It's a summery Sunday afternoon in one of the world's most visually stunning cities, so why not spend it queuing in the car park of an industrial estate? Hardly seems a wise idea, especially when you've got all of Madrid's bustling markets and coffee shops on offer as well, yet that's exactly what you'll find a large proportion of the Spanish capital's clubbers and clued-up international visitors doing - and for one very good reason.

That reason is Fabrik, the enormous venue that has been pulling people to the outskirts of the city to Avenida Industria for the past few years, and has become an absolute must on any self-respecting and thrill-seeking tourist's itinerary.

Saturday nights provide house and techno from DJs of the calibre of Umek, Marko Nastic, Valentino Kanzyani and Erick Morillo, but it's the monthly Goa sessions on a Sunday that are really unique. The name might suggest terrible tie-dye trance but Goa - which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year - somehow manages to fill all three rooms in Fabrik with DJs boasting the coolest and most cutting-edge credentials in contemporary electronic music; Radio Slave, Damian Lazarus, Josh Wink and representatives of Jazzanova's Sonar Kollektiv label are just a few of the names to have played here.

Running from early afternoon until midnight on the Sabbath, anticipation is as thick as barbeque smoke in the air if you arrive early enough, with many punters passing the time before Goa opens with a picnic.

The level of excitement seems rather incongruous for a site that resembles nothing more glamorous than a Pontin's holiday park from the outside, but once you're inside you can immediately see what all the fuss is about. Packed with such superclub accoutrements as lasers, video projectors and nitrogen cannons, as well as a soundsystem that's second-to-none, the theatrical main room really is a spectacle to behold, especially when the crowd are garbed in fancy dress at one of the theme parties, and the cabaret-style dance performances are much better than anything you'll ever see the Bluecoats do either.

Meanwhile, the more intimate upper floor and Crystal club space supposedly cater for a more chilled vibe, although 'chilled' is a relative term when faced with the enthusiasm of the clubbers Shur-I-Kan encountered there when Freerange Records staged a label showcase at Goa recently.

"Big venues can feel really industrial and cold but Fabrik has a really warm atmosphere despite the size," he says. "At its peak up to 8000 people are streaming through all three rooms and people are just going for it everywhere. It's got this weird pseudo-holiday camp vibe but the energy of the place is just terrific. The people they have playing there are really underground and amazing as well, meaning it's the sort of place where you can really express yourself as a DJ."