DLTBrunch has truly changed the face of the day party scene in London, England. For those who have attended an event, the name itself brings nostalgic smiles to faces and for those yet to experience it, curiosity and a sprinkle of impatience. Representing all that you want from a bottomless brunch party in an international city, DLTBrunch exists to give the diaspora a new way to enjoy London’s party scene.
Initially conceived after a string of amazing day party memories from times spent living in NYC, DLTBrunch was an attempt to bring similar vibes to the UK. DLTBrunch has hugely expanded its vision since 2016 when it all started. Fusing together a concept compromised of all the things you need for the perfect formula for a good time, DLTBrunch soon elevated to one of the most known events in the city.
DLT has hosted at the some of London’s most cherished venues, including Proud Embankment, Altitude, 28 West, Luxford Bar and E1 London. The event has even hosted international gatherings in Malta and Ghana to name a few destinations.
In this Travel Noire exclusive, we speak with co-founder Michael Amusan to find out what to look forward to in the future and why we should never (ever) skip brunch…
How would you describe DLTBrunch for a first timer?
In a sentence, it is about good energy and movement. I describe DLT as a place for Black people to experience locations in the city like never before. By that I mean giving attendees access to experience the city in a completely new way beyond raves, that was the key thing about having a ‘day party’ element. Above all, DLT is about gathering together in good vibes. I think of it as a huge barbecue.
So, like a barbecue meets group travel trip?
Like, a barbecue meets a group travel trip meets live music meets networking event meets good energy.
Got you! I read that DLTBrunch was heavily influenced by time spent in New York, enjoying the day party scene over there. Could you expand on how that experience influenced DLT?
After spending an incredible time in NYC, we returned home and wanted to bring some of that energy with us. New York really understood how to create a scene that catered to and reflected the everyday lives of Black people. The day parties over there were done so well, it was a scene that everyone could enjoy. All I could think of was ‘look at all this Black enjoyment’.
At the time, in 2014 or so, Shoreditch in London was buzzing but it wasn’t necessarily a Black scene, more so a creative scene. We wanted to replicate that NYC essence of bringing Black joy to the forefront with DLTBrunch.
Why do you think that DLT has been so successful?
I would say it is because as a team we don’t want to sit still. We pour endless energy into thinking about what the perfect bottomless brunch day party would feel like. We’re always thinking about the next level. For this reason after the first few day parties we added the host element, then we added composers, live acts, and then we went abroad. We never want to go stale. We’re also really accessible; as a team, we encourage people to give us feedback and let us know what worked and what didn’t. We’re very focused on being community focused as well as giving back to the local community.
Imagine you have about 1,500 people in a space, looking to have the best possible time – that is already a great environment to build on. I think DLTBrunch has built a reputation as being a space where people look good and, as I said earlier, take up space and enjoy the city as their own.
I wanted to touch on something you said about ‘giving back to the community’. How do you feel you give back to the London community specifically?
Firstly I would say that our team is purely made up of former attendees. Whether it is someone who attended and then offered to DJ or a photographer who wanted to document future events. In this way, our decision-making is very informed by those who understand DLTBrunch personally. We also bring in other interns who we train and teach best practices to represent DLT and offer the best possible experience.
Overall it is about giving Black people the space they need to experience something different. We really set the scene for day parties and now we’ve created space for other similar events to create similar parties. Some are larger and well-known and others slightly smaller. Either way, the Black party scene in London has more variety.
This also helps us break barriers and open up doors for other people who are to come up with fresh ideas.
Following on from that, what advice do you have for anyone hoping to carve out their own space for something new in London?
Honestly I would say listen to the community. As I mentioned we grew with our attendees and a lot of them are on the team. Being community-led is definitely a good place to begin.
I would also say have good business practices, by that I mean be professional. My advice would be to pay people on time, work efficiently – things like that. It goes a long way and it makes people want to work with you again. It can also be the thing that sets you apart. I add this because it is often missed off the list of advice but it is very important.
Where can we find out about the next events?
You can always stay updated on social media or our newsletter – we post everything there. After the success of our event in Malta, we’re looking to host that again in 2023. We will also have our annual Ghana event in December and we’re planning an event in Lagos, Nigeria.
Before that, we have two upcoming events in North America– Toronto and New York this year which feels like a full circle moment since the States is where it all began.
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