Dance clubs, live music, rooftop bars, speakeasies, LGBTQ+ venues, listening bars and late-night dives in Cape Town.
Dance clubs, live music, rooftop bars, speakeasies, LGBTQ+ nightlife, listening bars and late-night dives across Cape Town, with where to go and what is worth the late night.
Halo fills the old ERA club site at 71 Loop Street in Cape Town with two dance floors, 3D lights, lasers and techno and house from local and touring DJs.
TipThe downstairs floor only opens at 22:00, so check the monthly events tab and buy early tickets before a big Friday or Saturday booking.
Saint Champagne Bar & Lounge on Harrington Street is the Cape Town club for amapiano, Afrobeats and hip-hop, with bottle service, shisha and cigars.
TipEmail the reservations team for a table before a weekend night; doors open at 21:00 from Wednesday to Sunday.
Club Paradise on Albertus Street is a large East City club in Cape Town, known for Afro tech, amapiano and gqom, with a rooftop bar as a second floor.
TipEntry prices change with each event, so check the line-up first; the rooftop bar becomes a second dance floor for larger events.
District on Harrington Street runs a band stage and a club in one Cape Town room, with rock and indie sets first and house or techno DJs until 04:00.
TipThe band usually plays first and the DJ takes over after, so arrive early for the gig; Surfa Rosa downstairs is the cheaper first stop.
The Alma Cafe is a family-run Rosebank corner venue in Cape Town where the Tait family has put live folk, blues and rock on a small stage since 2009.
TipDinner is served before the set, so book a seat with a meal and arrive at doors; Sunday shows start half an hour earlier than Friday and Saturday.
Harringtons is the velvet-booth cocktail lounge on Harrington Street in Cape Town, with live jazz and funk bands and DJs playing disco after the sets.
TipArrive for the 16:00 to 19:00 happy hour and book a velvet booth, then move to District next door once its dance floor gets going.
The Blue Room is the ground floor live music lounge of Grub & Vine on Bree Street in Cape Town, with jazz, blues and soul sets from Tuesday to Saturday.
TipHappy hour runs 15:30 to 17:30, and the pre-show dinner is served 18:00 to 21:30, before the live sets start at 19:00.
The House of Machines on Shortmarket Street is a Cape Town coffee bar by day and an intimate gig room by night, home to a weekly Songwriters Showcase.
TipTuesday brings the Songwriters' Showcase from 20:00, and Monday's Cure runs from 18:00, so plan a weeknight for the music.
The Athletic Club & Social on Buitengracht Street spreads three Cape Town bars over one old building, with live jazz in the Trophy Room basement.
TipEat Greek at the Trapezaria first, then head down to the Trophy Room once the jazz starts; Thursday to Saturday trade runs to 02:00.
Gigi Rooftop sits on the sixth floor of the Gorgeous George hotel on St George's Mall in Cape Town, an 80 seat poolside lounge pouring tiki style cocktails.
TipSeating is limited and the rooftop is cashless, so book a table and bring a card; breakfast runs 07:30 to 10:30 daily.
The Nines is a ninth floor rooftop restaurant and cocktail lounge in Station House, Sea Point, with a deck facing the Atlantic and a Cape Town dinner menu.
TipBook for sunset; on Fridays DJ Johnny Papps plays from 18:00 to 22:00, and Sunday brings a live jazz lunch from 13:00 to 16:00.
Utopia is the 15th floor rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar on Chiappini Street in De Waterkant, with views over Cape Town Stadium to the Atlantic.
TipDrinks are easier to walk into than dinner, which needs a booking; Sunday it closes after breakfast, so plan a weekday evening for the view.
14Stories Rooftop Bar is on the 14th floor of SunSquare City Bowl on Buitengracht Street, a Cape Town sundowner deck facing Table Mountain and Signal Hill.
TipIt opens at 16:00 and shuts at 22:00, so treat it as a sunset stop; the glassed indoor lounge keeps it usable when the southeaster blows.
The Art of Duplicity is a password only speakeasy in a Victorian warehouse in central Cape Town, taking bookings online and pouring signature cocktails.
TipBook online, get the password with your booking, and go on a Friday or Saturday night when the room has live jazz.
The Drinkery is a contemporary speakeasy on the mezzanine above the Heritage Square courtyard on Shortmarket Street in Cape Town, with seasonal cocktails.
TipTake the stairs up from the courtyard and ask for a seat on the terrace bar, which looks over the oldest fruiting vine in the country.
Crew Bar on Cobern Street is a De Waterkant gay bar in Cape Town with shirtless barmen, two dance floors, pop and house DJs and regular karaoke nights.
TipGet in before 22:00 to skip the cover, and pair it with Cafe Manhattan on Waterkant Street a few doors away for an early dinner.
The Pink Candy Night Club on Strand Street is a pink-lit queer club in De Waterkant, Cape Town, with a proper dance floor, drag acts and house DJs.
TipDoors are only open Friday and Saturday; arrive before 22:00 to skip the cover, and expect a crush during Cape Town Pride.
Zer021 Social Club on Canterbury Street is a Cape Town queer club built around drag, with lip-sync battles and a strong local Black and Coloured crowd.
TipGo early in the evening for the drag shows, which are the main event; the cover charge stays in place after the drag portion ends.
StarGayzers is a northern suburbs gay club on Caxton Street in Parow, Cape Town, with a karaoke lounge downstairs, throwback DJs and occasional drag shows.
TipHead downstairs to the karaoke lounge for its regular sessions and competitions; the drinks are reasonably priced.
Anthm is a Japanese cocktail and vinyl listening bar on a Loop Street corner in Cape Town, run by Tetsuo Hasegawa, former head bartender of Angel's Share.
TipSit at the bar and order the Foggy Forest, whiskey with porcini and mountain cherry smoke, while the vinyl plays.
The Waiting Room sits above Royale Eatery at the top of Long Street in Cape Town, a no-frills bar with a rooftop deck and Saturday throwback parties.
TipSaturday is the Groovy Sensations throwback night; head up to the rooftop deck, where DJs play techno and psytrance Friday to Sunday.
Surfa Rosa is the graffiti-walled surf and punk dive bar at street level on Harrington Street in Cape Town, with loud rock, pizza and a small dance floor.
TipOrder a bunny chow or a pizza as a first stop, then take the stairs up to District or Harringtons once the late crowd arrives.
Evol on Hope Street is a black-walled Cape Town dive club run by the same family since 1991, with pool tables, two dance floors, emo nights and K-pop.
TipUse the chalk left out around the club, since the black walls double as one big chalkboard that guests keep redrawing.
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