The best nightclubs in Melbourne

Revolver, better known as Revs, will take you in on a Friday evening and treat you to a bit of soul-tinged deep house and then spit you out onto Chapel Street Sunday morning, ears still ringing with throbbing techno. The long-time running Saturday The Late Show has hosted international DJs and producers Pearson Sound, Maurice Fulton, Flava D, Loefah, Pinch, Auntie Flo along with local with weekly residents.

You often hear about ‘the cage’, which sounds terrifying but in reality it’s a booth that hosts local and international dance DJs in a dining room. This dining room is transformed into a delicious Thai restaurant during the more reasonable hours of the day. But you do question what these are once you're in Revs.

When beloved Melbourne club Lounge closed in 2018, it sent tear-streaked eyeliner running and club kids scurrying to find a new space for an all-night boogie. Lounge had operated on the site for 29 continuous years, which is longer than many of its patrons had been alive. But hospitality veteran Maz Salt came to the rescue, taking over the Swanston Street site and giving it new life as Radar. Salt, of course, has a string of good-time hits under his belt, such as Ferdydurke, the B.East and Section 8.  Radar focuses on catering to the dance music community, with a Function-One rig blasting until 6am on weekends. The club is also committed to supporting Melbourne's live music scene, so there are also occasional live shows. It’s kind of like Lounge, but Radar has its own personality. Reapply that eyeliner. 

Sub Club is a basement nightclub in little-known laneway Flinders Court, and its programming is as underground as its location. The club is carved out of the old ANZ bank vault, which gives it that Tresor vibe. Line-ups reflect forward-thinking curators and subcultures, so no one is left out here. You can expect to hear loads of bass, techno and left-field electro transmitting out of a 10,000-watt sound system. And most importantly, staff insist on a ‘no dickheads’ policy here and ensure it’s a safe space for punters to feel comfortable. 

Geddes Ballroom presents a blend of live music and DJs, smack bang in the middle of the CBD. The venue itself is a three-tier 170-year-old bluestone building and, this place has some interesting decor. It feels sleazy but in a good way: red draping curtains, poles and a catwalk – yes, this place used to a strip club. There’s a night here to please us all, offering gigs of jazz, hop-hop, trap, electronica, punk, salsa, cabaret and the odd drag show. There have been parties with Haitus Kaiyote, 30/70 Collective and Uncomfortable Science. And the whole building went off when Jungle Pussy played for the Hybrid Festival.

The vibe is electric in this darkly red-lit boudoir of a band venue and it's not hard to fathom why. The Night Cat has become a bit of a Fitzroy institution, with live jazz, funk and reggae among its diverse line-up. Entry is usually free unless time is money and you can't afford to wait in the queue that snakes down Johnston St. It's worth it once you're inside, though, with a stage slap bang in the centre, so you can see your favourite jazz band from every angle.