Core Room is born, the alternative club in the center of Málaga that captures the spirit of the old Velvet

It's hard to imagine that in just a few hours, the small venue on Convalecientes Street, right in the center of Málaga, will open its doors as a new club for alternative dance and music. On the eve of the opening, the bar is filled with boxes, loose cables protrude from the walls, and the furniture is stacked in the corners. "There's a lot of work left, but we'll make it in time," say the managers of the space.

Because this Thursday night, Core, a new bar in the center of Málaga, is set to open for the first time, aiming to be a discotheque, dance club, and concert hall. It will serve as a meeting point for an alternative Málaga, seeking rhythms not commonly found on radio stations or major streaming platforms. Core - being at the core of the city - takes over from Velvet Club, which closed down in December 2024 after 17 years and hundreds of concerts. In fact, Juan Diego Altamirano, the driving force behind Velvet, is lending a hand in the transition to the new promoters, although he will no longer be involved in day-to-day management.

Alejandro Alarcón, Saúl Roldán, and Antonio Mérida are the owners of Core; three thirty-somethings who have been part of the local scene as promoters and artists for years, and whose 'Fiebre Club' event was a staple on Thursdays at Velvet. With the closure of the previous venue, they saw an opportunity to step forward and lead the new project. "We open Core eager to offer the city a dance area, a place for fun, where people can enjoy themselves with affordable prices. We aim to provide a quality atmosphere without prejudices, without labels, and with good music outside the mainstream line," explains Alejandro Alarcón.

The idea is to follow the path opened by Velvet, but modernize it a bit and reach younger generations, who have very diverse musical tastes and are mobilized through social networks. "We already have quite an extensive program, with concerts ranging from rock or hip hop to electronic music. We have been working on event programming for several years now, with Fiebre and other parallel projects, and we have a wealth of experience and a network of contacts to work with. Still, it will be a challenge to maintain a monthly schedule, but we are very excited," he asserts.

For the opening night this Thursday, the event will feature DJ Krizis, a pillar of Mexican reggaeton, along with Basikvl, John Hurt, and Bass Seismic, and all tickets have already been sold. On Friday, Perchel Norte Sound System will perform, a pirate radio, a classy neighborhood, and a movement "that enjoys dance and Jamaican music, punk, house, funk, and, of course, the breakbeat merdellón" and Saturday will be the turn of Muku Party.

The new venue will open from Thursday to Saturday and hopes to gradually build a loyal audience. In the hours leading up to the opening, there is as much nervousness as there is work to be done. "We've been planning this project for almost a year and have been executing it for about three weeks, there's a lot of work, many details to improve..." comments Antonio Mérida, another co-owner.

They acknowledge that the venture is risky, as it requires an initial financial investment and hard prior work that does not guarantee success. "We believe that in a city increasingly focused on tourism and commercial activities, we have a place because we have been testing it for a long time. Perhaps it's not a large number of people, but there is a minority that wants an alternative atmosphere and different type of music in the center of Málaga," he reflects.