It’s the question being bandied about by DJs, venues, promoters and punters across the country: how much faith can we currently put in our club scene? With dance festivals doing big business in recent years and loyalty to weekly club nights less of a sure thing, it’s fair to say times have changed. But of course it’s never all doom and gloom.

In order to encourage discussion and debate about the state of our clubs, inthemix has sought out the input of those who know the territory intimately – the country’s promoters and venue owners – in our five-part inthemix in-depth feature series. There are as many opinions out there as there are parties, so it’s impossible to include them all. However, we hope that this mix of voices from longtime players and more recent arrivals in the club game provides a solid starting point.

Have festivals killed clubbing? Is it more about Facebook spam than feet on the dancefloor? Or are things better than ever if you know where to look? Read on, then let us know what you think in the comments field below.

inthemix in-depth: What’s gone wrong with our clubs?

> Part One: The state of clubs in 2010
> Part Two: What has become of weekly clubbing?
> Part Three: The festival effect
> Part Four: Festivals aside, what else is hurting our clubs?
> Part Five: The forecast for the future