The best nightclubs in Sydney

Best for: Techno, disco and rave-cave weirdness
The CBD’s infamous former home of electroclash has gone through a few changes over the years, notably changing from a rave bunker to a swish underground bar. The rogue spirit lives on in their music programming, with local legends playing bangers well into the evening, encouraging very late dance-offs from Sydney’s guardian tastemakers. 

Best for: Old skool raves, but also the chance to duck upstairs to Casa Rosa for a late-night meal
Returning bigger and better, the multi-level heritage-listed Abercrombie has undergone an incredible transformation, with three venues now under the one roof to create one big party palace that's open 24 hours. On the ground floor is the Abercrombie’s incredible performance and club space, public bar and beer garden, which should flood a few elder millennials' brains with memories. The rave-cave of yesteryear plays host to some of the best party crews in Sydney – including House of Mince, Sweat it Out, Future Classic, Purple Sneakers and Motorik – to put on an incredible, curated roster of events.

Best for: Watching a floor show, pashing a cutie and getting down
At the end of Oxford Street around the corner from the all-hours spa (wink wink) lies a special kind of ark where the animals march two-by-two (sometimes one-by-three) into a sturdy sanctum of entertainment and pleasure. Frequented by drag divas and the A-gays (it’s where we once even saw Jean Paul Gaultier) you really haven't experienced quintessential queer Sydney until you've been to Arq. It’s the kind of place where even the sound system is designed to give you "the ultimate 360 degree aural stimulation". Hello!

Best for: Live music and a boogie after
Oxford Arts is a battler. It became one of the last remaining live music venues on Oxford Street, which was previously littered with them, and it continues to host incredible gigs in a relatively intimate space. International bands coming to town will play here unless they’re Coldplay-sized, and the moshpit is known to get sweaty. The venue also boasts indie electronic producers and DJs, as well as local acts in its gallery bar. It’s a guaranteed great night out.

Best for: Die-hard club action with a world-class view
Once you're at Home, the bangers will be booming and you'll be bouncing off the walls with a sweet view of the dazzling Darling Harbour lights glistening in your starry eyes. Heralded as Sydney's only true "superclub", Home has an eclectic mix of events.

Best for: Partying with exceptional sides 
This Japanese booze and snack palace turns into a neon-bathed rager after hours. With free karaoke booths, fluro arcade games and regular early '00s and '90s nostalgia nights, it's a party playground. What's better than scarfing down a delicious plate of yakitori and then dancing to Nelly until late? Nothing.

Best for: Weekend party nights to soul and disco hits
If you want somewhere that pumps out party vibes even on a Wednesday and is all about cheap fun, then Soda Factory is the place. This place is extremely popular with anyone who wants to boogie to soul tunes, golden oldies, and disco from the '70s to now – the queues can get hectic. 

Best for: Outrageously fun queer nights in the Inner West
Remember when Guy Pearce christened a giant silver bus ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’? That Champagne-smashing moment from the movie happened outside this very venue. So it comes as no surprise that it's still a much-loved haven for the LGBTQIA+ crowd. Head downstairs to the expansive basement club that hosts international artists and DJs, catering to the most fabulous of crowds. If hectic raving ain't yo thang, make your way upstairs to catch a drag show and sing your heart out to some classic party tunes.

Best for: Grinding to trap music in a tropical oasis
Sydney’s only under-the-sea-themed, tiki nightclub has been slinging tropical themed cocktails and wrangling huge crowds for a while now. There's a lot to take in visually, it's a sensory explosion of lighting and shipwrecked decor, but once you settle in to the sunken dancefloor, pineapple in hand, you'll never want to leave. Cliff Dive's vibe lately is hip hop, trap, grime, and R'n'B focused, so gear up for an aquatic grind time.

Best for: Sassing drag queens in bingo then working the pole like a pro
Named after the revolutionary New York gay bar (seriously, Google the original), Stonewall cranks every night of the week. Ever dream of getting up on stage and strutting your stuff with a drag queen or even dancing in a cage with an oiled-up hottie? This is what the Greenwich Village namesake bar fought for. So get liberated, you'll love it.

Best for: Pop bangers in a Euro-club style waterside location
Swinging open its doors in 2000 – the same year as the Sydney Olympics – Cargo Bar has been a reliable go-to spot for night owls, providing high-octane fun for 24 years. For its 24th birthday, the team behind this Darling Harbour institution decided it was time for a glow-up – and Cargo Bar 2.0 comes complete with cutting-edge lighting and sound systems, a killer new DJ booth, a luxe VIP area, and fresh bar, lounge and dining spaces. And yes, the dance floor and pop hits remain.

Best for: Lettin’ loose in summertime like Hollywood royalty
If you like your daytime disco smoothly descending into late-night house with a side of splash, then cruise on up to the open-air pool club. Located in the famed inner-city Ivy complex, this slice of LA-style opulence in the heart of Sydney city is a fun way to treat yourself to a cabana and table service as if you’re a featured player in Entourage. After dark, the party carries on in the Changeroom – yep, you can shimmy outta your wet togs and right onto the D-floor.

Best for: Low-key vibes and a groove after the graveyard shift
Run by the people behind the aforementioned Oxford Art Factory, this multi-story Chippendale institution is a stalwart in Sydney's live music scene. Catch sunset from the roof, then warm up with a live gig before heading to the ground floor – the dancefloor gets wild on weekends.

Best for: Mischief on a super dark dancefloor 
Super offbeat entertainment is the order of the day at this late-night basement bar on King Street. The venue itself is a mishmash of Japanese Pachinko Parlour (you know, those joints with the endless rows of pokie-like machines?), Lower East Side speakeasy and the diviest bar your filthy mind could imagine. There's a tiny stage that hosts delightfully weird performances and lots of extremely dark corners to dance to the eclectic tunes in.

Best for: Reinvigorated, all-inclusive dive bar feels
We shed a tear when this late-night dive bar, known for its pickleback shots and secret sets from famous touring artists like Mark Ronson and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, closed its doors in 2015 after being strangled by the lockout laws. But we dried our eyes when the Flinders re-opened under new management. Come here for long sprawling guest DJ sets and the odd flashback night, all mostly incorporating house music.

Best for: Twisting to Bowie like you're in a teen movie 
Up on the first floor of the heaving Bank Hotel in Newtown you’ll find Waywards, a bar and music venue on Friday and Saturday nights. A night out here starts with live jangly guitar music and ends with some classic indie toe-tapping. Vinyl DJs play a double digit amount of Bowie tracks and there's a joyous teen-movie-party-scene atmosphere as a result. It's not strictly a club, but it's a solid option if you're looking for a sweaty Saturday night – and you're on King Street, so within easy walking distance of some of the city's best late night bars if you decide to change venues.