14 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 EUR; 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 cultural complex, and the city's industrial-techno benchmark.

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 of residents and bookings.

Tip: Door from 23:30 Wed-Sat; tickets €12-20 on Shotgun. Arrive before 01:00 for the floor before it packs.

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 sets, live music and open-air cinema across panoramic city views.

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 and a basement floor that runs until 06:00.

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 EUR 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: La Dame Noire for pop-rock, Le Whisky Bar for house, La Marquise upstairs.

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 upstairs and a secret-door dancefloor that runs house and deep house from 23:00.

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, techno and live billings under the stars overlooking the Frioul Islands.

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 aperitifs on the deck by day.

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 over the Porte de Versailles.

Tip: Bookings on Shotgun or Xceed; tickets €20-40. Last Métro shuts at 01:00 so plan a taxi or Vélib home.

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 and Sunday closing parties to 16:00.

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 and a green Seine-side roof terrace.

Tip: Summer terrace is the draw; concerts mostly €15-25 on the lower deck. Door opens 18:00, shows usually start 20:30.