Ministry of Sound: Anthology, a 416-page hardcover book documenting the history of the iconic London nightclub, is set for publication on 20 October 2026 through Rizzoli New York. The book marks the first time the full story of Ministry of Sound has been told in a single volume, drawing on rare archival material, unseen memorabilia, and first-hand accounts from key figures across dance music culture.
Written and designed by Grammy-nominated creative director Simon Moore, the project took more than two years of research to complete. Material was sourced from private collections, photographers‘ archives, second-hand shops and online stores, with much of it never previously published. Moore conducted hundreds of hours of interviews in the process, gathering recollections from founders, staff, clubbers and DJs — many speaking publicly about the club for the first time.
Contributors include Paul Oakenfold, David Morales, Carl Craig, Moby, Princess Julia, Pete Tong, Steve Angello and Honey Dijon, among many others. The book traces Ministry of Sound’s origins in the early 1990s, when the club was shaped by the influence of New York venues such as Paradise Garage alongside the UK rave scene, through to its growth into one of the most recognised institutions in global dance music.
Among the moments revisited is the club’s early operation without an alcohol licence — described by founder Justin Berkmann as an „underground juice bar“ — as well as performances from Frankie Knuckles, DJ Harvey and Underworld. The book brings together photography, flyers, posters, record sleeves and oral histories to document how a venue built inside a derelict warehouse in South London came to shape house music culture in the UK and internationally.
Moore described the research process as revealing something more extraordinary than he had anticipated. „Through hundreds of hours of interviews, I heard first-hand accounts of passion, ambition, chaos, money, drugs, gangs and, above all, a deep love of music,“ he said, adding that the accounts collectively show how the club „left a permanent mark on British dance music culture.“
Ministry of Sound Managing Director Caitlin McAllister welcomed the finished work, noting that Moore had captured not only the club’s history but the emotional connection audiences hold with it. „Everyone has a Ministry story,“ she said, „so to see the very best of them brought together in one place is pretty special.“
Spanning more than three decades of club culture, Ministry of Sound: Anthology is positioned as a preservation of a pre-digital era that helped define modern nightlife. The hardcover edition publishes 20 October 2026.
Source: Decoded Magazine
