Dublin club nights & venues – a guide

This guide was last updated: Feb 2019.

Venues map

A regularly updated guide to Dublin clubs, pubs and venues. For visitors and locals alike. See the weekly guide here.

Venues, Clubs & late spots

These are places which are set up for dancing so you are pretty much guaranteed DJs, local or international most nights of the week.

Yamamori Tengu – Great Strand Street Dublin, Dublin 1)
Japanese bar at the back of a restaurant with the friendliest crowd and the nicest bar staff in Dublin. Two floors for DJs and some limited live acts. Regular promoters include our own Lumo Club, Telephones, Out To Lunch and Discotekken. Entrance via the back of the building. Main room capacity 250 or 400 across two floors

Wah Wah Club (South William, Dublin 2)
Abstract took over the old South William Bar and from Thursday to Sunday expect international DJ guests of house and techno persuasion plus a healthy dose of local crews.

The Grand Social @ Hapenny Bridge, Dublin 1
Two story Venue and bar just off the Liffey. Upstairs is known for it’s live band performances and the downstairs plays host to a few local crews, including a Friday night residency from Space Talk. See listings.

Wigwam (54 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1)
Used to be Twisted Pepper and hosted a lot of international house and techno guests. Now, more local nights take the basement. Also houses an amazing coffee shop called Vice and a barber downstairs called Boxcutter. Run by Bodytonic.

The Workman’s Club (10 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2)
Bound to be a DJ or a band on here at any time of the night. There’s a venue downstairs with DJs playing til late after local and international bands and a bar adjacent. Upstairs, there are two rooms featuring DJs. Their styles run the gamut from alternative, indie, R&B disco, house, pop and whatever is listed here. Smoking garden is always packed. Stays open til 4am.

The Pygmalion @ South William
Bar, Restaurant and Venue in Powerscourt Townhouse is always busy even during the week. International guests of note lately include Joe Goddard, Detroit Swindle and Simian Mobile Disco

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Bello Bar (Portobello)
One of my favourite small venues. A 150 capacity basement venue that has a genuine intimacy and a mix of seating and standing. We do Future Proof, our new music night here.

Button Factory (Wexford Street, Dublin 2)
A mix of live bands and late DJ guests with promoters like Sense on Saturdays doing house and techno.

Whelan’s (25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2)
Mostly known for its live music reputation which has seen many an indie and rock band play but also Ed Sheeran and pop acts too. Two venues, one main room and an upstairs room which goes late for gigs. The clubs most nights of the week in the bar and/or main venue are stalwarts if you like indie and rock music. The crowd have been known to berate the DJ if he plays anything that doesn’t fit with the ethos in the past.

The Sugar Club (Lower Leeson Street)
Live gigs, a la promoters Choice Cuts, in main seated room with an emphasis on rap, soul, R&B and jazz early with DJs going late in a couple of spaces. Lots of film screenings too.

The Sound House (Eden Quay)
Newly rebranded venue in The Wiley Fox pub and bar (formerly The Pint), a new strain of live gigs and club nights are currently establishing themselves here. See current events for details. 250 capacity.

Opium (Wexford Street, Dublin 2)
A big main venue for clubs and a smoking garden. Under new management. Recent guests Todd Terry.

The Academy (Middle Abbey Street)
Modelled on the UK equivalent, this is a live venue first with headline acts of all types but ones that can fill a 600 capacity venue. At the weekend late, it opens up into a multi-room club space featuring music for all with nights like Neon Neon and Circus.

The Bowery (Rathmines)
A relative newcomer in the Irish late-night scene, this quirky venue is modeled on an 18th century pirate ship. Open till late on Fridays and Saturdays, The Bowery offers an array of live music performances as well as some local and international DJs.

The Underground (Dame Street)
Located underneath Peadar Kearney’s pub, The Underground is a vibrant live music venue. Run by Abner Brown and with a focus on emerging domestic talent the venue boasts an impressive roster of musicians nearly every night of the week.

Yamamori Izakaya (South Great George’s Street)
The sister venue to the northside’s Tengu, Yamaori Izakaya has built a reputation as a trendy twenty-something’s club venue. Definitely worth a visit, especially on Sundays when the venue hosts a weekly party in it’s basement.

Hang Dai Chinese (Wexford Street)
A restaurant with late night disco bar vibes and THE best soundsystem in the city. Vinyl-only DJs Friday and Saturday night from 10:30pm. See how and why here.

The George (South Great George’s Street)
The George has grown to be Dublin’s most popular gay bar. Located in the heart of the city centre the bar plays host to a number of weekly nights, including the famed Sunday bingo parties. Expect a friendly atmosphere and some of the best pop and R&B tunes made since the turn of the century.

Index 39/40 A(ran Quay)
Formerly Voodoo Lounge, Index now mostly hosts house and techno nights. FB.

Fibber Magees (Parnell Street)
One of the most renowned rocker bars in the entire country, Fibber Mcgees plays host to a some of Dublin’s heavier bands every night of the week. Filled with leather and Foosball tables, the venue is usually packed with an eclectic variety of patrons. A huge smoking area, with parts indoors and out, is the cherry atop the cake.

The Big Romance (Parnell Street)
A new bar and venue located just around the corner from O’Connell street. Since opening the venue has hosted DJs of all persuasions and backgrounds every night from Wednesday onwards. DJs must spin vinyl through the Toby Hatchett sound system. Come early to hear the staff spin their favourite albums in full for your listening pleasure.

Club Nights – Current: Weekly / Monthly

If you want to submit a club listing you can email [email protected].

Mondays

Song Cycle @ Whelan’s Bar (Free)
Singer-songwriter night
Arthur’s Jazz Jam @ Arthurs (Free, Weekly)
An open call jazz jam organised by the DCU jazz soc crew.
Hijinks @ Tramline (Free with VIPSY, weekly)
A student friendly house and techno night that is stuffed every week.

Tuesdays

Ruby Sessions @ Doyles (€6, 9pm, weekly)
Long running folk and acoustic night.

Wednesdays

Somewhere? Club @ The Workman’s Club – (Free before 11pm, €5 – weekly)
Hip to House, bass to electro – always busy. Voted Best Club in the Nialler9 Poll 2014.
Silent Disco @ Whelan’s (Free, weekly)
2 DJs – 2 playlists
Curious Pyg @ The Pygmalion (Free, 8pm – late, weekly)
Resident DJ Bubbles plays a blend of house and disco music till the small hours. Populated by a blend of students and those blowing off some steam after work, this is a great night for a midweek dance session.

Thursdays

Prhomo @ The Hub (monthly)
Pop & Recently moved to The Hub, Prhomo is an energetic night out playing plenty of pop and electro tunes. “Good tunes, Cheap Booze & lots of gays”.
WindowSeat Sessions@ Crowbar (Free, 9pm, weekly)
A weekly acoustic music night every Thursday from 9pm featuring 3 emerging singer-songwriters.
Retro Thursdays @ The Chelsea Drugstore (Free, Bimonthly)
Jazz, funk and beats.
DJs @ The Workman’s Club (Free, weekly)
First Floor: House and Disco sounds
Toast @ Opium Rooms
Everything from the classic party tunes and disco being played in the heated smoking area under our Tiki Hut to raw House and Techno upstairs in the Techno Loft. Every week.

Fridays

Lepton @ The Bernard Shaw (Monthly, 7pm-1, Free)
A new an unique electronic music night based in The Bernard Shaw. With a keen eye for graphic design and for moody bass heavy dance music. Lepton is a must for those partial to some alternative dance music.
DJs @ The Workman’s Club (10pm, Free)
Indie, house and disco across the various floors.
Indie/Rock Club @ Whelan’s (weekly, 10:30pm – 3am, €10)
Long running DJ club night. An institution.
Neon Neon @ The Academy (11pm )
House music, decent pop and timeless floorfillers all night. Disco room with Ciara Brady.
Space Talk @ The Grand Social (Weekly, Free)
Weekly installations of house, disco , funk and just about any other kind of groove you could imagine. Space Talk is a free weekly night ran by the people behind Phases.
Granny @ The Grand Social (Free)
Weekly DJ night playing from a expanisve range of genres and eras. They do special Granny tea shots, we have no idea either.

Saturdays

Hidden Agenda @ Wah Wah Club (weekly, 11pm)
International electronic guests like Erol Alkan, Romare Kiasmos, Leon Vynehall and more with great local DJs like Sim Simma, This Greedy Pig, Welcome.
Mother @ The Hub (€10, weekly)
Gay club with the best disco/dance music around. Recently moved to The Hub.
Lumo @ Bar Tengu (Monthly €6/€10, 10pm)
Resident DJs Nialler9, Simon Roche and Gavin Elsted (Adultrock). It’s a house party in a club vibe with no restrictions on genre. See 2016 dates.
Telephones @ Bar Tengu (Monthly €6/€10, 11pm)
A monthly night time party in Tengu and occasional day time parties in the charming old school yard of Pallas Studios. Big Parties, Small Spaces. from the people who bring you Discotekken & The Locals.
Out To Lunch @ Bar Tengu/ other venues (Monthly €6/€10, 11pm)
Experimental-leaning electronic music guests of international persuasion.
Sense @ The Button Factory (irregular)
International guests in house and techno.
DJs @ The Workman’s Club (10pm, Free)
Indie, house and disco across the various floors.
Circus @ The Academy (11pm )
Circus and aerial performers, firebreathers and DJs.
DJs @ The Workman’s Club (10pm, Free)
Indie, house and disco across the various floors.
Indie/Rock Club @ Whelan’s (weekly, 10:30pm – 3am, €10)
Long running DJ club night. An institution.
Division @ The Pygmalion (Weekly, 10pm)
“A slice of Berlin in Dublin every Saturday night in Pygmalion. House, Minimal, Techno straight from the worlds capital of electronic music.”

Sundays

Sonntags @ Whelan’s (Weekly)
House, disco and techno.
Izakaya Sundays @ Yamamori Izakaya (weekly, free)
Sunday club vibes with house and disco. Occasional visiting guests.
Pyg Sundays @ The Pygmalion (Weekly, 10pm)
From Tim Sweeney to Mark E to Aeroplane.

Live Music

Check the Gig Guide for what’s on this week.

Best pubs / bars

The Long Hall (51 North Great George’s Street, Dublin) – Mmmmmmm. Carpets and Guinness. During the week, the perfect place for sneaky pints. It’s an old school pub with no music. manky toilets, but the atmosphere is all good. You can’t miss the red and white exterior.

The Bernard Shaw (11 – 12 South Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin 2) – Also by Bodytonic, a great pub, bar and hangout spot. DJs most nights with some live music, exhibitions, a big smoking area out the back with a big bus serving pizza.

Grogans – 15 South William Street, Dublin 2 – Best place in the City Centre for Guinness and on-street bums on seats. Always full of weirdos, artists and bums. Try the ham and cheese toasties with a pint.

The Cobblestone (77 King Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7) – Old-time boozer with live Irish music a little bit outside the main city on the Northside. Worth a trek.

Pantibar – Capel Street – Best gay bar in Dublin. Friendly, always lots of cool things happening regularly.