The best clubs in Miami for a proper night of partying

You’ve heard it in songs, seen it on TV and possibly dreamt about it during your work week. LIV is Miami Beach’s most famous club, and for good reason. This Vegas-worthy spot at the famed Fontainebleau Hotel has seen no shortage of TMZ-worthy moments throughout the years, especially at the famous weekly gathering known as LIV on Sunday. If you’re willing to dress up and shell out, you’ll love spotting celebs in the VIP section.

Welcome to Basement, where your options are wonderfully all over the place. Want to bowl with friends on neon-lit lanes? Go ahead. How about some ice skating on an adorable indoor rink? That’s an option. And dancing? Duh. It’s the perfect trifecta that’s made even better by a rotating list of DJs. You’ll have two bars to choose from, plus the option of bottle service for a true VIP experience. While the club area remains temporarily closed, Basement's ice-skating rink and bowling alley are open. 

This little club sits at the ground floor of Space, a sort of hip younger brother that books acts that dance music aficionados drool over. The place is intimate and DJs perform right on the floor next to the crowd. Floyd is great if you’re not quite up for a mega-club but you’re still itching to get lost in the music and dance with friends until late.

Story, the younger cousin to LIV (both clubs are owned by the same team), resembles its counterpart in both scale and scope but has managed to carve out its own identity too. Huge hip-hop acts like Travis Scott stop by often and big-name DJs tear the house down on a weekly basis. Though the dress code is still enforced, Story is a bit more accessible and for-the-people than LIV, which means it comes with a rowdy crowd ready to get down till last call.

This 24-hour Downtown stronghold is part nightclub, part performance venue, part strip club and part rooftop restaurant. Dripping in neon, with ultra-flexible trapeze artists dangling from ceilings and jiggling burlesque dancers perched in all directions, there’s perhaps no nightclub in the world as over-the-top as E11even. After an extensive renovation process completed over the last year, most of the furnishings you see are brand-new, but the crowd is as wild as ever.

Space reigns supreme as Miami’s dark, after-hours club of choice. Over the last couple of years, the 24-hour Downtown venue went through a programming renaissance too, with more eclectic offerings than straight techno on its infamous open-air terrace—though rave remains the dominant flavor. Riding solo? Check the club’s Instagram and read the comments section, which is seemingly operating as the classified ads for single clubbers.

The closing of Wynwood’s underground dance institution the Electric Pickle broke ravers’ hearts from Miami and beyond. Fortunately, ATV Records emerged in its stead with help from the team behind much of the Pickle magic (read: the acts are still next-level). This cozy spot tucked behind a curtain at Downtown eatery Melinda’s retains several fixtures from that Wynwood venue, including the iconic spaceship disco ball and, of course, the bumping bass that helped make Pickle famous.

Miami’s iconic gay mega-club remains a staple for the city’s LGBTQ set while also welcoming any tolerant and dancing soul through its hallowed doors. Twist is a great place to let your hair down without worrying about the South Beach posturing that goes on at other velvet rope clubs. (True to its tagline: “Never a cover, always a groove.”) There are two levels and seven different bars inside serving two-for-one drinks daily from 3 to 9pm. It’s never a dull moment at Twist.

Designed more for dancing than sitting (hence the name), it’s packed tight and kept very dark, except for those moments when the gorgeous light fixture flashes and illuminates everything around you. Helmed by internationally renowned DJ-producer Behrouz and his partner Megan, Do Not Sit has earned a reputation for offering top-tier guest acts and underground sensibilities in a less pretentious setting and with a more accessible cover. After launching a series of outdoor pop-up sessions, the recently renovated venue is back open for regular hours.

A new center of gravity on North Miami Avenue, the Oasis swung for the fences when it opened as a hybrid indoor/outdoor bar, club, music venue and food hall. With multiple areas to dance, lounge in the turf, grab drinks or grub and vibe out, it’s an ideal spot for groups. Check the events schedule for weekends and late nights, when the Oasis can get swarmed. DJs like Tiesto and Honey Dijon have already graced the stage, and Travis Scott hosted his Rolling Loud after-party here.