The Iron Fairies takes nightlife to next level status, complete with giant cogs and machinery and clever upcycling

It’s like something out of a fairytale book… in fact, it literally is. The story goes that a former iron-ore miner from Western Australia named Ashley Sutton swapped his construction helmet for a creative hat and published a series of children’s books about fairies and their adventures in the modern world. I doubt he would have imagined back then that his stories would inspire a chain of nightclubs.

Ashley’s fairytale maps the journey of grumpy old iron miners who must work in the dark confines of an underground mine and who take up the art of crafting exquisite little iron fairies from ore to perk themselves up somewhat. Little do they realise the little creatures come to life to bring them wonderment and despair, bleakness and magic in equal measure.

Eventually, Sutton turned his stories into a real life immersive experience, The Iron Fairies: a nightclub that transports guests into a world of magic and wonder, peppered with wooden and iron fairies and complete with massive cog wheels and other moving machinery.

Stepping into this place really is like delving into a fantastical world, with intelligent lighting and infectious dance music adding to the extravaganza.

The Iron Fairies launched in Bali in late 2023, following on from venues that were opened in other parts of Southeast Asia, including Tokyo, Bangkok and Hong Kong. The venues came to be when Sutton teamed up with genius hospitality group Boutique Bars, the business behind other international nightlife destinations like The Mixing Room, Maggie Choo’s, Dragonfly, and Entomology.

Even just walking through as a layman, you’ll marvel at the spectacle of The Iron Fairies in Bali. There are gigantic cogwheels on one wall that turn constantly, setting off smaller wheels which in turn set off even smaller ones, all looking more impressive than any animated movie or real-life machine that I’ve seen.

Visually, the venue designers aimed for a club that merges the gruelling fuliginous underground world of a mine with the enchantment of the make-believe, and the aesthetic has certainly been realised. It is both monstrous and fascinating, dark and the light, captivating and mesmerising all at once.

Looking closely at the detail of the structure, you’ll note lots of raw iron has been used, stacks of timber, leather elements for the lounge areas, and plenty of bright touches using recycled and upcycled materials. The corridor to the bathrooms, for example, features a ceiling covered entirely by glass jars and bottles, each containing ‘fairy dust’.

Almost every facet of the venue adopts a recycled or upcycled sensibility.

Sutton himself insists The Iron Fairies Bali is “a full working fairy factory” with ‘furnaces’ crafted from cast and forged steel acting as VIP rooms for patrons desiring a little privacy. Says the miner-come-author-come-club-designer, “Every part of this venue is hand-made and took thousands of hours from hundreds of craftsmen to complete, right down to each hand-made iron fairy. Patrons can spot hundreds of thousands of fairies all around the venue, mainly on conveyor belts and working tables.”

As for entertainment, The Iron Fairies delivers it in spades, with live bands appearing on stage any given night of the week, DJs mixing up the genres, and dancers cropping up ad hoc to surprise guests. The drinks list is lengthy, with wines, craft beers and cocktails all listed and bound in impressive leather menus.

My picks for must-try cocktails are ‘The Secret Garden’ (spiced rum sous vide with banana, coffee liqueur and cinnamon) and the ‘Midnight Butterfly’ (passionfruit infused rum, ginger syrup and lemon juice).

Some of the cocktails are brought to you on a silver platter (literally, of course) while others are concocted at your table for the full bartender-as-artist experience.

If you visit just one club on your next trip to Bali, be sure to make it The Iron Fairies; it truly is one magical venue.

Antonino Tati

The Iron Fairies is situated at No. 19 Jl Petitenget, on the border of Kerobokan and Seminyak. Visit www.theironfairies.com to learn more about the venue.

Even exiting The Iron Fairies is a visual trip.