Being passionate about both music and feminism, when I was told about Heartbreakers Club– described as “the ultimate girls’ night out that celebrates self-love and sisterhood loud and proud, to a diva-led soundtrack” — I knew I had to learn more about the London-based club night.
Born from the ashes of a breakup and built on playlists of empowering diva anthems, Heartbreakers Club has quickly grown into a sell-out, community-driven event. With craft corners, photobooths, storytelling, and a dancefloor powered by pop icons and bass-heavy bangers, it’s more than just a club night — it’s a space for connection, reinvention, and collective joy.
The night is described as FLINTA-forward. FLINTA is a term used in some feminist and queer spaces that stands for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender people. In practice, it means the space is designed with women, femmes, and gender-diverse people at its heart, prioritising their safety, expression, and connection.
I spoke to co-founders DJ Alphagal (Alex) and MC Twinksy B (Twinks) about heartbreak, diva anthems, and building a dancefloor that feels like a feminist fever dream.
Heartbreakers Club was born out of a breakup — can you talk about that moment and how heartbreak became the seed for something communal and joyful rather than isolating?
As Alex was exiting her marriage and doing all the admin that comes with uncoupling I started to send her tunes, and she would send them back almost like a love language between the two of us. This then became a playlist – We soon started to see the songs had their own code: Vocals by strong powerful Divas, encouraging, empowering, inspiring, never tearing other women down or centralizing and pedalstalling men. These became our athens and gave us the language to support each other… The next era was loading and it was being fulled by pop princesses and heavy basslines.
At what point did the playlist turn into a party — and then into a fully-fledged club night? Was there a moment where you realised this was bigger than just the two of you?
The concept of the night came to us like a collective strike of inspiration! Alex is Event producer extraordinaire and I (Twinks) am a Fashion stylist and creative director, we cover all bases and the vision and concept of what HBC is and can be just unfolded in front of us… we knew we were meant to be a duo, we knew it was a night for the girlies to gather and we knew we had to create it… We come from a large and expansive coven of women, so many bold, kind and talented queens that we get to call our friends, sisters and community – they consistently inspire and motivate us and we wanted to bring that energy and love that we are so lucky to be part of it and bring it out into the world.
Both of you had long-held creative ambitions (DJing, MCing). How did Heartbreakers Club give you permission to finally take up that space?
Alex made her professional DJ debut 6 months before HBC was born – her musical knowledge and depth is a marvel and she has so much range when it comes to playing, but in her previous life there wasn’t the room for her to express this. I have been hosting and MC-ing but often as the support act to my male peers for years but something about us coming together in this way has just galvanised into magic! Our audiences always report back how much they love to see us perform and interact, they can see the bond, love and friendship between us and that’s what makes our shows and events so special – for too long we both facilitated and were stuck supporting the voices of men. No more… HBC is our space and place and we are here to uplist and celebrate our community of femmes and thems!
You’re very intentional about decentring dating and men at Heartbreakers Club. Why was that important, and how does it change the energy in the room?
The energy at a Heartbreakers club event is A FERAL FEMME FEVERDREAM. We’ve had people describe it as a “feminist five rhythms meets a big campy, kitschy, girlie sleepover” Its honestly just the most magnificent feeling – looking out and seeing a room full of women and non binary icons just singing their hearts out, expressing themselves. Making new friends and seeking meaningful connection. You can strut, dance however you want- fly that femme freak flag, get sexy and sensual with it! Get wild, get weird or be hot and wholesome… It’s up to you how you want to show up in the space. We encourage dance circles, catwalks, impromptu dancefloor performances… Seeing our community take up space is JOYFUL RESISTANCE in its truest form. Also the outfits represent this – Alex and I wear some pretty bold looks that we couldn’t wear in mainstream clubs but we feel wildly empowered and safe to wear at our events. Something just collectively happened in our mid 30s and its so fun to play with
What does “FLINTA-forward” mean to you in practice — not just as a label, but as something people actually feel when they walk into the night?
It means the night has been thoughtfully designed with women, femmes and gender-diverse people at its heart, so inclusion isn’t something added on later — it’s built in from the start.
People often describe an immediate sense of belonging and euphoria.There’s less pressure to perform, impress or be “on,” and more freedom to dress for yourself, dance how you want, and take up space without feeling watched or judged. The energy becomes playful, warm and supportive rather than competitive.
Ultimately, being FLINTA-forward is about creating a space where people feel safe enough to be bold — whether that’s feeling sexy, silly, emotional or loud. It’s not about excluding anyone, it’s about setting a tone where connection, joy and self-expression come first.
How do you balance creating a safe space while still encouraging boldness, sexuality, silliness, and taking up space unapologetically?
Heartbreakers club is born out of Heartbreak so we make sure that we create space for that – If you want to have a little cry on the dancefloor – we got you boo, we will hold you in that.
Our event is for the full range of human emotion… you want to give us a full scale floor show and let the muse flow through you. We will happily oblige with cheering!
We have a craft area if you need a time out, we have different spaces for different energies and I really love and trust the community that is forming through these nights. We host it with a mix of vulnerability and strength – we set the tone for what we would like the space to be – nightlife is a collaboration, we set the scene but our community makes the night, once the show starts its over to them…
Music is clearly at the heart of Heartbreakers Club — why divas, and what is it about diva anthems that feels so powerful in a collective setting?
DIVAS, ICONS, LEGENDS! Is there anyone more powerful than a Pop princess or a musical matriarch? I think not – these women have soundtracked our lives, created and defined culture. We have curated our playlist to reflect this – we take you on a journey you will feel a whole range of emotions but we always end with the ravey banger, because at the end of the day we are Bassy rave babies!
Your nights go beyond DJing with crafts, photobooths, storytelling and hype hosting. Why was it important to create something more immersive than a traditional club night?
We just incorporated the things we love most: Arts and crafts, dressing up and music! We wanted to honour the full spectrum of how people socialise. Not everyone wants to be on the dancefloor all night — some people connect through making, talking, creating memories. By offering multiple ways to engage, we create a richer, more inclusive experience. It also turns the night into something people participate in, not just consume.
How do you curate the emotional arc of a Heartbreakers Club night — from arrival to peak chaos to the end-of-night comedown?
We like to start the night with a mix and mingle and try to personally welcome as many of our guests in as possible because once the decks are fired up and the mic is hot the party is ON!
We have different sections of our set and we will take your on an emotional and musical ride of pop diva anthems – that are fast becoming our HBC moments from ‘rise of the girlgang’ to ‘sad girl summer’ through to ‘Bad Bitch energy’- the last hour is always bass heavy and our dancefloor will be throbbing with femme led garage and drum and bass!
Our night is different because I MC throughout – we set the tone for each section… Think part hype girl, part story telling siren and dancefloor narrator.
At the end we bring it down a tempo with some beautiful ballads voiced by some , giving everyone the space to ground down and integrate the full power evening we’ve all co-created, have a night cap and reflect and swap instagrams with all our new friends!
You talk a lot about community, not just partying. What are some moments from past events that really affirmed why you’re doing this?
At our last event we had people travel from Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton, Bristol, Halifax and beyond… All that way to our little pink palace in east london for one night! That to us is wild and overwhelming. We had a glorious party goer who said it was the first time she had danced since contracting long covid – and that our tunes reminded her who she was and gave her joy
Heartbreakers Club attracts people at different life stages — breakups, transitions, reinventions. Why do you think it’s resonating so deeply right now?
So many traditional milestones no longer fit the lives people are actually living. There’s grief in that, but also freedom. Heartbreakers Club offers an alternative ritual — a way to mark endings and beginnings that doesn’t rely on weddings, babies, or linear success. It says: your life, as it is, is worth celebrating.
It’s authentic – our party really was born out of a divorce, as friends we had to walk through fire together and come out the side. Changed. We had quite the divorce era in our friendship group last year… Heartbreak comes in so many different forms; from romantic, friendship, professional, grief both personal and global. It’s tough out there. But if you can reframe that feeling – we literally rebranded Heartbreak into something femme and powerful rather than sad. We find joyful resistance on the dancefloor together.
Our dance floor literally hosts women and non binary folk from 19 to 65! Its intersectional and intergenerational coven magic.
We are all for a rebrand, a renew, refresh, transition and transform.
Have you seen friendships, collaborations, or creative projects grow out of the space you’ve created?
When we first started the craft area was just my art bits from my studio and the dress uo area was my personal wardrobe (Twinks) Now we have our bestie – The artist Sophie Malpas who runs her own workshops (cut.stick.create) facilitating our craft area and styling service ‘House of Venus’ adding onto the dressing up corner.
We have seen people come alone and leave having made real, true connections. I (Twinks) have literally met people on public transport, complimented their outfit and immediately invited them.
From selling out Bar Doña to Glastonbury and now new residencies — how have you navigated growth without losing the intimacy of the night?
A year ago no one knew we existed…! Our first event was beautiful but intimate, I think we had 45 Heartbreakers in the space. It was palpable and powerful and now we are selling out weeks before the event! But we made the promise to each other from the very beginning to always stay true to what we’ve created. We are very clear and out spoken about what we stand for. We are just so excited that people are excited.
But we played for 1000 women and non binary folk at Camp VC last year which was our biggest show yet and although it was large we still managed to make it feel cute, Connected and communal.
We have a new residency that’s just started at the dreamy ‘Eaton house studio’ the dream pink house meets your fave party princesses.
We have an upcoming event with a ‘Feminist wine bar’ and a few other things in the works including private parties where we can bring the ‘Heartbreakers club’ energy to your event… Birthdays, hen dos, divorce parties!!
We are really keen for brand partnerships and are looking to take our party nationwide and across the country!
We stay rooted in our values. No matter the scale, we prioritise care, connection, and presence. We’d rather grow slowly and intentionally than dilute what makes the night special. Intimacy isn’t about size — it’s about intention. We are at the centre of it but as long as our community feels connected and included it will grow with them. Fundamentally it’s about getting together and having a really good time – we thinks theres a lot of femmes and thems out there that are up for that
You’ve spoken about wanting Heartbreakers Club to expand into supper clubs, Galentine’s events, and International Women’s Month programming. What does the future ideally look like?
We see Heartbreakers Club as a cultural ecosystem — a place where people can gather in different formats, at different times, for different needs. Dancing will always be central, but we’re excited about creating spaces for conversation, celebration, and connection beyond the club. We have some really exciting collaborations coming up! Our first festival of this season will be mighty Hoopla (same line up as Lily Allen – the patron saint of Heartbreakers!) We are just getting our festival bookings in now so hopefully we will see you in your favourite field soon!
What would you say to women, femmes, or FLINTA people who feel like they’ve been “playing small” creatively or socially?
You don’t need permission, be loud, dress up and take up space. Wear a slutty little dress if you want to and never ever dull your shine to be more palatable. Decentralising men is a gloriously fabulous thing to do. Find or build spaces that reflect who you actually are, not who you think you’re supposed to be. Taking up space isn’t selfish; it’s an act of self-trust. We thought we were just a couple of cuties building a playlist post divorce and donning matching body stockings… turns out others needed it just as much as we did. Build it and they will come.
Finally — on a personal level — what has Heartbreakers Club given you that you didn’t expect when you first started?
Alex: A sense of community! We had no idea how much people would resonate with our parties, and that the same people would come back month on month, creating new friendships in the craft corner or celebrating each other on the dancefloor. I’m so proud of what we’ve created and it feels weird that we haven’t been doing this our whole adult lives…!
Twinks: It’s given me a sense of purpose and put an unquenchable fire in my belly. Some of the reports back from people that have been to our events and seen our sets are astonishing, big shifts and changes – given out guests …. We created something that we needed and turns out others needed it too. It’s shown us the power of creating something honest and letting it be seen. Most unexpectedly, it’s taught us that joy – especially collective joy- is not frivolous. It’s essential. It’s not just a party, it’s a dancefloor protest and a fight for femininity and friendship.
In a world where nightlife can often feel transactional, image-obsessed, or centred around dating, Heartbreakers Club feels like a refreshing alternative. It’s a space where heartbreak is reframed as transformation, where friendship is the main event, and where the dancefloor becomes a place of joyful resistance. More than just a party, it’s a reminder that collective joy, creativity, and connection are powerful things — and sometimes the best way to heal a broken heart is under disco lights, surrounded by other femmes and thems, singing along to a diva at full volume.
The next Heartbreakers Club takes place at DONA in Stoke Newington on 26th Feb, and though it’s sold out you can join the wait list here
Find Heartbreakers Club online- Official Site/Facebook/Instagram/TikTok
Interview by Hayley Foster da Silva
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads | Mailing List