The best clubs in Edinburgh for a big night out

A 100-capacity sweatbox on Edinburgh’s main clubbing thoroughfare, Sneaky Pete’s has punched well above its weight to become the finest gig and club venue in the city with an electric atmosphere. The resident club nights bring in some of the finest DJ talent in the country, including Leon Vynehall, Sherelle, Logic1000, Midland and Jacques Greene. 

One of Edinburgh’s most atmospheric venues enjoys a location like no other, hewn out of a series of brick arches underneath the city’s famous Old Town. Across two dancefloors, state-of-the-art sound systems play a forward-thinking blend of house, techno and bass seven nights a week. The repertoire of weekly and monthly residencies is switched up every few months to keep things fresh, but it generally follows a format of cheaper or free entry residents’ nights earlier in the week, with larger fees at the weekend.

The Bongo Club occupies a distinctly bohemian library-basement location with a character all of its own, offering occasional gigs, workshops and other events. The clubbing programme is the highlight, however, and a selection of weekly and monthly residencies cover a range of genres Edinburgh rarely hosts elsewhere. Throughout most of the week (Sundays and Mondays tend to go dark) expect to hear hip hop, reggae, drum and bass, soul and much more.

A much-loved Edinburgh clubs and gigs institution, resurrected 12 years after it was destroyed by fire on its original site in the Cowgate. Today, you can catch some of the best emerging bands around at the 600 capacity venue, as well as internationally renowned DJs and fun, themed club nights. Expect everything from 90s parties to reggaeton specials.

Housing just a few hundred across the main dancefloor and the balcony above, the Liquid Room is a dark box in the basement of a 19th-century church on Victoria Street. Its diverse clubbing menu incorporates indie and retro nights at one end of the spectrum and high-profile house and techno parties at the other. 

Edinburgh's oldest gay bar and club is one of the most welcoming spots in the city. By day, enjoy hearty pub food and classic cocktails in the chic venue and by night, unwind and let loose with top class DJs, local drag kings and queens and everything from cheesy pop to hardcore house.

Located in the grounds of the city’s trendy College of Art, the Wee Red Bar is something of an institution for those of a certain age. Largely a student hangout – but open to and used by others – this is a step-up from your usual sticky-floored student gaff. The club nights (not to mention the cheap drinks) are largely sound, especially long-standing Saturday indie night The Egg, which falls back on a solid roster of tunes from the likes of Pixies, Kraftwerk and Bowie.

Seemingly intent on being all things to all people, the Voodoo Rooms does a good job of pulling the trick off in grandiose circumstances. As well as a main bar that sits along one wall of a long dining room illuminated by high-arched Victorian windows, the venue also contains two other concert/club spaces, both informal and fairly compact rooms that don’t echo the style of the rest of the joint. Their programme, including burlesque classes and raucous cabaret shows, is eclectic.

This three-roomed Cowgate club may seem a little rough around the edges, but it’s where some of the city’s most exciting electronic music promoters flock to throw no-frill raves with an electric industrial vibe. Think: thundering techno, strobes, smoke and a super loud soundsystem.

Sometimes you just need a cheesy night out, and Garibaldi’s, nestled down narrow stairs on Hanover Street, has long been a go-to for Edinburgh locals to let off some steam. The whole place is sticky with sins and the dancefloor – complete with a moving pole – is usually packed to the brim with people belting out their lungs to Ke$ha or the like. It might not be glam, but it sure is reliable. (If you really want a big night, ask for the mysterious ‘Gari’s Special’ drink at the bar, but don’t have too many: you’ve been warned.)