M2 Miami Grand Opening Week With Carl Cox
Photography: Jason Koenrer for M2
Photography: Jason Koenrer for M2

The best clubs in South Beach to party all night long

It's not all bass and bottle service. It's also that, too. From mega clubs to sultry lounges, Miami Beach has it all.

Written by: Falyn Wood
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Plenty of coastal cities around the globe have gorgeous beaches, fantastic restaurants and museums worth visiting – but we can guarantee that none do nightlife like Miami does nightlife. From massive venues that give Vegas a run for its money to underground dance dens that offer a more intimate and curated sounds, South Beach has enough to keep your shoulders swaying and asses shaking from 10pm all the way until 5am. South Beach's club scene has been in a bit of a flux over the past few years, with the pandemic putting a strain on longtime institutions, South Beach commissioners striking down on alcohol sales and locals sticking to the mainland to get their party fix on. But you just wait: we're on the precipice of a new era of nightlife in South Beach, and these clubs are helping to usher that in. 

RECOMMENDED: Best things to do in South Beach
RECOMMENDED: Best clubs in Miami

Best clubs in Miami Beach

  • Nightlife
  • Nightlife

After an eight-year disco nap, the 35,000-square-foot South Beach club previously known as Mansion has reopened as M2, with a multi-million dollar facelift and the help of homegrown, global EDM powerhouse, Ultra Worldwide. Love hard-hitting techno? Look out for events by Resistance, Ultra's underground festival branch. Love a good perreo? Stay up late on Fridays for Bresh, their Latin American dance party. The venue touts a bleeding-edge centerpiece lighting system designed by the same folks behind Ultra’s mainstage and Megastructure, recreating the immersive Ibiza clubbing experience in the heart of Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District

  • Nightlife
  • Clubs
  • South Beach
  • price 3 of 4

This cozy “boutique nightclub” owned by electronic DJ Behrouz hides in plain sight. Because of that, this place tends to put the music first and is a reliable choice for club veterans looking to dance without being shoved by bottle service servers and elbowed by drunk bros. Another big draw? It’s small enough to meet everyone inside on any given night, making it a breath of fresh air in Miami’s megaclub landscape.

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  • LGBTQ+
  • South Beach
  • price 3 of 4

Twist is the iconic, quarter-century-old gay club that just won’t quit. Modern day South Beach nightlife started with the LGBTQ community so it’s fitting that this indulgent two-story disco remains one of the most popular clubs on the isle. It’s hot and sweaty and so fun. And, if nothing else, the shirtlessness of Twist will motivate you to start that diet.

  • Nightlife
  • Clubs
  • Miami Beach
  • price 4 of 4

While technically not within the geographical confines of South Beach, you can't talk about clubbing in Miami without mentioning LIV. These days, the legendary mega club continues to be packed with as many celebrities as average Joes. You might spend some serious cash but you also might trip and fall onto a Kardashian. No club—anywhere—books bigger names on a weekly basis than here. It would not be odd to see Travis Scott, Tiesto and Rick Roos all onstage on a Sunday night. 

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  • Cocktail bars
  • South Beach
  • price 2 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

There's something to be said about a megaclub – and it's not, "Damn, the music was good and the martinis were great." You can, however, say that about Medium Cool. Tucked into the basement of the Gale Hotel, this lounge will have you grooving shoulder to shoulder with a confluence of posh Miami residents and in-the-know tourists. Local DJs spin an eclectic mix of house, disco, 80s and 90s, making it a great place to go if you want to mouth off lyrics, too. 

  • Nightlife
  • South Beach

If it’s a Vegas-style bash with bottle service and champagne showers you seek, stop by Hyde Beach. Known for its packed daytime pool parties, on weekends, the festivities continue well into the night, with hard-hitting performers gracing the deck, especially during special occasions like Swim Week and Music Week.

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  • Nightlife
  • Clubs
  • Miami Beach
  • price 3 of 4

Name another club where you can dance, ice skate and bowl. We’ll wait. The slightly bizarre but never boring Basement—housed in the bottom of the Edition—feels hip in an effortless way that’s so rare in a city full of clubs screaming for your attention. While the lounge is open for private events, the music is always blasting at Basement Bowl & Skate, letting you dance on ice and groove down the lanes well into the night. 

 

 

  • Nightlife
  • South of Fifth

Step one, take a club. Step two, put it on the beach. And that’s the simple yet efficient recipe for Nikki Beach. This place is the undisputed champ of day parties, with a crowd that prefers dancing in the sun at 2pm over a dark club at 2am. Speaking of day drinking: Ever wondered what would happen if brunch and a nightclub had a baby? Stop by Nikki Beach’s bumpin’ Sunday brunch and brace for costumed models and champagne sprayed over tables of pancakes and eggs.

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  • Nightlife
  • Clubs
  • South Beach
  • price 3 of 4

Oh, what fun! Mango’s promotes the side of Miami you see in movies—mojitos, salsa and half-naked dancers. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Lean into the kitsch at Ocean Drive’s most famous nightlife spot, keeping the torch of Latin music alive for more than 20 years. Decorated with tropical murals, the bar opens onto the street, making it feel like a party the moment you step in.

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