In Eisenstadt

Party for cult disco James Dean is over

The party is over in Eisenstadt. Koch no longer wants to run the cult disco "James Dean".

(Bild: Huber Patrick)

The well-known Eisenstadt nightclub "James Dean" will no longer open its doors after the summer break. A new tenant is now being sought for the club.

For many, the "James Dean" in Eisenstadt was and still is the last stop on a night out. Several generations danced to loud music in the club, sometimes until the early hours of the morning. Recently, however, there have been increasing rumors that the cult disco could cease operations.

Closed for good
It came as a surprise to many when operator Patrick Koch announced that this year, for the first time in the club's history, it would be taking a summer break. Now it is certain: it will no longer be open. Another setback for the state capital, as the "Mangoo" also closed its doors at the end of May.

After 39 wonderful years, 30 of which I have been involved in, I have now decided to close the James Dean Disco Club. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, as this time has left its mark on me and given me many unforgettable moments.

Betreiber Patrick Koch

Bild: Reinhard Judt

Few guests
The reason given for the closure is the change in night-time catering trends. Koch had already complained in the past that fewer and fewer guests were coming to the discos. The many festivals in the summer months in particular are apparently strong competition for restaurateurs.

Koch now wants to concentrate more on his "Megaplay" arcade, which opened a few weeks ago. "I'm looking forward to enjoying and celebrating the weekends, New Year's Eve, Christmas and public holidays that I've always spent in the club over the last 30 years in a new way."

Discos only open irregularly
According to Franz Perner, Managing Director of the Tourism and Leisure Industry Division, a dozen discos are still registered throughout Burgenland. However, most of them only open irregularly or on special occasions.

The Eisenstadt cult disco was the last one with regular opening hours. In general, the trend is moving away from discos. "Unfortunately, this can no longer be stopped," says Perner. A new operator is now being sought for the "James": [e-mail]