BOLTS, in Bournemouth, was first held during the mid 80s at The Academy in Boscombe (later to become Opera House and now O2 Academy Bournemouth). Originally, BOLTS was the brainchild of London promotor Nicky Price, who ran parties across the UK, including in Bournemouth, Brighton, London and Luton. During its heyday, parties included top PAs such as Divine, Sylvester, Take That and the queen of Hi
-NRG – Hazell Dean. In 1997, Chris B became the Bournemouth promoter and ran BOLTS on behalf of Opera House. Chris and local DJ Adrian Dunbar became the resident DJs and were joined by guest DJs such as Marc Andrews, Tony de Vit and Wayne G. Soon, new residents joined the team, including Charlie Sparx, Grace, Kevin Brooks and Paul King. Other renowned PAs were featured, such as Bananarama, Gina G and The Weather Girls. During 2008–18, several one-off parties were held at Eden. During this time, DJs Dave Hunt and Luke Anthony joined the team, with guest DJ Lee Harris featuring regularly. Following a hiatus of seven years, on Sat 12 July 2025 (10pm–4am), BOLTS is returning for a one-off during this year’s Bourne Free Pride Festival. It is being held at The Vault on Poole Hill, with DJs Charlie Sparx, Chris B and Dave Hunt. This year’s party is being promoted by Charlie Sparx and Dave Hunt.
