in open spaces. As a result, ticket prices can go up. In the case of the Coconut Beach party, which only offers entry to 100 people, each ticket costs 70 euros ($ 77 USD).

Drive-in shows have progressed beyond films to live music and theater. Here, 200 cars lined up to watch German DJ Alle Farben perform in Bonn, Germany. Credit: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images

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The driver was also drawn to a field in Bonn where DJ Frans Zimmer, aka Alle Farben, appeared on “BonnLive Autokonzerte,” a series of car concerts inspired by the need for social distance.

Virtual streaming and listening room

Until people can freely return to dancing indoors, the club needs to think about how to adjust to the steps of social distance. “The dance floor will adapt,” Davis said. “It might not be the same dance floor as people (wearing) masks, but it might be a different experience altogether.”

The Berlin nightclub Kater Blau participated in “United We Stream,” an effort in March by city musicians, promoters and clubs to keep live music going on during the lockdown. Credit: John MacDougall / AFP / Getty Images

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New York City is still, at least, more than a month away from seeing the reopening of music venues, but will face the same challenges from other international venues that are trying to operate under the new city laws. What Davis didn’t want was to sacrifice the spirit of Public Records – which could be hampered by limited capacity events that were heavily watched.

“The beauty of nightlife … is an element of that opportunity,” being around other people who are “unknown and fun,” Davis said. “If we cannot reach that level of experience, then we will only do something completely different until we can again.”