DJ and producer Erol Alkan will headline Rhythm Stick at Alexandra Palace Theatre this autumn. The inclusive club night, designed and produced by adults with disabilities returns on Wednesday 21 October for its third edition.
Rhythm Stick will transform Ally Pally’s Victorian theatre into a club, with DJs and high-quality sound, lighting and visual production. The event is open to everyone aged 18 and over.
Rhythm Stick combines the club night with a free events management course, giving adults with disabilities hands-on experience of creating and delivering a live event. Participants work alongside industry professionals and Ally Pally’s event management, production, technical, marketing and front of house teams to develop practical skills across every stage of putting on a club night. The project is co-produced throughout, with the group shaping everything from the line-up and promotion to the production and audience experience, before putting their skills into practice on the night.
Erol Alkan is the founder of the Phantasy Sound record label and the London club night, ‘Trash’, which ran every Monday from 1997 to 2007. Bringing together indie, electro, post-punk to garage rock, ‘Trash’ became a home for a diverse creative community and hosted legendary DJ sets from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party and Hot Chip. Alkan tells all in his new book ‘Trash: A Club, A Sound, A Home,’ published by Faber on 14 January 2027.
Erol Alkan says; “Honoured to have been asked by Alexandra Palace to take part in such an opportunity. Very much looking forward to being a part of this evening.”
Rhythm Stick reflects Alexandra Palace’s charitable purpose to provide opportunities for people to enjoy, experience and take part in culture. By opening up its expertise, people and resources, the programme gives adults with disabilities the chance to develop new skills and explore different ways to be part of live events, from performing and DJing to the many roles behind the scenes.
Accessibility is built into the Rhythm Stick infrastructure from the outset. In June 2025, Alexandra Palace became the third venue ever to achieve Platinum status on Attitude is Everything’s Live Events Access Charter, recognising the Palace as an industry leader in accessibility. The Palace was also named Best Accessible Day Out at the Blue Badge Access Awards in April 2026.
For Rhythm Stick, accessible provisions include step-free access, accessible toilets and a Changing Places facility, Blue Badge parking, free companion tickets, a lowered bar service, hearing loops at service areas and a dedicated sensory space. Dedicated accessibility staff and a Welfare Officer will also be on hand throughout the event, with additional equipment including sensory bags, hearing protection, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Mark Civil, Head of Creative Learning at Alexandra Palace, says: “Rhythm Stick is about creating a great club night that everyone can be part of, whether that’s on the dancefloor, behind the decks or behind the scenes. Creating more opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in live events, develop skills and explore the different roles within our industry is so important, and Rhythm Stick puts that into practice, all while bringing everyone together for a brilliant night out at Ally Pally.”
Rhythm Stick first launched at Alexandra Palace in 2019, when participants completed an events management programme before producing Rave Revolution in the Alexandra Palace Theatre. It returned in 2023, culminating in a club night at Marcus Garvey Library in Tottenham featuring DJs from the disabled community alongside Alexis Taylor.
The 2026 event also forms part of BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally, Alexandra Palace’s programme marking 90 years since the start of regular high-definition television broadcasts from the Palace and celebrating its continuing story of innovation, creativity and entertainment.
As part of Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, the Creative Learning Programme supports Alexandra Palace’s purpose to inspire and engage its communities and help ensure that opportunities to participate are not restricted by financial or physical barriers. Each year, Alexandra Palace’s Creative Learning team supports more than 13,500 people from Haringey and north London through programmes that increase access to culture and learning, develop skills, support wellbeing and create positive experiences.
Tickets for ‘Rhythm Stick – Live from Ally Pally’ are £7.00 adv from alexandrapalace.com.
Rhythm Stick Events Management Course is free and runs until Wednesday 21 October 2026.
