Dance Clubs
Whether it's with soul nights, '80s parties or dubstep bashes, Portland's dance clubs will get you moving.
John Patrick Pullen
Portland may be best known for its indie music, but with a wide variety of dance clubs, the city has a rhythm that’ll get just about anyone moving.
Old Town Chinatown
Portland’s densest concentration of dance clubs is in the Old Town Chinatown nightlife district. Bars like Dirty Nightclub, the Southern-themed Dixie Tavern and outdoor-party-cum-piano-bar Barrel Room are at the epicenter, but lower-key dance lounge spots like Valentine’s also ring the area.
Gay nightclub CC Slaughters boasts a live DJ seven nights a week; Wednesdays are all-request dance nights. At Jones, the theme is all ’80s and ’90s, all the time.
Portland’s Best Dance Halls
Downtown Portland
With a big neon sign that says “Dance,” Lola’s Room is hard to miss, located below the Crystal Ballroom. Regular ’80s and ’90s nights ensure that you’ll be glad you popped into this intimate space.
Southeast Portland
Running everything from DJ sets to local performers, Holocene has mixed music with visuals for a decade-plus, turning an old auto-parts warehouse into a 5,000-square-foot temple to art and audio. Its inner southeast Portland neighbor 45 East also rocks a converted industrial space, with an upstairs lounge and downstairs dance floor hosting frequent EDM shows.
Across town, The Goodfoot Lounge is where locals go for laid-back nights of festival-style stomping on the hardwood dance floor. Great for small music and big laughs, the two-level dance hall plays everything from funk to dub step, so long as it gets the crowd moving.
The big basement dance floor at the log-cabin themed Doug Fir Lounge gets plenty of traffic on its electro-pop and hip-hop nights, though most of the time the club stays true to the city’s indie rock ways with live performances.
Other popular options in Southeast include Dig a Pony, Crush, Lovecraft and Church.
Northeast Portland
Aztec Willies in Northeast Portland’s Lloyd neighborhood is a go-to for salsa and Latin grooves, with different offerings nearly every night.
North Portland
Hosting regular queer dance nights, Killingsworth Dynasty is a go-to for dancing every night of the week.
Nightlife
Portland’s Entertainment District
On weekend nights, several blocks in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood are closed to cars, making it easy to visit the area's many dance clubs and bars.
Nightlife Round-Up
Portland comes alive after dark, with restaurants, clubs, theaters, concert venues and performance halls open late all over town.
LGBTQ+ Nightlife
Portland has no shortage of LGBTQ-owned and -friendly bars and clubs. Whether you're looking for a relaxing night with friends, a high-energy dance party or a drag show, Portland delivers.
Nightlife Events
Stumptown LepreCon
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this annual costume-required celebration. Wear something blinky and illuminated (it has to be more than just a green shirt or a button). This is a participatory event, so bring something LepreCons will enjoy: toys, games, stickers, buttons, signs and a great costume. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s…
Paddy's Saint Patrick Festival
Join Paddy’s for its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which includes a tented street party, Irish bands, bagpipers, Irish dancers, corned beef & cabbage, and plenty of Guinness and Irish Whiskey. The tented event is family-friendly until 8 p.m. and kids under 12 years old get in free. Enter the raffle to win a trip…
Portland Lindy Exchange
Established in 2008, the Portland Lindy Exchange (PDXLX) is the biggest annual swing dance weekend in Oregon. Join us for 3 days of celebrating the music and vintage swing dances of the early 20th Century including Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. The Music PDXLX 2020 will feature LIVE swing and vintage jazz from…
Red Dress Party
At Portland’s annual Red Dress Party, all attendees are required to wear a red dress or pre-approved attire. Tickets to the event include entrance to the party, entertainment and dancing, as well as food and drinks all evening. All proceeds from this year’s Red Dress party will benefit Planned Parenthood and Q Center. Red Dress…
Korn & Breaking Benjamin
Grammy award-winning heavyweights Korn and multi-platinum hard rockers Breaking Benjamin today announced their epic tour set for 2020. Fans will have the chance to see two of the biggest forces in rock perform on the same stage each night across North America in the new year. Special guest Bones U.K. will also join the tour…
The Found Dog Ribbon Dance by Dominic Finocchiaro
CoHo Productions with Connery MacRae & Tom Mounsey present The Found Dog Ribbon Dance by Dominic Finocchiaro Norma (a professional cuddler/reluctant dog-rescuer) and Norm (an anonymous amateur ribbon-dancer/attentive barista) navigate loneliness, vulnerability, the music of Whitney Houston, and a collection of eccentric characters in search of the healing power of human connection. A sweet and…
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is a Grammy Award winning musician, songwriter and go- to collaborator/producer for some of the biggest names in R&B. Solange Knowles, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, Ne-Yo and Miguel are among the many artists who turn to Saadiq for his deep musicality, contemporary creative vision and encyclopedic knowledge of timeless pop music….
Yacht Rock Revue
The Yacht Rock Revue is everything the late ‘70s and early ‘80s should’ve been: massive sing-along soft rock hits, tight bell-bottom jeans, impeccable musicianship, polyester shirts, glorious vocal harmonies, sunglasses at night, breezy dancing and sax . . . lots of sax.
Hollow Coves
Aussie indie folk with reflective lyrics, dynamic harmonies and earthly melodies. With: Harrison Storm.
Slow Hollows
Slow Hollows is a four-piece from the San Fernando valley in Los Angles. It consists of Austin Anderson, Jackson Katz, Aaron Jassenoff and Daniel Fox. The band was started in 2013 by Anderson. Slow Hollows are currently finishing their new record, Actors.
Umphrey's McGee
The music of Umphrey’s McGee unfolds like an unpredictable conversation between longtime friends. Its six participants know just how to communicate with each other on stage and in the studio. A call of progressive guitar wizardry might elicit a response of soft acoustic balladry, or a funk groove could be answered by explosive percussion. At…
An Evening With Moe
With 20 years of touring and just as many albums under its belt, the quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Jim Loughlin on percussion and vibes, and Vinnie Amico on Drums, continues to push the standard for performance art.
Stanton Moore Trio with Nolatet
Part of the 2020 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival. Over the course of his 20-year career, drummer Stanton Moore has become known as one of the premier funk musicians of his generation. On his latest album, Conversations, he moves in a slightly different direction, returning to his roots while reinventing his trademark sound. The result is…
Droeloe
Droeloe is a Dutch future bass and electronic artist. With: Taska Black, Quiet Bison.
Papooz
Groovy bossanova and retro sway pop from up-and-coming French duo. With: Night Heron.
Donavon Frankenreiter – The Record Player Tour
Donavon Frankenreiter has been writing, recording and touring his music for 20 years. With over a dozen full-length record releases and hundreds of songs written, the traveling troubadour has become beacon for funkified jams, stylish stomps and feel-good grooves. From his surf-inspired serenades to classic blues-rooted funk, Donavon is always evolving. It would seem he’s…
Eyelids
Inventive power-pop group with members of The Decemberists & Malkmus/Jicks.
Joshua Radin & friends
Love and the complications surrounding it have long proven to be Joshua Radin’s songwriting forte. Though he never intended to be a live performer, there was little choice when the first song he ever wrote, “Winter,” was featured on an episode of “Scrubs.” The resulting fervor around the song soon led to a record deal,…
Lawrence
Lawrence Hayward, known mononymously as Lawrence, is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is known as the frontman in the British indie pop bands Felt, Denim and Go-Kart Mozart. Meet & Greet Experience tickets are available for $78.
Ryan Meagher
Presented by PJCE Records. Guitarist and composer, Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr), led off the PJCE Records presents series back in January ’19 with his Simple Songs: reimaginings of tunes from various composers and bands ranging from Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Shins to Beethoven, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. The March 1st set is a…
Free First Thursday at Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum provides free admission the first Thursday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m.
Flight- 7 year W/ Swingkidd (SF)
FLIGHT SEVEN YEAR: Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate this thing called Flight. Electric word FLIGHT here for 7 years and that’s a mighty long time. But we’re going to tell you there’s something else. The dance floor. A world of never ending happiness you can always see your friends day or…
Sabado de Perreo
Every first Saturday at Culture is all about reggaeton, Latin trap, dembow, bachata and more. DJ Gatto and DJ R2 will be bringing you the hottest music in these Latin rhythms with surprise guest DJs. Get on the guestlist for free cover before it closes by texting “firstsaturday” to 31996. This is a 21 and…
Fennesz, Britton Powell, Visible Cloaks
Sounds et al and Holocene present a night of emotionally engaging electronic music, with performances from Fennesz, Britton Powell and Visible Cloaks.
Laughrodisiac Comedy Showcase
An evening of stand-up comedy, followed by dancing and play spaces. Hosted by Chris Smith and Ben Warren. Past comedians include Shane Mauss (appearances on Conan O’Brien, HBO and Comedy Central), Caitlin Weyerhaeuser (voted Portland’s funniest comedian), Simon Gibson, Todd Armstrong, Ben Harkins, Milan Patel, Becky Braunstein, Chris Johnson, Dylan Jenkins, The Real Hijinx, Amanda…
Sammuel Murry-Hawkins & The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra
Portland’s homage to the luscious dance bands of a bygone era launches into its fourth year of producing dances every month. The 11-piece ensemble painstakingly recreates the sounds of the large society dance bands that were so prominent in the 1920s and ’30s, found performing on ocean liners and in the grand ballrooms of Art…
Unloaded Comedy – Laugh Yourself Clean
Unloaded Comedy – Laugh Yourself Clean is the premiere recovery-based stand-up comedy showcase in the Pacific Northwest. Our clean and sober comedians share experience, strength and hope through comedy by bringing light to dark places and shattering stigmas surrounding addiction. Come see our BIGGEST LINEUP EVER ON ONE STAGE at the Clinton Street Theater. This…
Be Svendsen with Niema Lightseed
Beloved Presents Be Svendsen Man On The Run in PDX with Niema Lightseed A medicinal invocation to open the evening will be read by Niema Lightseed. Known for his spell-binding music and with his delicate sense of atmosphere and style, Be Svendsen will perform a four chapter live-set on an open stage, backed by mesmerizing…
22nd Annual Furball Purrlez-vous Français?
Bonjour! Pardonne-moi, do you Purrlez-vous Français? No French required to join in celebrating the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon’s 22nd Annual Furball fundraiser! This year’s French-themed Furball, Purrlez-vous Français?, will whisk you away to a French bistro for a stroll at night in the City of Lights. More than 300 guests will rendezvous for this…
18th Annual Vampire's Masquerade Ball
Hosted by Lady Raven Productions, Portland’s Vampire’s Masquerade Ball (VMB) is a black-tie formal gala event of Gothic elegance and decadence highly anticipated each year in the city of roses since 2002. Hosted in the Portland Art Museum’s historic ballrooms spanning two floors – it’s an evening where 850+ guests from around the nation and…
The Dance for Romance
The Dance for Romance is a Valentine’s Day social dance for singles, friends, couples and partners. Enjoy award-winning live blues music and a professional DJ spinning pop songs you can dance to solo, grouped or partnered. Arrive early for one or more dance lessons or love life workshops, and throughout the night you can enjoy…