IKEA Is in Its House Party Era
Mentally, we’re still there, packed in the ‘kitchen’ of House Party Bar and celebrating the launch of IKEA’s new Oxford Street store with a wild night in the heart of London’s Soho.
To celebrate the opening, the flatpack fam teamed up with Lab54, the group of Londoners who’ve spent the last few years bouncing from cafe to pub to chicken shop around the country on a mission to bring you the best house party of your life, to throw a series of housewarmings across the city celebrating the way people live, party, and experience home today.
The grand finale party was a collaboration between London radio institution Rinse FM, House Party, and IKEA. The line-up was solid, the turnout was huge, and the vibes were top-tier, unpretentious, and fun. It didn’t cost anything to attend, which is kind of the whole point of a house party. And there were IKEA goodie bags, of course.
This link-up was a pretty genius move on IKEA’s part. The name Lab54 is, in part, a reference to Studio 54, the ’70s New York club that was so iconic in its dedication to OTT hedonism that Bianca Jagger once rocked up on a white horse. But these days, it’s not so easy to throw a hedonistic one in the UK capital, or to go out at all, if we’re being real. With the rising Cost of Living Crisis, over 1000 venues closed down in the last five years in central London alone and the price of pretty much everything has skyrocketed. Going out is expensive, and having a biggie is getting harder and harder to afford.
So, IKEA joined forces with Lab54 to inspire ways to socialize without breaking the bank. By putting people and real experiences at the centre of the launch, this event series completely broke away from traditional retail openings. It delivered something unique, accessible, and affordable, which, at the end of the day, is what the IKEA brand is all about.
The IKEA Oxford Street store is now open. Find out more at Ikea.co.uk.
