Club Candela is a monthly salsa event held at The Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1UY.Doors open at 8.15pm and there are beginner and intermediate classes running from 8.30 – 9.30pm.Dancing is until 1.00am and the entrance costs just £5 all in.
Candela has a stunning venue being in the Grade I Listed Adams Ballroom within the Lion Hotel.There’s a fully sprung wooden dance floor and chandeliers that happily vibrate to the latin beats.The whole set up is designed to feel ‘club-like’ with intimate tables and chairs dotted at one end of the room.
There’s also a smaller room off the main dance area where you can find the bar and it provides a good spot to sit and cool off before hitting the dance floor all over again.
The hotel has limited parking spaces so most people head for the pay and display car park in St Julian’s Friars.It’s free to park there at night and is only a short walk down the hill from the venue.
Candela regularly attracts top-notch guest teachers and DJ’s and this month was no exception.Mel C from Carpe Diem came and tried to teach us all ‘spinning techniques’ before heading to the decks herself for a bit of DJ-ing to kick the night off.
Resident DJ Diablo then took over and had the dance floor heaving for the rest of the gig.
This event has salseros travelling from far and wide and is always friendly and welcoming.
It’s a fantastic venue with stomping music and the whole philosophy of the Candela crew seems to be focussed solely on everyone having fun.
That said, this wouldn’t be a true review without pointing out a couple of drawbacks.Firstly, it can get really hot during the summer months and, like I said, it’s a listed building so you really can’t expect air-con.All the windows have been health and safety‘d and only open to a maximum few inches, and even though they let in a breeze, sometimes it just isn’t enough.
And secondly?The dancing ends at 1.00am and when you’ve had such a good night… you just don’t want it to end.That’s why Club Candela’s been alive and thriving for 10+ years!
