• Billboard Pro
  • Subscribe
  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters

Billboard Pro

  • Subscribe
  • Sign In

Follow Billboard

About Billboard

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC

  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters
    • Billboard Pro
    • Subscribe
Three Sixty
Top Artists
View All
Top Charts
Hot 100 Songs
Billboard 200
View All
Top Videos
Ariana Grande's '34+35' Remix With Megan Thee Stallion & Doja Cat, Taylor Swift's Shout Out to Olivia Rodrigo and More Top News | Billboard News
Jazmine Sullivan Opens Up About Her New Album 'Heaux Tales,' Sexuality & More | Billboard News
View All
Top Articles
Jay Sean Sings a Verse From the Point-of-View of Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Love Interest: Watch
Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous: The Double Album' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Breaks Country Streaming Record
View All
Watch Now
Greatest of All Time

The 25 Greatest Dance Clubs of All Time

By Billboard Staff
11/12/2015
  • Copied to clipboard
Getty Images
1 / 26
Item 1 of 26

Dance Clubs: 25 Best Of All Time

Dance clubs have always formed the culture's backbone. While there are far more than 25 top clubs that deserve mention, Billboard sought to assemble a representative list of the best clubs in the world for our greatest of all time series. 

See also: Top 50 EDM Love Songs | Top 50 Feel Good Dance Songs | 25 Female DJs You Need to Know | 25 Can't-Miss European Dance Music Festivals | 14 Most Powerful Artists in Dance Music | 15 Rising Trance Stars | 10 Youngest DJ Breakthroughs | 10 Resident DJs That Changed EDM

By Billboard Staff
11/12/2015
  • Copied to clipboard
Taylor Zorzi
2 / 26
Item 2 of 26

Dance Club #25: Beta (Denver, Colo.)

Sound quality is crucial in the dance world, and the award-winning Beta more than delivers in that department with a booming 72,000-watt system. Add in its proximity to Red Rocks, an enthusiastic fan base and consistent curation and you’ve got the perfect storm to build a Southwest dance foundation.

Jun Sato/WireImage
3 / 26
Item 3 of 26

Dance Club #24: Womb (Tokyo, Japan)

Sporting a killer sound, silver-screen recognition (Babel) and a laundry list of iconic artist bookings, Womb has been a foundational block in dance music's expansion into Asia.

Stefen Chow/Getty Images
4 / 26
Item 4 of 26

Dance Club #23: Zouk (Singapore)

Zouk has emerged as dance music's premier club brand in Southeast Asia since opening in 1991 and expanding to Kuala Lumpur in 2004. Its weekly Mambo Jambo parties are a local rite of passage, while its ZoukOut music festival has steadily grown over 15 years, bringing top talent like David Guetta, Tiesto and Richie Hawtin to the city-state.

Jim Dyson/Getty Images
5 / 26
Item 5 of 26

Dance Club #22: Rex Club (Paris, France)

French luminary Laurent Garnier opened, giving Parisian techno and electro a fitting club to call home. Rex Club would become an important focal point for the city's burgeoning scene, which included future superstars Daft Punk and Justice, as well as provide a contemporary niche for the Ed Banger and Bromance crews.

Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Beats by Dre
6 / 26
Item 6 of 26

Dance Club #21: Marquee (Las Vegas)

Since opening in 2010, the crown Vegas jewel of Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg’s Strategic Group has given attendees the over-the-top social and sensory experience that only Sin City can offer.

Sergi Alexander/FilmMagic
7 / 26
Item 7 of 26

Dance Club #20: Club Space (Miami, Fla.)

Miami has no shortage of glitzy and glamorous clubs, but this 25,000-square-foot behemoth takes the cake with its marathon sunrise sets on the terrace.

Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
8 / 26
Item 8 of 26

Dance Club #19: The Palladium (New York City)

Designed by renowned Japanese archiect Arata Isozaki, this iconic club (which closed in 1997) played host to Junior Vasquez's epochal Arena party, which brought thousands of weekly clubgoers to his Saturday marathon sets.

Bladt/ullstein bild via Getty Images
9 / 26
Item 9 of 26

Dance Club #18: Bar 25 (Berlin, Germany)

Left unchecked, this quirky counterculture mecca along the Spree river might have blossomed into an intentional community along the lines of Copenhagen’s Kristiana. While Bar 25 and its successor Kater Holzig were demolished amid disputes with the city, its present incarnation Kater Blau is thriving.

Courtesy Photo
10 / 26
Item 10 of 26

Dance Club #17: D-Edge/Warung Beach Club (Brazil)

Southern Brazil has emerged as a significant stop on house and techno’s international touring circuit in no small part due to these two iconic venues and the vision of owner/partner Renato Ratier. 

Howard Barlow/Redferns
11 / 26
Item 11 of 26

Dance Club #16: Hacienda (Manchester, U.K.)

During the “Madchester” era of the '80s and '90s, this former Bollywood cinema emerged as a staple in the U.K.’s burgeoning acid house scene.

PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images
12 / 26
Item 12 of 26

Dance Club #15: Amnesia (Ibiza)

One of the White Isle's longest-running venues, Amnesia opened in 1976 as a modest discoteque. It has since blossomed into a trend-setting megaclub that has hosted some of the island's most influential parties -- from the long-tenured Cream and Cocoon to new hotspot Music On.

Steve Eichner/Getty Images
13 / 26
Item 13 of 26

Dance Club #14: Tunnel (New York City)

This seminal venue situated in the former Terminal Warehouse Company Central Stores Building was a key component of Peter Gatien’s nightlife empire. Tunnel, which closed in 2001, proved formative for the city’s underground house and techno scenes, as well as earning accolades for its unheralded Sunday hip-hop party.

Courtesy of DJ Bone
14 / 26
Item 14 of 26

Dance Club #13: Motor (Detroit, Mich.)

While Detroit techno came of age in warehouses and underground raves, Motor gave the genre the venue it deserved after opening in 1996. Techno royalty like Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Richie Hawtin were just a few of the noteworthy acts to grace its decks.

Ron Galella/WireImage
15 / 26
Item 15 of 26

Dance Club #12: Twilo (New York City)

New York’s Twilo will forever live in legend for Sasha and Digweed’s game-changing residency prior to its 2001 closing under pressure from then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

courtesy
16 / 26
Item 16 of 26

Dance Club #11: Elrow (Barcelona, Spain)

A Barcelona institution whose brand has been passed down like a family heirloom, Elrow’s name became synonymous with its famous day parties during its expansion into a global party powerhouse.

Courtesy Photo
17 / 26
Item 17 of 26

Dance Club #10: Trouw (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

As long-time resident Joris Voorn recently told Billboard, Amsterdam’s dance scene is not the same without this cherished venue, which was as much an open-minded art and cultural space as a world-renowned club.

PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images
18 / 26
Item 18 of 26

Dance Club #9: Ministry of Sound (London, U.K.)

What began in 1991 as a London club with an award-winning sound system has since given rise to a hit-making indie record label, a global event promoter and a 24/7 online radio station.

Victor Spinelli/Getty Images
19 / 26
Item 19 of 26

Dance Club #8: Space (Ibiza)

Setting the bar for terraces worldwide, this White Isle institution celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and has expanded to Miami, New York and Brazil.

PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images
20 / 26
Item 20 of 26

Dance Club #7: Shoom (London, U.K.)

Often credited for the birth of U.K. rave culture, Danny Rampling's Southwark staple exported Balearic beat and acid house from Ibiza to a country hungry for new sounds -- revolutionizing and defining the musical movements of the '90s in the process. While the club closed after three years, Shoom's 25th anniversary party in 2012 sold out in hours and promped the addition of an extra date by popular demand.

Ron Galella/WireImage
21 / 26
Item 21 of 26

Dance Club #6: Limelight (New York City)

In the mid-'80s, Peter Gatien transformed this former Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion into an NYC clubbing mecca. Andy Warhol hosted the club’s opening party and it even earned a shout-out from Biggie on “Juicy.”

Stefan Hoederath/Getty Images
22 / 26
Item 22 of 26

Dance Club #5: Berghain (Berlin, Germany)

No club on earth commands the notoriety of this Berlin institution. While much of the media focus centers on its strict door policy and debauched atmosphere, quality curation in a unique environment sets this otherworldly techno dungeon apart from the rest.

Courtesy Photo
23 / 26
Item 23 of 26

Dance Club #4: Fabric (London, U.K.)

Known for its stylistic variety, open-minded dance floor and revered mix series, this 1600-capacity London staple has evolved into one of the U.K.’s strongest dance brands.

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
24 / 26
Item 24 of 26

Dance Club #3: Studio 54 (New York City)

New York’s hedonist haven spanned three decades and drew everyone who was anyone during each, including Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Salvador Dali, Grace Jones and Cher.

Jemal Countess/WireImage
25 / 26
Item 25 of 26

Dance Club #2: The Warehouse (Chicago, Ill.)

The birthplace of house music catered to the demographics that gave dance music its start -- mostly gay minorities who treated Frankie Knuckles’ sanctum as their church. After FK’s departure, the club continued as Music Box under the watch of young resident Ron Hardy.

Getty Images
26 / 26
Item 26 of 26

Dance Club #1: Paradise Garage (New York City)

From 1977 to 1987, this converted parking garage on King Street became a bastion of disco’s underground and established the modern dance club’s DJ-focused format with legendary residents like Larry Levan.

By Billboard Staff
11/12/2015
  • Copied to clipboard

Watch Now

News

Kelly Clarkson Performs Perfect Rendition of Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams' | Billboard News

4 days ago

Follow Billboard

The Daily

A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

  • Subscribe
  • Billboard Events
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • FAQ
  • Feedback
  • Sitemap
  • Media Kit
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC