23 dance clubs worth the night across France, editor-ranked. All France guides.
Le Sucre ★ 4.6 · Lyon
2e · 50 Quai Rambaud, 69002 Lyon
Le Sucre in Lyon's 2e Confluence is the 780-capacity rooftop club perched on top of the 1930s Sucriere warehouse on Quai Rambaud, with techno, house and disco programming and a wraparound terrace over the docks.
Tip: Tickets on Shotgun or RA, usually 12-€22; Friday-Saturday floor opens 23:00, the rooftop daytime apero runs in summer only.
Cabaret Aléatoire ★ 4.6 · Marseille
3e · 41 Rue Jobin, 13003 Marseille
Cabaret Aléatoire in Marseille's 3e is the SMAC-labelled concert hall and club nested inside La Friche Belle de Mai, a 45,000m2 former tobacco factory turned.
Tip: Tickets on Shotgun or the venue site, €15-25 most club nights; entry via the Friche through Rue Jobin or Rue François Simon.
Rex Club ★ 4.6 · Paris
2e · 5 Boulevard Poissonnière, 75002 Paris
Rex Club in Paris's 2e is the techno temple under the Grand Rex cinema since 1988, with a ceiling-mounted multidiffusion sound system and four nights a week.
Tip: Door from 23:30 Wed-Sat; tickets €12-20 on Shotgun. Arrive before 01:00 for the floor before it packs.
I.Boat ★ 4.5 · Bordeaux
bacalan · Bassin a flot No 1, Cours Henri Brunet, 33300 Bordeaux
I.Boat in Bordeaux's Bacalan is the converted-ferry techno club anchored on the Bassin a flot, with a vibrating hold, a summer rooftop and a regular.
Tip: Tickets €10 to €30 on Shotgun; the terrace opens at 18:00 from May to September for sunset DJ sets.
Toit-Terrasse de la Friche ★ 4.3 · Marseille
Belle de Mai (3e) · 41 Rue Jobin, 13003 Marseille
Toit-Terrasse de la Friche in Marseille's 3e Belle de Mai is the 8,000m2 rooftop at La Friche Belle de Mai, with summer Friday-Saturday ON AIR sessions of DJ.
Tip: ON AIR season runs early June to early September; bring a layer once the mistral picks up. Food trucks and bar on the roof, no need to bring anything.
La Machine du Moulin Rouge ★ 4.3 · Paris
18e · 90 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris
La Machine du Moulin Rouge in Paris's 18e is the three-room club and concert hall next door to the cabaret, with the Bar à Bulles cocktail terrace.
Tip: Club nights are Fri-Sat midnight to 06:00; Bar à Bulles upstairs from 18:00 most nights for a slower start.
Le Petit Salon ★ 4.2 · Lyon
7e · 3 Rue de Cronstadt, 69007 Lyon
Le Petit Salon in Lyon's 7e Gerland is the two-room electronic club near the Jean Mace tram, with one floor decked out as a 1970s lounge and the other a modern dance hall booking techno, house and disco residents.
Tip: Tram T2 to Garibaldi Berthelot is the easiest route; tickets on Shotgun and Dice, 12-€18 depending on lineup.
Le Trolleybus ★ 4.2 · Marseille
Vieux Port (7e) · 24 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13007 Marseille
Le Trolleybus on the Vieux Port in Marseille's 7e is the 900-capacity vaulted-stone club inside a 17th-century galley arsenal, with three rooms.
Tip: Doors midnight Thu-Sat, busiest from 01:30. Cash or card accepted; the La Marquise room is the easier seating room of the three.
Vice Versa ★ 4.2 · Marseille
Cours Julien (6e) · 40 Rue des Trois Rois, 13006 Marseille
Vice Versa in Marseille's 6e Cours Julien is the late-opening cocktail bar and basement club on Rue des Trois Rois, with a Caribou-trained mixology team.
Tip: Classics €8, signatures €12; the basement is the draw after 23:00 Thursday to Sunday. Metro Notre-Dame du Mont is two blocks away.
R2 Le Rooftop des Terrasses ★ 4.2 · Marseille
Joliette (2e) · 9 Quai du Lazaret, 13002 Marseille
R2 Le Rooftop des Terrasses in Marseille's 2e Joliette is the 1,000m2 open-air club on top of the Terrasses du Port shopping centre, with house.
Tip: Programming runs late May to early September; tickets €15-30 on Shotgun. Access by lift from inside the Terrasses du Port mall.
Wanderlust ★ 4.2 · Paris
13e · 32 Quai d'Austerlitz, 75013 Paris
Wanderlust in Paris's 13e is the Cité de la Mode et du Design club and 1,600m² Seine terrace, with house and techno after dark and yoga, screenings and DJ.
Tip: The terrace is free in daylight; club tickets from €15. Best entry is the riverside ramp, not the museum lobby.
Le Sirius ★ 4.1 · Lyon
3e · 21 Quai Victor Augagneur, 69003 Lyon
Le Sirius in Lyon's 3e is the 1950s sand dredger moored on the Rhone at Quai Augagneur since 2002, hosting around 200 concerts and 300 DJ sets a year across the deck, hold and waterside terrace.
Tip: Monday jam session is the long-running ritual; arrive 21:00 to grab a hold-level table before the band starts.
T7 Paris ★ 4.1 · Paris
15e · Place des Insurgés de Varsovie, 75015 Paris
T7 Paris in the 15e is the rooftop electronic club on top of the Parc des Expositions Pavilion 7, opened December 2017, with a wraparound terrace.
Tip: Bookings on Shotgun or Xceed; tickets €20-40. Last Métro shuts at 01:00 so plan a taxi or Vélib home.
Le Bootleg ★ 4.0 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 1 Rue des Boucheries, 33000 Bordeaux
Le Bootleg in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the small-room electronic club on Rue des Boucheries, with a dark dancefloor, a regular emerging-French-DJ programme.
Tip: Tickets €8 to €15 on Shotgun; the venue is small, so book ahead for headline nights.
Wayne's ★ 4.0 · Nice
vieux-nice · 15 Rue de la Prefecture, 06300 Nice
Wayne's on Rue de la Prefecture runs Vieux Nice's busiest party pub with live rock and pop bands every night from 22:00, the basement stage and dancing on tables a city of Nice institution.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00-20:00 is the cheapest entry; live bands start at 20:00 with the late set after 22:00.
Movida ★ 4.0 · Nice
vieux-nice · 41 Quai des Etats Unis, 06300 Nice
Movida on Quai des Etats Unis runs the Nice seafront Latin dance bar and tapas room, sangria pours and reggaeton sets through to 02:00 along the Vieux Nice seafront promenade.
Tip: Open 02:00 every day; the front terrace is the dining and dancing room on warm nights.
Ma Nolan's ★ 4.0 · Nice
vieux-nice · 2 Rue Saint Francois de Paule, 06300 Nice
Ma Nolan's on Rue Saint Francois de Paule runs Vieux Nice's Irish dance pub with live bands every night from 22:00, the late stage the Cours Saleya area's anchor for live music to 02:00.
Tip: Live bands every night from 22:00; sport screens on through the early evening before the band set.
Glazart ★ 4.0 · Paris
19e · 7-15 Avenue de la Porte de la Villette, 75019 Paris
Glazart in Paris's 19e is the converted Porte de la Villette bus station hosting the city's most consistent after-hours, with weekend daytime sets from 06:30.
Tip: Sunday daytime 06:30-16:00 is the famed after; arrive by Métro 7 Porte de la Villette and bring layers for the outdoor sand pit.
Petit Bain ★ 4.0 · Paris
13e · 7 Port de la Gare, 75013 Paris
Petit Bain in Paris's 13e is the 45-metre floating concert barge moored beside the Josephine Baker pool, with a 450-capacity room, a 60-cover restaurant.
Tip: Summer terrace is the draw; concerts mostly €15-25 on the lower deck. Door opens 18:00, shows usually start 20:30.
Le Purple ★ 4.0 · Toulouse
capitole · 2 Rue Castellane, 31000 Toulouse
Le Purple on Rue Castellane is the canonical Toulouse dance club with house and techno from 23:30, two rooms, and a late-night close at 06:00 on weekends.
Tip: Open Thursday to Saturday from 23:30; entry €12, free before midnight with Toulousebonplan promo.
Fiesta Latina ★ 3.9 · Bordeaux
saint-croix · 44 Quai de Paludate, 33800 Bordeaux
Fiesta Latina in Bordeaux's Saint-Croix is the Quai de Paludate salsa club, with free salsa lessons before the floor opens and a regular Latin-American DJ.
Tip: Free salsa class from 21:00 every Friday; entry from 22:00, drinks from €8.
Calle Ocho ★ 3.9 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 24 Rue des Piliers de Tutelle, 33000 Bordeaux
Calle Ocho in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the Rue des Piliers de Tutelle Cuban club, with mojitos, live salsa lessons on Wednesdays and a small dance floor.
Tip: Wednesday and Thursday are the salsa-lesson nights; the floor is most crowded Friday from midnight.
Felix ★ 3.8 · Nice
carre-d-or · 12 Avenue Felix Faure, 06000 Nice
Felix on Avenue Felix Faure runs Carre d'Or weekend DJ sets after the brasserie kitchen closes, the Place Massena room with continuous service to 01:30 and a DJ behind the bar on Fri-Sat.
Tip: Friday and Saturday after 22:00 is when the DJ takes over the front bar; the side rooms quieter for dinner.