Pawnshop Open Air was a return to form for the nightlife establishment. Though Taiwan had managed to remain COVID-free for the year prior, with clubs having been closed since May after a sudden explosion of COVID cases overnight, Pawnshop and other nightclubs have been severely affected. This led Pawnshop to turn towards crowdfunding on domestic platform FlyingV, with Pawnshop Open Air also billed as a fundraiser. 

The outdoor party, which began at 1 PM and went until 10 PM, took place at the Wen Sun Farm where the Spectrum Formosus outdoor festivals organized by the Pawnshop crew are usually held. Spectrum Formosus is one of two major outdoor festival events organized by the Pawnshop crew, which was originally Smoke Machine and also ran Korner, once a central institution of Taipei nightlife. The other such party is Organik, which is normally held annually in Hualien. 

The event was not as large this time—with current restrictions on outdoor events capping attendance at 500—and only one stage was set up. Still, the event brought much of the usual Pawnshop crowd back out after six months in hibernation. 

In many ways, the date of October 30th was quite fitting for Pawnshop. Apart from that October 30th is the Saturday before Halloween, as Halloween is when Pride is annually commemorated in Taiwan, with Pawnshop positioning itself as an LGBTQ-oriented establishment along the lines of Berlin queer nightlife. 
 

Though the morning saw some drizzles, this cleared by the afternoon. Skies remained overcast for the duration of the party with occasional sunlight, but this proved no obstacle for partygoers. Many of those that arrived earlier brought blankets or cushions to lie down on when they weren’t in the mood for dancing, while still others arrived in costume. The most distinctive costume of all may have been someone wearing a flaming orange wig and wedding dress—though, like other Pawnshop events, photos were not allowed. 

Performance highlights included Diskonnected and Toumingren, with Andy Chiu and Al Burro closing the event on a high note. The musical selection tended toward the retro, with Pawnshop residents playing with their usual flair. The event ended promptly around 10 PM, with partygoers descending the mountain shortly afterward. 

While clubs such as Pawnshop and Final have held outdoor events in the past month, all indications are that clubs may be allowed to reopen soon. Consequently, it may not be soon that the clubs are back open, though the turn towards outdoor parties has been a successful one for the clubs that have put on such events.