From indulgent club nights to pub quizzes and retro bowling, we present our pick of the best places to spend your evenings in the city.
We know that London nightlife is more than just clubbing (but it does do clubs quite well, too). It’s also pub quizzes, night-time running groups, retro bowling alleys and drag shows. It’s sticky-floored bars, late-night cinema screenings and some really good kebab shops. The problem is, we’re just spoiled for choice.
If you’re itching for a 12-hour gabber stomper, you’ll probably find it. If you’re more into karaoke and cocktails, you’ll find that too. Or if you just fancy a late-night walk and a really, really, good bagel, you’ll find it in London.
Don’t know where to head? We’ve done the hard work for you, and have put together the top nights out in London right now: from properly decent club nights to after-hours oddities. So whether you want to try something completely new or just feel like re-visiting the classics, these 40 best nights out in London offer something for everyone.
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Located underneath two railway arches behind Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre, this intimate south-east London club has been booking top house and techno DJs and producers from around the world since 2005. They have one of London’s best soundsystems, and are involved in developing underused urban spaces around the capital for use as socially minded arts venues.
Corsica Studios, 4, 5 Elephant Rd, London SE17 1LB.
Occupying the 140-year-old former railway building that was once Hackney Central station, Oslo is a double-decker late night boozer that opened in 2014. Downstairs hosts midweek quizzes, record fairs and craft markets and upstairs is a gig and club venue with a capacity of 375. Up-and-coming bands and DJs regularly make appearances on the schedule, alongside two legendary club nights: Friday’s Shameless (Proper Y2K pop) which doubles as a karaoke den in the green room and Saturday’s Locomotive Disco (house, disco, techno and funk).
1A Amhurst Rd, E8 1LL.
The vinyl revival is still going strong and Next Door Records on Uxbridge Road shop is the latest place to get your wax fix. Not an audiophile obsessive? The café, bottle shop and live performances mean it’s likely to be your new favourite hangout – whether you know what a 45 is or not.
Next Door Records, 304 Uxbridge Rd, W12 7LJ.
A pub in Highgate might not be the first place you think of when you think of a big night out, but this queer country night ticks a hell of a lot of boxes (people have even travelled from as far as Deptford, Birmingham and New York to get there). Held on the first Thursday of every month, founder Sophie Ward sums up the vibe as ‘country, without the ‘‘O’’’, and we couldn’t agree more. Expect cabaret and live music from visiting performers, a DJ spinning pop bangers from Dolly to Kesha, plus a live line dancing class. There’s a real community feel to this night – they even have a pre-party radio slot – which is probably testament to why it sells out month on month.
The Boogaloo, 312 Archway Rd, London N6 5AT.
Have you heard the news? Northern soul is cool again. No, really. Childhood mates Will Foot and Lewis Henderson threw their first party in Deptford’s Bunker Club in 2016, making use of their rather hefty collection of soul records. Since then, they’ve played venues up and down the UK and established themselves as an authority on the genre’s renaissance in the club world. Vibes-wise, it’s pretty much happiness all round: gurgling vocals, contagious basslines and wax-fuelled grooves to keep your feet tapping all night long. These days, they have a residency at the literally glittering Moth Club in East London and continue to tour the country’s clubs and festival circuit, spreading that soulful energy far and wide.
A true source of Peckham pride, multi-floored concrete hub the Bussey Building continues to thrive as a warehouse-style club at night and a sweet arts venue during the day. Regular weekend parties like The South London Soul Train are joyful affairs, and also rare examples of young and old partying in sync.
Bussey Building, 133 Rye Ln, Peckham, SE15 4ST.
Fabric’s in-house club night Fabric LIVE is probably one of the most foolproof parties going – not just because it’s an iconic venue, but because the programming is almost always spot-on. Expect excellently curated line-ups across a range of genres, spotlighting freshly emerging DJ talent alongside dance music veterans, MCs and – occasionally — live instrumentals. That’s not to mention the space itself: two rooms of top-notch soundsystems, no camera phones and a dance floor steeped in history
Bimini Bon Boulash has launched their very own club night, and it’s an absolute scorcher. A celebration of self-expression and freedom, House of Trash takes place at the late-night labrinth that is Electrowerkz and spins the trashiest disco tunes to get your booty moving. It sells out fast though, so make sure you’re on it with booking tickets well in advance. Not a joke, just a fact.
Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens St, EC1V 1NQ.
It’s south London’s most notorious trash den. Known for its banterous clientele, cheesy music and a smell that will last up to four washes, Infernos its a must for any big night out. With multiple rooms, light-up dancefloors and even a fish tank, this club experience is character building at its finest. And while you might not enjoy the experience at the time, you will have excellent stories to tell your mates the next day.
Infernos, 146 Clapham High St, SW4 7UH.
Held every Saturday at the 800-capacity O2 Academy Islington, Club de Fromage is the stuff of London party legend. As its name suggests, the music policy is as cheesy as a quattro formaggi: come for wall-to-wall throwback bangers from the likes of Britney and Bon Jovi.
16 Parkfield St, The Angel, London N1 0PS.
It’s hard to overstate the influence of Pxssy Palace, which ‘prioritises women and femmes of colour and other queer, intersex and trans POC’. Booking DJs often ignored by the mainstream, PP has shifted the paradigm big time. Keep an eye on @pxssypalace for updates on events and tickets.
Various venues.
In case you’ve not heard the news, Koko is back, bitches. And apparently, it’s better than ever. The iconic Camden music venue has launched its series of club nights, with an epic roster of DJs and artists lined up to keep you dancing into the early hours of the weekend.
Koko, NW1 7JE.
Spending your night in a multi-storey car park might not sound like the ideal night out, but Peckham Levels isn’t your average motor-filled concrete block. Instead, it’s packed with food vendors dishing up mouth-watering street food from all over the world, including Plantain Kitchen's West African eats, Beza Ethiopia’s vegan smorgasbord and Boxwallah’s twists on Delhi-inspired classics.
Floor 1-6, Peckham Town Centre Carpark, 95a Rye Lane SE15 4ST.
If you’re after unpretentious clubbing, you can experience a stellar lineup for a reasonable price in an east London strip club turned disco den. It promises disco dancing at its most pure: steamy, sexy, and completely unfiltered.
Metropolis, E2 9NN.
South London party people Rhythm Section throw high-energy nights across London, exploring the sounds of garage, soul, house and all things electronic. Curated by Rhythm Section label head Bradley Zero, expect high energy, big bass, and splintering beats.
Various locations.
Eyes down for a full house… Dabbers Social Bingo has comics as bingo callers and interactive challenges called things like ‘twerk it out’.
18 - 22 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7DB.
Sir John Soane’s Museum is always atmospheric, but Soane Lates are candlelit evenings exploring a different aspect of the architect’s collection. Only problem? They’re very popular so you'll have to be organised to grab a ticket.
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP.
Dust off your dancing shoes for a night of old-school singalongs with this epic musical clash between Swedish pop royalty and Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately we can’t guarantee IRL performances, but the DJ will do their best to spin you into a similar state of disco-induced euphoria.
Various locations.
The beauty of an Eastern Margins night is that you never quite know what you’ll get until you’re there, bopping and bouncing along in the thick of it. This series is all about platforming talent from east Asia, south-east Asia and the diaspora: we’re talking dazzlingly fluorescent Japanese cloud rap, Chinese-instrument-laced-club tunes, head-smacking hyperpop, crooning alt-R&B, hypnotic tape music and much, much more. Not just a club night but a collective and label too, Eastern Margins has taken over some of London’s most happening venues, from Venue MOT and Studio 289 to Peckham Audio and Colour Factory, as well as Manchester’s Soup. Over the years it’s been graced by the likes of rappers Tohji and Lil Mariko, as well experimental vocalist Organ Tapes and Japanese ‘90s Shibuya-kei pop legend Miho Hatori. Whatever the line-up and whatever the venue, an Eastern Margins night is always a unruly blaze of cross-genre, cross-continental glory.
Rowans Bowling has a deserved legendary rep. There are two floors of lanes, karaoke booths, an arcade, pool tables, boozy slushies and you can even get pizzas at your lane. Plus it’s open until 2am on weekends. Strike!
10 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, N4 2DF.
Orii (meaning ‘soul’) is a full-frontal Monday night jam session run by artist Neue Grafik, featuring a full stage of drums, keys, trumpet, MC(s), guitar, bass, triangle and then whatever the audience throws in. The talent is incredible and for the most part, the vibes are immaculate – a comforting confirmation that live music is still alive and well.
Colour Factory, E9 5EN.
Do you tut savagely at anyone who puts ‘The’ in front of ‘Pixies’? You do? Then head to Highgate boozer The Boogaloo for its weekly night Who Killed Bambi? – it’s the longest-running music quiz in London.
The Boogaloo, 312 Archway Rd, N6 5AT.
No nightlife venue has the wow factor like Printworks. This huge post-industrial space provides a playpen for the world’s biggest house, etchno and D&B DJs to get epic on your ass.
Surrey Quays Rd, Rotherhithe, SE16 7PJ.
On the last Friday of every month, art lovers head to Tate Modern Lates. These giant free parties are packed with performances, music, films, talks and DJ sets. It’s the perfect place to discover London’s hottest new artists and have a cocktail while checking out those tenth-floor views.
Bankside, SE1 9TG.
If you want to take to the mic at London’s hottest new singing spot Karaoke Hole, you’ll be on the main stage. There’s no other bar in town where you can belt out your favourite tunes accompanied by a crooning drag-queen host.
95 Kingsland High St, E8 2PB.
SPFDJ recently tweeted that ‘Unfold the best party in the UK’. Damn, it must be good then. But seriously, if you’re the type of person that needs a boogie to wind down before the start of a new week, or one who just refuses to see the party end, this is the place for you. No photos or videos are allowed, making room for only pure vibes on the dance floor.
Fold, E16 4SA. Tickets on the door.
Horse Meat Disco is everything a good weekly club should be: friendly, inclusive, not too pricy and playing music that’s defined yet unpredictable. The four DJs behind this Sunday standout at Eagle London revived disco for queer audiences at a time when such silky sounds were dead.
Eagle London, 349 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5QY.
Loads of pubs have quizzes, so why should you pick this one? Because this Bethnal Green boozer really goes for it – from sambucca challenge rounds, to dance competitions to crafting. You might even have to bust out an Elvis impression; we're all shook up.
359 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 6LG.
There’s plenty of rooftop bars in London, but where else can you watch a film alfresco or challenge your mates to a game of crazy golf, virtual reality foosball, a spot of curling, jenga or a swing in a batting cage? Roof East, a complete Stratford stalwart, reopened this year with a load of new street food offerings, drinks menus and playful surprises.
Floors 7-8, Stratford multi-storey car park, Great Eastern Way.
This iconic LGBT+ venue has welcomed everyone from Lily Savage (slaying on stage) to Princess Diana (enjoying a sneaky night out in the '80s). Now Grade II listed and reasonably safe from developers, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is open seven nights a week for drinking, dancing and drag shows, and queer cabaret platform Bar Wotever has become a Tuesday institution.
372 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5HY.
East London's queer Bollywood night Hungama has given the city's LGBTQ+ scene a friendly shot in the arm. It's taken place at various venues including The Glory and Dalston Superstore, but every Hungama is a super-inclusive mix of Bollywood imagery, hip hop beats and anything-goes gay abandon.
Venues vary. Check the Facebook page for up to date details.
A total, bankable PEACH of a venue, located on a quiet Hackney side street, Moth is a former club for ex-servicemen (Memorable Order of Tin Hats). Luckily for those who haven’t seen action, Moth is open to all and it’s retro chic, breezy vibe and pop/indie-centric music policy means it’s never a downer.
Valette St, E9 6NU.
Get yourself down to Bethnal Green Working Men's Club. This East End destination has been welcoming revellers since Victorian times. Sink the Pink began here around a decade ago, and something about its proper old-school working's men's club vibe seems to lend itself to colourful, chaotic and forward-thinking club nights.
42-44 Pollard Row, London E2 6NB.
Also known as Europe’s largest fetish club, Torture Garden throws monthly kink parties in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other UK cities. As well as offering hook suspensions, couples’ play rooms and sex dungeons, the parties incorporate performance art, installations and fashion shows, and tickets for its strict-dress-code events (think latex, burlesque, rubber and uniform) tend to sell out in a blink. Escapism and consent take precendance here – after all, there’s a reason Torture Garden is still going all these years after it was founded back in 1990. It’s one of the rare places where you’re encouraged to indulge in your wildest fantasies, free of judgement
A flag-bearer for London nightlife’s independent and community-minded spirit, Andy Blake’s WU parties have become a turning point – thanks to their use of renegade spaces, judicious use of smoke machines and an audio aesthetic that words like ‘chugging’ and ‘throbbing’ were made for.
Various locations.
As trends have come and gone, Heavy Load has repped its niche for a staggering 20 years now. And that niche is: funky retro rock you can properly shake your butt too. Downstairs at the Phoenix near Oxford Street is where it all happens – don check shirts and triple-denim, and enjoy the night’s incredible collection of retro lights too.
The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square.
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