10 Best Dance Clubs in NOLA
With dozens of festivals and city-wide parties throughout the year, New Orleans knows how to stay excited. Even on nights that do not fall on special celebrations such as French Quarter Fest, the city's nightlife continues to thrive. Continue reading for the top 10 dance clubs to visit to keep your night as exciting as the rest of the city.
1. The Metropolitan
310 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 568-1702
The Metropolitan consists of three large party rooms and 14 VIP sections throughout the venue, suitable for parties of any size. The establishment has hosted a range of local and national talents including the Chainsmokers and DJ Khaled. Each room has its own unique atmosphere, all filled with colorful lights or chandeliers and fog machines. This high-end venue frequently hosts late-night crews with artists playing a range of house, electronic, and dance tracks.
2. Ohm Lounge
601 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 400-7335
In addition to scattered live events such as their 2000s Night and the End of Summer Latino Night, the Ohm Lounge hosts weekly parties on Fridays and Saturdays with cutting-edge sound systems and captivating visuals. While both are equally high-energy, Fridays offer a hookah lounge with R&B, hip-hop, and reggaeton, while Saturdays bring an open-format mix of house, hip-hop, and techno. The interior is inspired by Asian designs with colorful, ambient lighting. Visit their website to see what's coming up.
3. Republic NOLA
828 S. Peters St., (504) 528-8282
Republic NOLA hosts a wide range of events every weekend and every few weeknights, including indie dance parties, decade rewind nights, and their Freakshows, offering performances by acts such as Aerialists, Flamme Fatale, group choreography, drag queens, and more. Their music comes from widely known and beloved DJs and artists, sometimes with concerts from talents such as rapper Xavier Wulf and R&B singer Inayah. Republic NOLA is located in a historic warehouse with vintage hand-painted murals, original wooden beams and large chandeliers.
4. Rabbit Hole
1228 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., (504) 433-6768
The Rabbit Hole is a unique venue with a downstairs bar and dance floor in addition to their outdoor oasis and stage, which has hosted a range of popular local DJs, singers, and bands. Every Tuesday, the establishment hosts the Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band for a night of horns and New Orleans culture. Along with private parties, the Rabbit Hole hosts various events, including 2000s throwbacks and themed raves. The interior is full of color, with neon chairs and colorful lighting in addition to disco balls and LED light signs.
5. Oz
800 Bourbon St., (504) 519-9396
One of the best gay dance clubs in the city, Oz is the home of New Orleans' most awarded and longest running drag cast. The venue hosts weekly events, such as their daily happy hours with differing specials and activities from open to close, in addition to opening the balcony bar on Tuesdays through Sundays. The establishment not only offers private parties and weekly Freaky Fridays but also runs two pageants a year for Miss Oz New Orleans and Miss Gay Emerald City America. From Monday karaoke to Sunday Drag Bingeaux, Oz has something for everyone every night.
6. Bourbon Pub & Parade
801 Bourbon St., (504) 529-2107
The Bourbon Pub & Parade has a weekly lineup with different events each night, with showtune Wednesday singalongs, Thursday karaoke, and parades upstairs versus a chill night at the pub downstairs every Friday and Saturday. Sundays provide a drag show by their cast, the Lipstixx Ladies on Parade. The interior is bright and colorful, with flashing colored lights and disco balls above the large stage where DJs and other performers put on their exciting and unique shows.
7. Vintage Rock Club
1007 Poydras St., (504) 308-1305
The Vintage Rock Club provides a truly immersive experience. Along with private parties and events, the venue hosts public parties that always attract a large crowd. Their music allows guests to reminisce in their nostalgia, honoring the rock music industry's prime decades. Vintage Rock Club also offers its Vinyl Suite, where guests can live the backstage celebrity experience with an ambient, colorful living space and VIP comfort.
8. Bourbon Heat
711 Bourbon St., (504) 324-4669
Bourbon Heat is a local favorite, located on the site of the historic Tricou House. The establishment has several floors and a 50-foot balcony with a perfect view of the infamous Bourbon Street. Bourbon Heat brings only the best DJs and light shows on its top floor, while also offering a much more low-key Courtyard Bar where guests can listen to the sounds of the city and sip on their signature cocktail, The Mo- Heat-O. Not only does the bar provide the city with nights filled with laser beams and Video DJs, the establishment also dedicated itself to providing for the community, supporting a range of causes and fundraisers for the city and its citizens.
9. Mo's Chalet
3201 Houma Blvd., Metairie, (504) 780-2961
Mo's Chalet is known across the city for its nights full of dancing and karaoke with a huge dance floor and stage. Mo's prides itself on its lack of cover charges, any and every night. Their Wednesday karaoke is always a hit for visitors and locals of all ages, and their live music excites the city all weekend long, with large bands on Fridays, Short Circuit dance music on Saturdays, and Latin Night following their Jazz Club on Sundays. The interior was carefully curated by Mo himself, with recognizable green walls and symbolic mementos hung across the establishment.
10. Gold Mine Saloon
701 Dauphine St., (504) 495-3538
instagram.com/goldminesaloonnola
The Gold Mine Saloon is open Thursdays to Saturdays, closing only when the crowd decides it is time to go home. The bar is the home of the Flaming Doctor Pepper Shot, which is served literally flaming with overproof rum, amaretto, and beer. The bar hosts themed parties for holidays and local events, such as the Fourth of July and New Orleans' Red Dress Run, along with its own DJ throwback nights. Many reviews say this is the best spot for actual dancing in the French Quarter, often praising the high energy and fun crowds.
