Dance clubs, live music, rooftop bars, speakeasies, LGBTQ+ nightlife, listening bars and late-night dives across Cork, with where to go and what is worth the late night.
€€City CentreThu-Sun 23:00-02:30; closed Mon-Wed
Cork's longest-running nightclub, founded in 1998 and consistently ranked the city's leading dance venue. Four bars spread over multiple floors, LED dance.
Tip: Thursday night entry is free before midnight; the side door on Hanover Street is the faster queue on Saturday
€€City CentreThu-Sat 23:00-02:00; closed Sun-Wed
A multi-floor nightclub on Oliver Plunkett Street with four bars across three levels including Cork's largest rooftop terrace. The retro first-floor bar.
Tip: The rooftop is outdoor with cover; arrive before 23:30 to secure a spot before the queue builds on the main floor
€City CentreDaily 14:00-02:00
Cork's most versatile live music venue, open seven nights until 02:00 with free live music or DJs almost every night from national and international acts.
Tip: Check the door programme for that night's act - free entry for most events; ticketed shows sell out fast, book on cranelanetheatre.ie
€€City CentreMon-Thu 12:00-23:30, Fri 12:00-02:30, Sat 10:00-02:30, Sun 10:00-23:00
Cork's best-known live music pub, with nightly acts Wednesday to Sunday covering traditional Irish, folk and contemporary. Late licence until 01:30 Friday.
Tip: Arrive by 22:00 on Friday for a seat during the live set - the floor fills fast once the act starts
€€City CentreThu-Sat 23:00-02:00 (weather permitting)
Cork's largest rooftop venue, situated on the third floor of Voodoo Rooms on Oliver Plunkett Street. Covered sections protect against the predictable Cork.
Tip: Check the weather before committing - the rooftop closes when heavy rain arrives regardless of the forecast
€€City CentreDaily from 20:00; closes with the main bar (02:00/02:30)
The upstairs cocktail bar at Arthur Mayne's Pharmacy, accessed by a staircase from the main wine bar below. A low-lit, intimate space with leather seating.
Tip: The space is small and fills from 22:00 on weekends - go downstairs first and ask the bar staff to show you up
€€City CentreThu-Sat from 19:00; drag shows from 21:00; DJ from 23:00 until 02:30
Cork's only dedicated LGBTQ+ nightclub, relaunched as Wilde after operating as Vibe. Located on Oliver Plunkett Street, the venue anchors Cork's queer.
Tip: Thursday is the quieter, friendlier night for a first visit - Friday and Saturday bring larger crowds and bigger drag acts
€€€MacCurtain Street (Victorian Quarter)Mon-Fri 16:00-23:30, Sat 14:00-00:30, Sun 16:00-22:00
Cork's premier cocktail bar doubles as the city's closest equivalent to a listening bar: chosen DJ sets on weekend evenings and excellent acoustics in a MacCurtain Street Victorian room.
Tip: Arrive at 17:00 on weekdays for pre-theatre cocktails before the DJ crowd arrives - the bar is at its most intimate before 20:00
€€City CentreMon-Thu 10:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 10:00-02:30, Sun 10:00-23:00
Cork's most consistently packed late-night bar and club hybrid, housed in one of the city's finest Victorian buildings on Cornmarket Street. Also home to the Old Town Whiskey Bar.
Tip: Ask for the whiskey bar inside - it is a genuinely spectacular room that most visitors miss by staying on the main floor
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