Club Euphoria Has Done It All, From Addison Rae-Themed Parties to ‘Techno on a Thursday’

Club Euphoria has come a long way from Zoom parties and virtual exhibits. In December 2025, it celebrated its fifth anniversary with a stacked DJ lineup, live performances, and a drag stage, and their recent Pride Month party, Bayot Riot, followed the same format. It’s a lot, but it isn’t even all that the collective is capable of.

From album-themed club nights with giveaways and games to a 20-person photoshoot at Rolling Stone Philippines’ office rooftop, Club Euphoria certainly knows how to throw a party. “Some parties talaga, they just put their theme, and that’s it,” says Club Euphoria founder Earvin Corona. “Kami, we really cater sa gusto ng community from us. It doesn’t stop lang sa pagpapatugtog ng music. We do have community games, so very interactive ‘yung events namin.”

Earvin and co-organizers Edgy and Art Marter take pride in the party group they’ve fostered over the years. Edgy is the group’s resident DJ, Art is a drag artist, and Earvin is a visual artist. Together, they represent everything that Club Euphoria has to offer. “Hindi namin kaya na limited ‘yung pwede namin gawin, kasi sobrang talented ng mga tao sa Club Euphoria,” Art tells Rolling Stone Philippines.

Here, the three discuss the journey of Club Euphoria from doing Zoom events in the pandemic to organizing some of Metro Manila’s most sought-after queer parties, the “horrors” of having a home bar, and navigating inclusivity and safe spaces.

Can you tell me when you got started organizing parties as Club Euphoria? How did you form the collective?

Earvin: Actually, nagstart siya around 2020 pandemic. I realized may unlimited access sa Zoom sa office namin, so sabi ko, “Why not organize?” Uso ‘yung Zoom parties before and ‘yung Zoom inuman, [and] kaka-start ko lang mag-explore sa nightlife noong 2019. So I needed that reconnection with friends. Since mayroon nga ako access sa Zoom, I started inviting my friends.

Una watch parties, tapos eventually, I got ambitious and I thought of having a digital exhibit. So I invited my artist friends [who worked with] different mediums, from photographers, from visual artists to drag artists. Nilatag ko lang schedule-wise na “Okay, sila ‘yung mag-e-exhibit to showcase their talent.” Kasi na-realize ko I have a lot of very, very talented friends.

From there, nagkaroon kami ng one party. Funny nga, ‘cause I had a poll kung anong name ng party. Uso na ‘yung Euphoria nung time na ‘yun. So ‘yun ‘yung nanalo sa poll. So we thought of Club Euphoria. Hindi ko na tinanggal ‘yung name kasi it sounds nice.

Being in the pandemic, did you have any references for a collective and for the kinds of parties you wanted to organize? What were they?

Earvin: I think TXF [Today X Future], bukas pa sila nung time na ‘yun. I wanted to recreate that experience with my close friends and friends of friends.

Sa experience niyo, what was the queer dance scene like when — or before — you guys started?

Edgy: I started going out around 2018 or 2019. It felt like I was home. And I think one thing I learned early on was to be more aware of who you meet. But seeing other queer people express themselves as freely as they want to also inspired me din to be more of myself.

How often do you guys organize parties?

Earvin: Since independent talaga kami before, [coming] from Zoom parties. Then we got ambitious and partnered with bars. We started isa-isa lang, papitik-pitik na events. Tapos nagkaroon kami ng home bar, so we tried every Friday. Presently, seasonal na lang for our events. Very intentional, actually.

Edgy: Right now, we don’t have any home bars, kasi we realized the horrors of it. But now, we often hold our events at Apotheka, Electric Sala, UNWND, and The Groove. 

Do you want to expound on the horrors of having a home bar?

Edgy: I think number one is creative [control].

Earvin: Parang music label, they get to control your creativity, so it hinders what you can execute, what you can say, what you can express.

Art: Noong nag-start kami, we were very — pun intended — free to do what we want kasi collective kami ng mga artists, and from the visuals to the performers, sama-sama kami. Hindi namin kaya na limited ‘yung pwede namin gawin, kasi sobrang talented ng mga tao sa Club Euphoria. Even ‘yung mga hindi performers, kahit ‘yung mga goers namin.

Imagine na nagsama-sama kami sa isang place tapos limited lang pwede naming gawin, parang baka magsabunutan lang din kaming lahat. For me, it’s the best talaga na makahanap kami ng mga venues and locations na tanggap kami sa gusto naming gawin. And I think that works the best naman sa amin kasi mas nabibigay namin kung anong kaya naming i-offer.

What do you look for in a bar or a venue?

Art: Depende kasi kung anong gagawin namin na event. We do listening parties, meron tayong mga drag shows, meron din kami mga live singers, DJ-centric nights. So it really depends kung ano ‘yung mahahanap naming location na pwede namin gamitin.

Earvin: Ako ‘yung sobrang nag-ma-manage ng logistics, documentation, etc. Very specific ako, since we’re partying with different bars, ‘yung scale, what they can offer financially, or what else they can offer for us. We usually work around kung ano ‘yung mabibigay nila. If they can hold a lot of people, ito ‘yung pwede naming ipasok na event. And if [it’s an] intimate space, we craft the event [around] kung ano ‘yung kaya ng space, kung ano ‘yung vibe.

When it comes to music, is there a specific genre or sound that you gravitate towards?

Edgy: I think we’re a mix of pop, house. It’s like a playlist at Club Euphoria. Because we really want our goers to experience like, techno on Thursday, you know? We really want to cater to every audience as much as we can, even for the straights.

Club Euphoria also does a lot of themed parties. I know you guys did Charli xcx, Addison Rae, FKA twigs. What goes into organizing themed parties that maybe other organizers don’t have to consider kapag walang theme?

Earvin: I think what I can really be proud of sa pag-o-organize namin, since nag-mi-meeting kami, I want to say again the word “intentional,” kasi some parties talaga they just put their theme, and that’s it. ‘Di mo feel ‘yung community, ‘di mo feel na parang they really love the event, they just really put the theme kasi feeling nila mabenta. Kami, we really cater sa gusto ng community from us. It doesn’t stop lang sa pagpapatugtog ng music. We do have community games, so very interactive ‘yung events namin.

Edgy: We also have this sister collective, which is PlanetPulp. Let’s say, for example, we’re going to have a Charli xcx night. We really try to connect with the fan club of Charli xcx.

In Club Euphoria, you include a lot of performers who aren’t necessarily DJs in your lineups. You have drag artists, Stef Aranas is a DJ but she’s also an R&B artist, singer and rapper Kumare Harvey. Some organizers aren’t DJs either. Do you find that DJ and non-DJ organizers approach organizing parties differently?

Art: As a performer, as an artist, as much as possible, nag-ri-research din ako, lalo na kapag ako na-bu-book sa ibang mga shows, kung ‘yung production ay naiintindihan ang essence and art ng drag.

For us naman, since magkakakilala kami since the pandemic, and kahit na hindi naman drag artist ‘yung iba sa amin, alam nila ‘yung mga struggles at alam nila kung ano ‘yung mga kailangan ng mga drag artist.

Edgy: For me, because I’m a DJ and an organizer, I think there’s a big difference, just because if you’re a non-DJ, sometimes, you’re just going to focus on the revenues. When we started, we didn’t care about the revenues, we did it for free, until we realized na dapat pala ma-compensate tayo. As an organizer, it’s important for me that we’re not just going to dance. I hold onto making safer spaces for people, especially younger queer people.

Earvin: What’s beautiful with our team is very diverse kami. Well-rounded ‘yung team namin.

Edgy: Fun fact: Lahat kami sa Club Euphoria, we’ve done drag performances.

Art: Lahat sila nakapag-wig na.

Earvin: Part of what I’m focused on sa pag-organize ng events, since I’m a visual artist, is giving and sharing platforms sa mga visual artists naman. Hindi basta-basta ‘yung posters namin. Sobrang tutok ako, like I’m sending pegs, moodboards. Very collaborative siya. When you see [our posters], may love and care [the artists put] doon sa poster.

What are the challenges of organizing a party specifically for queer people?

Edgy: It’s quite sad how some people just don’t have the heart — entering a party and just being reckless, or just having selfish reasons to make it unsafe or uncomfortable for other people. And sobrang hirap because there could be boycotts of anything. Kinancel nila si ganito. Naka-blacklist si ganito-ganun. 

It’s really sad na some don’t really have the guts to do the right thing. I don’t get it. Just call out your friend, or call out this person. Recognize what’s wrong. We can’t just be having fun and dancing, or tuning in to the next set of this DJ when you know na you can’t be yourself, and that you’re making yourself small just because you’re anxious to go out. And I’ve personally experienced that recently, someone tried na abangan ako sa labas ng bar para bugbugin ako. I was hypervigilant for two weeks. Hindi ako makalabas.

What safeguards do you have in place to ensure safe spaces?

Earvin: Since we’re very in touch sa community, the best way to learn is to get feedback. From the year we started, may list na kami ng things that we should do. For example, we proactively ban people talaga from going to our events ‘pag may mga ganoong reports. And may instances na may nanakawan, may mga nagkaroon ng unnecessary interaction with other guests, we coordinate sa bar. Kasi ‘yung venues talaga dapat nag-ri-reinforce [ng safe space]. Of course, we are very much proactive, kasi ‘yung feedback sa ‘min diretso ‘yun, hindi sa venues. 

Edgy: Recently, Earvin got creative and printed photos. “These people, beware.”

Do you think, for the people outside the queer community, there’s a misunderstanding of what a safe space is?

Art: Oo naman. Saan ka ba nakahanap ng group of straight friends where isa sa pupuntahang bar ay queer bar? Siguro masasabi ko ‘yung mga girls, very open na sila when it comes to drag. Pero for me, I think na mayroon din talagang pre-judgment pagdating sa safe spaces. Everyone’s welcome naman sa aming spaces. Pero ang akin lang kasi, I’m not really a person who’s really comfortable partying with straight guys unless they’re my friends.

Earvin: We’re always trying na as accessible [as possible] ‘yung events namin. We try not to gatekeep. Tsaka ang goal ko noong nag-start pa lang, gusto ko hindi nag-ge-gatekeep, walang pataasan ‘pag pumapasok sa amin. I don’t care if you have this status, or [if] you’re a famous person. Gusto ko lang, ‘pag pumunta ka doon, masaya lang. Walang nakaka-intimidate na vibe.

What is it about dance or nightlife that is so important to the LGBTQ community sa Pilipinas?

Edgy: Young queer people find refuge talaga in the community, and in nightlife. Because being in a household where they condemn you for being yourself is the most painful and insufferable feeling. And that’s why it’s really important to not just expose queer people in spaces na we can celebrate. It’s important also na may familiarity and safety.

Do you think there’s something in Filipino queer culture that specifically that makes us more predisposed to partying?

Earvin: I think it’s really more of the outlet talaga, kasi you cannot be yourself talaga sa bahay minsan. Sometimes the safe space, weirdly enough, is not at home. It’s more of with your friends, more of these spaces na we create. I think ‘yun ‘yung main reason why we party.

Edgy: My first exposure sa inuman was my dad. Makikita ko na he’s with his friends, and like, “Ah, pare!” And I cannot relate to that. Going out at night and hearing Carly Rae Jepsen for the first time, that popped my shit. This is what I want. Everybody’s glammed up, kiki-ing.

Art: Feeling ko naman, Pilipino tayo, so ‘yung culture ng pagiging Asian na dapat ito lang gagawin mo, mag-aaral ka lang. Tapos nakakita tayo ng ibang culture na they are celebrating, they are partying, naiinip naman tayo — o ako na lang, sige. 

What has changed within Club Euphoria and the bigger scene since you guys started?

Earvin: ‘Yung sound landscape, sobrang nag-iba. Before kasi may mga lyrics [‘yung tinutugtog]. Ngayon, na-e-enjoy na nila ‘yung mga walang lyrics na sound, ‘yung kumekembot-kembot lang sila. Dati kasi, ‘yung iba, nagrereklamo pa na “Bat walang lyrics?” Ngayon gusto na nila ‘yung walang lyrics.

Also, mas educated na I think ‘yung guests na on how we do things. ‘Yung reach namin sa community, may mga sapphic artists na kami din na-ta-tap. Before kasi, kami-kami lang talaga. Since si Art, siya ‘yung close contact for drag artists, we eventually branched out sa mga iba-ibang artists na binu-book namin.

Dati, kami-kami lang. Ngayon, kung sinu-sino binu-book namin. Sinu-sino in a good way.

Edgy: Sa Club Euphoria, I started as a door bitch. And now, I’m a DJ. The purpose of Club Euphoria is to platform artists, DJs, and live performers. Now, ang dami namin dito, and we have resident DJs, resident photographers.

Earvin: Before, trip-trip lang. Ngayon, empowering people.

Art: Ang saya maka-meet ng taong gusto mag-party and at the same time, sobrang talented. Dito ko lang din na-experience na hindi mo alam, ‘yung mga katabi mo or mga kasama na sumayaw, ganito pala ‘yung ginagawa nila IRL or creatively.

Ano ang pinaka-importanteng leksyon na natutunan niyo sa realidad ng pag-o-organize ng nightlife?

Earvin: What I really learned from all the events that we organized is you really cannot be super free talaga, lalo na kung ang event is really tied to venues, you have to meet in the middle with these people. At the same time, huwag tayo mag-se-settle na if we can push ‘yung gusto namin ‘yung gawin, we’ll try to push and communicate it with our partners, para hindi naman siya one-way lang.

I don’t want to end up booking a lot of artists, tapos hindi ko sila mababayaran. We try to be realistic in our lineup, in the scale of our events.

Ako talaga ‘yung nag-fu-fund ng events namin. So wala kaming financial backing. And I’m also not anak ng contractor, so wala talaga ‘yung big finances sa likod ko. So nalugi ‘yung event, ako talaga nakakaramdam ng weight ng mga decisions na hindi dapat na-push through.

We’re in a better place now naman. We’re strategic na with our events. Happy to say we’re thriving.