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
Ha Ha Harvest Comedy Festival
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The Portland Night Market showcases many unique businesses that call Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Central Eastside. Come meet some of Portland’s best makers and creators! The Portland Night Market is a bimonthly, free event and open to all ages.
Stumptown SantaCon
Starting at 2 p.m. at Ankeny Alley and Candy Ultra Lounge, Stumptown SantaCon spans 30 venues, a dance party in the street and three channels from Heartbeat Silent Disco at Santa’s Playground brought to you by the Barrel Room. 100% net proceeds go to support local charities. Last year, over $20,000 was raised. Costumes required….
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