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The City of Gold earned its place in Time Out’s new global nightlife ranking, based on a survey of more than 24,000 city dwellers and the expertise of Time Out’s international network of local editors and city experts.
Johannesburg is the highest-ranked African city on the list, finishing ahead of nightlife heavyweights including Amsterdam, Madrid, Seoul and Mexico City. Bangkok claimed the top spot, followed by Berlin and New York. Ghana's Accra came in at number 18 for its nightlife.
Why Johannesburg’s nightlife is among the world’s best
"Johannesburg’s nightlife has always thrived on reinvention. From the legendary Carfax warehouse parties of the 1990s to today’s genre-blurring dance floors, Jozi remains one of Africa’s most exciting places to stay out until sunrise," says local expert Mlili Mpondo.
"Newtown is still one of the best places to experience that energy. On Gwigwi Mrwebi Street – named after the pioneering South African jazz musician who carried local sounds beyond the country’s borders – Club A.M., AND Club, Bad Manors and Carfax sit shoulder to shoulder in one of the city’s last true nightlife precincts," says Mpondo.
Across these dance floors, DJs move effortlessly between deep house, techno, Afro-house, gqom, drum and bass and experimental sounds. For a different pace, Melville and Rosebank offer lively cocktail bars, live music and neighbourhood hangouts. Local favourites include Six Cocktail Bar on 7th Street and A Streetbar Named Desire on Bolton Road.
Jozi nightlife is affordable – and surprisingly social
Johannesburg didn’t make the list on good music alone. The city received an affordability score of 66 percent, making it one of the more wallet-friendly places in the ranking for a night out. Even more impressively, 80 percent of Johannesburg residents said it was easy to find connection and community in the city – one of the highest scores recorded in this year’s survey.
Clubbing, casual pubs and cocktail bars were voted Jozi’s best after-dark activities.
As Time Out Travel Editor Grace Beard explains, the way people go out may be changing, but nightlife is far from dead.
"The way we go out might be different, but people are by no means staying in. Cities are adapting to our changing nightlife habits: as summers get hotter, street parties and rooftop raves are bigger than ever," adds Beard.
"Rather than heading to one or two big-name venues, locals are flocking to new nightlife districts for an evening of bar-hopping and curbside drinking. And, trust us, the nightclub isn’t going anywhere. In fact, communities and local governments have successfully rallied to save historic nightlife venues (in Berlin’s case, they’ve even managed to grant techno UNESCO-listed status)."
CHECK OUT: Discover the best clubs and nightlife in Johannesburg
How was the ranking decided?
Time Out surveyed more than 24,000 people around the world about nightlife in their cities, including its quality, affordability and sense of community. That data was combined with ratings from Time Out’s global network of city editors, culture experts and things-to-do specialists. To keep the ranking geographically diverse, only the highest-scoring city from each country was included.
The result is a list spanning everything from Bangkok’s rooftop bars and late-night street food to Berlin’s legendary clubs and Medellín’s reggaeton-fuelled dance floors.
And right there among them is Johannesburg!
The world’s 20 best cities for nightlife in 2026
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Berlin, Germany
- New York City, United States
- Melbourne, Australia
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Medellín, Colombia
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Brighton, United Kingdom
- Beijing, China
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Porto, Portugal
- Hong Kong
- Athens, Greece
- Madrid, Spain
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Seoul, South Korea
- Bangalore, India
- Accra, Ghana
- Singapore
- Mexico City, Mexico
From Newtown warehouse clubs to Melville cocktail bars, Johannesburg’s after-dark scene is energetic, affordable and built around community. Now the rest of the world knows it too.
Read the complete Time Out Best Cities for Nightlife 2026 ranking.
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