A new nightclub is due to open in part of an iconic Dundee venue which has been left vacant for years.
City businessman Tony Cochrane will open up Aura on the ground floor section of the Fat Sam’s building on South Ward Road on Saturday evening.
The Dundonian, who runs 14 clubs across Scotland through TGC Leisure, said the new venue will complement Club Tropicana and Vogue – the popular establishments he has been running from the upper section of the building since 2014.
Aura, which neighbours the Fat Sam’s Live section of the building, has capacity for 1,200 punters, will play popular music and run a number of events throughout the “student season”.
It will be complete with a VIP section, booths and two bars.
Mr Cochrane said Aura’s opening will be a boost to Dundee’s night-time economy following the closure of neighbouring Liquid and Envy earlier this year.
“We have been running Club Tropicana and Vogue in the original Fat Sam’s on the top floor, Aura will be about more mainstream music for the younger crowd,” he added.
“We got the bottom space and turned it into Aura. It has capacity for about 1,200 (people). There was a gap in the market and in the feedback we have been getting.
“Fat Sam’s was on the middle floor. We took over and transformed it into Club Tropicana and Vogue.
“Aura will be a separate entity aimed at the 18 to early-20s market with more modern music.
“It was kind of iconic, Fat Sam’s. The bottom has been vacant for a long time, we decided to do the transformation. I think it has been empty for years.
“The trend tends to be clubs closing across the country. We’ve always been in a position to keep the clubs open when a lot of them are closing. Everyone just thought ‘lets go for it’.
“Dundee is definitely on the up and definitely getting that vibrancy again.
“I’m really happy with it. There will be a feel and look that we know the younger people will feel comfortable with.”
Throughout the year there will be regular guest appearances at the club, starting with Love Island stars Georgia Steel and Sam Bird on Saturday, September 15.
They will be followed by Celebrity Big Brother and The Only Way is Essex star Dan Osborne on Saturday, September 29.
There will also be “Liqwed” Wednesdays aimed at students.
