In the spring, Copenhagen's new warehouse venue - Poolen - will open. A large and raw venue dedicated to concerts, raves, parties, and events. The venue is established in an old shipyard factory on Refshaleøen, and is being renovated with modern facilities and state-of-the-art sound and lighting. Poolen will be operated by the team behind Pumpehuset and Byhaven and will have a standing capacity for 2500 guests.

Copenhagen has a great selection of venues, ranging from small intimate stages to large arenas. Now, Copenhagen is finally getting a large warehouse venue where the raw energy and industrial aesthetics are preserved.

Exploring the last industrial frontier
Poolen is situated on Refshaleøen between an old dry dock (a pool) and an auto scrap yard. Music enthusiasts are familiar with the area due to festivals like Copenhell, Distortion Ø, and Karrusel, as well as the techno club Hangaren. The building previously housed the venue Stagebox but originally served as a workshop for the shipyard B&W. Now, the experienced team behind Pumpehuset and Byhaven has entered into a lease agreement with Refshaleøens Ejendomsselskab and set their own ambitions for the venue.

Kristoffer Buck Bramsen, co-owner and CEO of Poolen: "I come from a music environment and culture where we moved into the city's industrial areas and took over abandoned factories. We transformed warehouses into music temples for an evening, far from the mainstream music offerings in the city centre. Copenhagen changed from an industrial city to the world's best metropolis, and the opportunities for wildness, celebration, and loud music became limited. The factories are gone, and the industrial areas have turned into residential neighborhoods. On Refshaleøen, we have one last chance to invite people on an adventure before the area is absorbed by the city forever. With Poolen, Copenhagen gets its last big, raw warehouse venue - only with a proper organization and facilities that meet modern audience demands and can accommodate the biggest international productions."

Broad, edgy and a high level of activity
Even though Poolen is standing on the shoulders of rave culture, the venue will be a musically open and challenging space with a diverse range of music genres and events on the schedule. In collaboration with Denmark's numerous concert, rave, and event organizers, the ambition is to present music for more than 100 days a year.
The renovation of Poolen is in full swing, but the building will retain its raw appearance, true to its nature as an industrial structure.

James Alexander Hancock, operations manager at Poolen, explains the renovation process: "We're keeping the place as raw as possible. Of course, we'll leave our mark with modern audience and production facilities, including a world-class sound and lighting system. Poolen is designed to host major shows but also cater to the wild subcultures of the underground scene. In harmony with the building's industrial aesthetic, we aim to create nooks, lounges, and ambiance both inside and outside Poolen. Our ambition is to extend the experience, starting before the actual show and lasting longer than what one might experience in other venues of this size."

The development of Refshaleøen
The area around Poolen is well-known for its seasonal music events. With Poolen, the area gets a year-round offering in the major event category. "We are very pleased that music will soon be played again in the old B&W factory because music is and still remains an important part of Refshaleøen. We welcome the team behind Poolen, experienced and well-regarded forces from the Copenhagen music scene, to Refshaleøen, and we look forward to collaborating with them," says Jes Transbøl, CEO of Refshaleøens Ejendomsselskab.

Poolen is currently undergoing renovations and is set to open in the spring of 2024 at Refshalevej 189 with an audience capacity of 2500.

For more info about Poolen, please write to [email protected] or visit Poolen.dk to sign up for the newsletter.