Meaning
What does Circuit Party mean?
A circuit party is a massive rave, attended by lots and lots of people and usually lasts for several days on end.
The main difference, however between a regular rave and a “circuit party” is the fact that the latter is rather closely associated with the LGBTQ community, with gay men being the most common attendants of the event.
Origin
What's the origin of Circuit Party?
“Circuit parties” grew out of tea dances and disco parties in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, mostly in metropolitan areas, with a large gay population.
These early raves, or “proto-circuit parties” were held for but one day and the attendance was also mixed, not restricted exclusively to the LGBTQ community.
During the 1980’s, the AIDS crisis had stalled the development of the “circuit parties” however a little disease can’t stand in the way of partying.
Spread & Usage
How did Circuit Party spread?
The 90’s and early 2000’s had proven to be the golden age of “circuit parties” with the greatest number of events per year in 1999 and 2000.
The attendants of these events were mostly part of the LGBTQ community and would party on for days on end.
Party drugs like ecstasy, GHB and methamphetamine were also present in these raves.
During the 2000’s “circuit parties” had seen a slight decline, however in the 2010’s a wave of resurgence followed.