A MUCH-LOVED club has closed for the final time.

The Zap put on its final show at The Old Market in Hove.

A variety of performers were there to say farewell in style. They encapsulated the unique appeal of the club which opened in 1982.

Called The Final Programme And The future Of Art, Zap’s final club night marked the closing of Zap Arts, which founded the night in the city 37 years ago.

Zap Arts itself closed its doors in March.

Neil Butler, founder of Zap said: “It was a fantastic event, it was a packed crowd and a great range of artists who showed off the work we have done over the last 37 years.

“It was a very important night and we are delighted to have shared it with so many friends.”

Dave Reeves, a former manager of Zap Arts who stood down in 2012 due to ill health, said: “It was a nice reunion of people who have worked with us. It was great when we first started off and we’ve done some exciting things over the years.

“It was pretty revolutionary at the time, especially with our club nights.

“I was hoping to spend my sixties doing big projects but that’s not happened.

“I would say events like Zap were crucial in Brighton becoming the unique hub for the weird and wonderful that it is today.

“It became a catalyst of people realising you could break taboos.

“If you tried to go for a drink before the clubbing days it was a dingy old place but then clubbing became big and we really helped inspire rave culture.

“I hope that people remember the impact we had on the city.”

The Zap started life as a cabaret night in Brighton as a night that combined art and entertainment.

Over the years it became one of UK’s most successful underground clubs.

It was one of the first to present house music, mixing it with performance art, dance and video.