Built in 1987
The building at 398 Richards Street was built in 1987, and the space has run as a nightclub since the late 1980s. The official site describes the operation as "a family run business that has been owned and operated for close to 40 years," and calls it "a staple in the Vancouver live music and nightlife scene for over 20 years." No individual operator is publicly named.
The Sunken Floor
The Red Room is an open-plan basement nightclub built around a sunken dance floor, so crowds look up at the stage. The venue advertises "wonderful sight lines," a PK Sound system it calls "Vancouver's first state of the art PK Sound system," plus intelligent lighting and a full video presentation. Listings classify it as a single-room bar/club with 450 standing capacity and wheelchair accessibility; the official site puts the room at "over 400 people."
Electronic, Bass and Latin Weeklies
Programming centres on electronic and EDM, Latin, and live music, with Top 40, hip hop, salsa, and bass styles in the mix. The signature weeklies include a long-running Latin Friday night (Cancun Nites / VLF, billed as running 20-plus years) and SUBculture on Saturdays, "Vancouver's home for Bass Music and sound system culture," showcasing drum and bass, dubstep, and other bass and electronic sub-genres. Organix, a Thursday psy-trance event, runs through a production company started in 1995.
A Fixture of the Nightlife Scene
The Red Room bills itself as "Vancouver's independent nightclub & entertainment venue" and "home to some of the best Electronic, Latino, and live music in the city," calling itself "a point of reference for the nightlife scene in Vancouver." Its stage regularly hosts local and international music producers, and the room runs ticketed DJ and live events alongside recurring community and Pride parties, including a Hershe Bar Vancouver Pride closing party.