Blinged-out and bigger than ever, Club CUBIC has re-launched in Macau. But will this superclub be aboe to fill its floors? By Hans Schlaikier

What first springs to mind when someone mentions Hong Kong’s colonial little brother Macau? Huge casinos? Immigration queues? Perhaps some salty bacalao? How about a thriving club culture? No, really.

Touted as one of Asia’s biggest, hottest, loudest clubs, the new and enlarged Club CUBIC and its $100 million interior design officially turned on the mirrorball on 1 April with an exclusive launch party featuring infamous Floridian hip-hop artist Flo Rida.

Occupying a sprawling 3,000 sq ft in the City of Dreams, the two storey mega-club greets you with an overwhelming array of high-tech lighting, curvaceous shapes and booming waves of bass. No expense has been spared, from the state of the art sound system, to the lasers and giant LED screens, to even the aforementioned massive disco ball that can open and close revealing two performers hiding inside. The walls here have their own 3D texture, giving the whole space a grandiose surrealist feel. With three bars, the club caters to a range of luxury tastes. There’s the gothic-styled black bar, Asia’s first Perrier-Jouët champagne bar (the fourth such incarnation that puts Macau in such distinguished company as London and Milan), and the “Junior hall” which, adorned with metallic fish scales and laser lights, is not for the glare sensitive.

The club also boasts all manner of private party and karaoke rooms upstairs. From cutesy pink to aristocratic silver and black, they provide a vast range of styles for those looking to indulge to excess in suitably excessive surroundings. So far, so Macau.

The club certainly has the wow-factor, and it’s probably worth a visit just to gawk at its extravagantly pimped-out grandeur. Add to this the impressive list of big-time party names who are scheduled to play the club (April’s line-up includes Rahzel, Lil Jon & Big Dee, Kenny Dope and Lord) and Club CUBIC seems a promising candidate for the title of region’s first proper megaclub – something Hong Kong clubbing loyalists have long been calling for.

And yet, while the big names are booked and the facilities are gleaming and ready to go, is there a fan base big enough to fill such a behemoth venue in Macau? “The club scene here is quite limited; and there’s not much variety on offer” says Victor Garnier, co-founder of Macau entertainment outfit Solid Sounds. With the existing scene comprising of a handful of clubs already hotly competing for the patronage of a small clique of local dance fans, and those tourists adventurous enough to look outside their in-house hotel casino, it’s easy to picture a vast chasm of dead space on the sprawling dance floor at CUBIC on most nights.

So who is the club hoping to attract? The City of Dreams marketing team have fancifully referred to their perceived patrons as “CUBICANs.” Assuming Macau hasn’t recently experienced an influx of Cuban-Mexican dance aficionados, who are these people? “Hong Kong is definitely one of the big target markets for the club,” says Garnier hopefully.

Nick Wilsher of Entertaining Asia, says Macau holds many advantages over Hong Kong for regional party-planners: “Macau is much more event friendly. They have the space and infrastructure for bigger events, rental costs are not as high as in Hong Kong and you don’t have issues with noise complaints.”

But will Hongkongers come? Wilsher seems to think so: “People see it as a holiday. They book a hotel, make a trip out of it and enjoy themselves. The key is to make it really attractive.”

As impressive as it is ambitious, Club CUBIC certainly lives up to its megaclub moniker; but only time will decide whether it can build a local and international following to justify its spectacular costs. As always in Macau, one thing’s for certain: if you want it, it’s here.

Rahzel  plays Cubic Fri 15; Kenny Dope Sat 16; Annalyze Fri 22; Freaks Sat 23.
Info: +853 2828 6696; www.cubic-cod.com