Music & Nightlife
Your guide to the best nightclubs, live music and concerts in Boston
The best clubs in Boston
Royale
This Theatre District nightspot hosted some of the city’s biggest bashes during its previous life as the Roxy. Today, Royale continues to host national-level music acts on various nights, and on weekends the clubs kids pack in to dance the night away. The massive room has a grand stage, an elegant marble foyer, cushy seating nooks, a fantastic sound system, a festive light show and more. There are VIP balconies if you feel like getting away from it all.
Wally’s
For sheer history and ambience there’s no beating Wally’s. Since 1947, this unassuming South End spot has been the premier showcase for Boston jazz talent, including plenty of students from Berklee, the Boston Conservatory and the New England Conservatory of Music. The drinks are strong and reasonably priced. No matter the day of the week, it’s invariably jazzy, often inventive and always without a cover charge.
Phoenix Landing
While some know the Phoenix Landing as Cambridge’s busiest soccer bar, the space really comes alive at night, when the pub-like space transforms into an old-school dance spot. The floor is tiny, but the variety of tunes is huge. Keep an eye out for popular 80s nights, plus DJs spinning hip-hop, reggae, house, techno, new wave, dubstep, and more.
Good Life
One of several spots that first dragged downtown Boston out of late-night wasteland, Good Life hangs on by catering to many different scenes. On a given night, the DJs may be spinning top-40 hits, underground hip hop, Latin remixes or cutting-edge electro music. Don’t like the scene upstairs? Head down to the more intimate subterranean lounge area.
