The best parties and club nights in NYC this month: May 2024

On May 4, the Brooklyn Museum's iconic First Saturdays party series is kicking off AAPI Heritage month and springtime with a electric lineup of performers, DJs, and other activities. The event will start with a drag story hour and a performance from Gamelan Dharma Swara, a Balinese percussion orchestra. 

Make sure to stick around until later, though: It's really going to start feeling like a party at 8pm, when Tito Vida, a DJ known for his explosive 90s R&B sets, starts spinning at the Beaux-Arts Court. 

Yes, you're reading that right, everyone's favorite Icelandic princess is going to be spinning under the K Bridge on May 10. Not only that, but she's also bringing with her some of the most iconic artists in the electronic music scene right now, including Sega Bodega, Shygirl, and Eartheater.

Gone are the quarantine days when partying under the K Bridge (that's the Kosciuszko Bridge in Greenpoint, Brooklyn) was illegal. Now it appears to be the hottest club in the city. 

After a brief hiatus, NSFW, the iconic fetish-inspired party, is back at Hush in Hells Kitchen every other Friday. This month's party is on May 10. Created by legendary promoter Papito Suave, prepare to enter a world where your craziest fantasies could become your sexy reality, while dancing the night away to sets by some of NYC's best underground DJs.

This is a party that's also frequented by some of the city's most scandelous socialites, including Amanda Lepore. Definitely come with an open mind: NSFW is a diverse space free of judgement where exploration is encouraged, and entry is free if you wear fetish gear.   

To celebrate the end of AAPI month, Heads Know, the Brooklyn-based party collective curated by ariellenyc, is hosting a lineup of all women DJs from different corners of the diaspora at SILO on May 31. DJs on this lineup include L.A.-based, hip hop forward DJ Hu Dat; Chicago-based DJ Nanoos; Canadian DJ Hood Joplin; and local staple JIALING. The booty thumping here will be for a cause, too: 10% of proceeds from this party will go towards Q-Wave, a queer Asian grassroots org based in NYC. 

The PUBLIC Hotel in the Bowery is undergoing a renaissance with the opening of its sexy new cocktail bar two fifteen, but there's going to be no better place to watch the sunset this summer than at the hotel's roof, which is finally opening for the season.

Whether you want to sip on white wine after a long day of work or order a cosmo, there's always a possibility for the night to continue if the vibes are right—all you have to do is walk into any of the hotel's many designated party spaces.

A brand new party for Latin music lovers will happen every month at The Delancey starting on Thursday, May 2. Born out of a desire by founder Saucy to bring together different types of Latin music into one singular space—the way the iconic Copacabana nightclub once did—you can think of this as a Latin music festival happening across three different floors, with a basement level featuring underground club beats, a main floor that will play top 40 Latin hits and a top floor that will play bachata and merengue.

If you miss this upcoming party, the next one on June 6 will feature an iconic lineup of queer Puerto Rican DJs, performers, and hosts. 

There's gonna be no better way to spend Memorial Day weekend than on a roof, specifically the Sultan Room's roof with Raw Honey, the queer women of color-centered party. On May 25, they'll be curating The Sticky, a summer event series for queer and trans people of color to connect, unwind, and enjoy the unmatched Brooklyn summer vibes. Expect great sets by local legend Bodegaparty, QUA, Fla$h, Fashion Weak and Breeze. Entry is free with RSVP before 7pm.

Produced by local nightlife legend Hecotor Romero, Pour Decisions is Starchild Rooftop's new Afro-Latino party that will be happening every Saturday throughout the summer. Their event on May 4 will include sets by DJ PolyRhythm, followed by Benji Candelario on May 11. The event is free with RSVP on Resy.