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. Gay nightclub CC Slaughters boasts a live DJ seven nights a week; Wednesdays are all-request dance nights.
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, The Coffin Club (formerly known as Lovecraft Bar) 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.
More Nightlife
Portland comes to life after-house with special events and activities.
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
Enjoy a night out in Portland with these upcoming events.
RX Fest
Music is medicine. RX Fest is a multi-venue, multi-day festival is a large-scale benefit for organizations vital to our community, all centrally located in downtown Portland at Star Theater, Dante’s, Kelly’s Olympian and Valentine’s.
Hourglass Escape Rooms
Craving an adventure with faraway loved ones? Join friends and family from anywhere in the world to play an award-winning escape room from your own home. These are actual escape rooms that you and your team play via Zoom, with a live actor with a camera guiding you through real-world escapes. Hourglass Escapes is known…
Virtual OMSI After Dark: Mixology
Join OMSI for their eighth virtual OMSI After Dark: Mixology Get together, virtually to learn how to make 4 unique cocktails or mocktails from local Oregon distilleries! The event will include science demos, trivia, music, entertainment and more. Tickets include all the mixers you need to make 4 cocktails or mocktails, a small bamboo cutting…
Smokus Pocus: A 420 Comedy Magic Show
After a year of quarantine, it’s time to have some socially distanced fun. This THC-induced extravaganza is packed with jokes that will have you laughing like you’re on edibles and tricks so trippy that you’ll be asking “what the f—?!” Caricatures will come to life, phones will vanish and reappear in impossible places, minds will…
Strange & the Familiars at Strum
Strange & the Familiars single release and live show at Strum Guitars. Fantastical, storytelling music influenced by literature and nature, with elements of jazz, blues, funk, and folk. Tragicomic lyrics and themes backed by orchestral and rock instrumentals.
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…
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