Did you know that the first nightclub in the Balkans was opened in Belgrade?
Opened in 1967 in the building of the Home of Jevrem Grujić, the famous “Diskoteka kod Laze” was the center of Belgrade’s nightlife and a mandatory stop for all great world stars, such as Omar Sharif, Marise Berenson, Alain Delon and others who visited Belgrade at the time.
The nightclub led to the democratization of fun. For the first time, the girls could come to the nightclub by themselves, or with their female friends or sisters, without having to be accompanied by a boyfriend or a brother.
Couples could be seen dancing together for the first time. New fashion trends were launched at the club and the newest records were spun. Nonetheless, the hours of operation were quite innocent – from 19:30 until 01 o’clock after midnight.
However, the pressure from the government and the press that were claiming that the club was negatively influencing the “progressive socialist youth” was relentless, resulting in the club’s closure a year later.