Stadium (Jalan Hayam Wuruk) CLOSED

Update May 2014:

The Jakarta City Administration has closed down Stadium following the death by overdose of a policeman who partied there. I'm keeping the review below as a tribute.

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Jakarta's mythical nightclub, Stadium can be extremely crowded on weekends and for special events. It has four floors, each supposedly with different music but tribal techno/progressive house is dominant. Stadium is big enough to get you lost and so dark you would not recognize your mom if she was dancing 1 meter away from you.

The atmosphere inside the club is unique: Dark, cavernous, loud, definitely underground. You will find all kinds of people partying hard in Stadium: taxi drivers, socialites, bosses, students, expatriates, tourists, etc...As it is open until very late in the morning (9am during the week, later during the weekend), it is where all the nightlife ends in Jakarta, once all the other bars and clubs have closed. It has the reputation of staying open 60 hours non-stop from Friday to Monday morning, but this is true only for the karaoke.

If you come for the music, you will need to go to the 4th floor, the famous "lantai empat". Most foreigners stay on the left of the podium, near the DJ. Many gays are just below and the rest of the dance floor is mostly packed with young people. On the corners, in the dark, dealers, prostitutes and pimps. Older clients usually go downstairs in the karaoke room and take ectasy/shabu-shabu with some girls. The crowd is at best on Sunday afternoon, because many youngsters who do not have permission to spend the night out clubbing do it during the day. There, they mix with die-hard clubbers who are partying since the day before.

Great DJs came here, in particular Ame and Luciano, plus some Ibiza DJ such as DJ Pippy. It is currently hosting more and more international DJs, at least once a month or two.

The owner of Stadium has a few other places, more specifically massage parlors and karaoke, namely Malioboro, Beverly Hills and Sumo.

Safety in Stadium:

As with other nightclubs in North Jakarta, most of the clubbers inside Stadium take drugs, in particular ecstasy. Beer is enough for me, but if you decide to take something stronger, you have to know about the potential risks. There are police raids occasionally, but the management of Stadium is usually informed before they occur and they can prevent anybody to deal inside its premises on these days. People can get caught more easily outside the club, and therefore you should be extremely discreet and you should not keep anything on you when you leave the building. The worst thing that could happen to you is having your urine tested positive. If you don't take drugs, you can ask for a drink called Barracuda (Rp200k), which is known to be quite strong. The Cendana cocktail is popular as well.

4000 or 5000 people can fit in the whole club, but there is only 1 fire exit, so pray hard that nothing will happen. Pickpockets are another safety issue, with the primary target being cell phones left in the rear pocket of your pants... you may be high, but others aren't and they are much aware that you are an easy prey.

At last, the taxis located just outside of the club should be avoided if possible. Walk along Hayam Wuruk for at least 200 meters, then catch a Blue Bird or an Express.

Update July 2009:

There were a few people injured and one dead in a fight that took place in Stadium. Apparently, the attack was led by a group of young people in white shirts who wanted to close down the place. In spite of that, I don't think it's unsafe to go there by yourself, the biggest danger you might encounter is being ripped off by a taxi driver.

Update March 2011:

As some readers commented, there are indeed some nude dancers in Stadium now. I took a photo that I voluntarily censored:

Some famous Stadium songs (from 2004-2008):

For the music, Stadium is setting the tone for most of the other discos in Jakarta. Some tracks are so easily identifiable that when they are played in other places, you'll see people go "Stadium song!". Here are some sample:

Runaway - Iio - played live in Stadium by DJ Mumuch
Till There was you - Rachel Starr - Gabriel and Dresden
Storm is Rising - John Creamer & Stephane K feat Susana
Habibi - DJ Mumuch
At The End - Iio (Couldn't find the Stadium remix though)
Stadium song unknown title: A great one but can't find the name (or maybe Commisar Pro?)
Ecstasy - Stadium Jakarta remix
Desert Rose by Sting, Stadium remix
House of Voodoo - Shadows: This one may not have started in Stadium, it's a bit more housy, but you hear it everywhere (the remix is not the original one but it's the best I could find).

Address

Stadium Jakarta
Hayam Wuruk 111
Phone Number: +62-21 626 3323
Email: std@stadiumjakarta.com