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Music & Nightlife

Your guide to the best nightclubs, live music and concerts in Washington, DC

The 7 best Washington, DC clubs

The 7 best Washington, DC clubs

Where’s the party? Chances are at one of these reliably rocking DC clubs where top local and international DJs provide the beat.

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Where to see live music and concerts

9:30 Club

9:30 Club

5 out of 5 stars

Once a tiny art-scene dive on F Street, renowned for its heat (and smell), the 9:30 relocated in 1996. It now boasts state-of-the-art sound and ventilation, as...

Kennedy Center

Kennedy Center

5 out of 5 stars

The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—the national cultural center of the United States—hosts a great variety of music, particularly on...

Black Cat

Black Cat

5 out of 5 stars

As famous for having Foo Fighter Dave Grohl as a backer as it is for the bands it books, the Black Cat has picked up where the old 9:30 left off when it comes...

Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap

5 out of 5 stars

Calling itself "America’s National Park for the Performing Arts," Wolf Trap consists of two essentially separate performance spaces—the Barns and...

The Birchmere

The Birchmere

5 out of 5 stars

Originally a bluegrass, folk and country institution, the Birchmere is one of those venues artists can’t bear to outgrow. Patty Loveless might play a...

Echostage

Echostage

4 out of 5 stars

DC’s largest dedicated concert venue reopened in 2013 after major renovations. The 30,000-plus-square-foot space attracts everyone from deejays to emcees...

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The best bars in DC

The best bars in DC

Our guide to the best bars in DC will help you choose your poison and preferred setting, from old-school political hangouts to swanky cocktail parlors

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The best clubs in DC

9:30 Club

9:30 Club

Once a tiny art-scene dive on F Street, renowned for its heat (and smell), the 9:30 relocated in 1996. It now boasts state-of-the-art sound and ventilation, as...

Bukom Café

Bukom Café

The crowd is West African and African-American but everyone’s welcome to get lost in the sway. The Ghanaian menu is reason alone to visit, but arrive...

Eighteenth Street Lounge

Eighteenth Street Lounge

Love it or hate it, ESL remains the city’s trendiest and most exclusive lounge, widely renowned (or notorious) for its strict door policy. Should your attire...

Habana Village

Habana Village

Latin dance-lovers come here to drink mojitos and get sweaty to a live band. Three stories of music inspire dancers from all nationalities and all levels of...