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{{short description|Entertainment venue at nighttime}}
{{other uses|Night Club (disambiguation)}}{{Hatnote|"Discothèque" and other spellings redirect here. For other uses, see [[Discothèque (disambiguation)]].}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}{{Globalize|article|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox
| name             = Nightclub
| bodystyle        = 
| title            = Nightclub
| titlestyle       = 
| image            = [[File:Wikipedia space ibiza(03).jpg|220px]]
| imagestyle       = 
| caption          = Two DJs perform at the nightclub [[Space (Ibiza nightclub)|Space]] on the island of [[Ibiza]] in 2015
| captionstyle     = 
| headerstyle      = background:lightgrey;
| labelstyle       = background:lightgrey;
| datastyle        = 
| header1          = General information
| label2           = Genres included
| data2            = [[Dance-pop]], [[Electronic dance music]], [[Rock music]], 
[[Jazz music]]
| label3           = Location
| data3            = Worldwide
| label4           = Types of street rave dance
| data4            = {{hlist|[[Hakken]]|[[Para Para]]|[[Rebolation]]|[[Melbourne Shuffle]]}}
| label5           = Related events
| data5            = {{hlist|[[Music festival]]|[[metal festival]]|[[rock festival]]|[[list of electronic dance music festivals|electronic dance music festival]]|[[list of technoparades|technoparades]]|[[acid house party]]|[[doof]]|[[trance festival]]|[[teknival]]|[[algorave]]|[[free festival]]|[[free party]]|[[circuit party]]|[[concert tour]]}}
| label7           = Related topics
| data7            = {{hlist|[[Rave]]|[[Smiley]]|[[Disc jockey]]|[[VJing]]||[[Light beam]]||[[Loudspeaker]]|[[Sound system (DJ)|Sound system]]|[[Club drug]]s|[[MDMA]]|[[2C-B]]}}
}}

A '''nightclub''' or '''dance club'''  is a club that is open at [[night]], usually for [[drinking]], [[dancing]] and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] and '''discotheque''' (usually simply known as '''disco''') with a dance floor, [[laser lighting display]]s, and a stage for [[live music]] or a [[disc jockey]] (DJ) who mixes recorded music. Nightclubs tend to be smaller than live music venues like [[theatre]]s and [[stadium]]s, with few or no seats for customers.

Nightclubs generally restrict access to people in terms of age, [[Clothing|attire]], [[personal property|personal belongings]], and behaviors. Nightclubs typically have [[dress code]]s to prohibit people wearing informal, indecent, offensive, or [[gang]]-related attire from entering. Unlike other entertainment venues, nightclubs are more likely to use [[Bouncer (doorman)|bouncers]] to screen prospective patrons for entry.

The busiest nights for a nightclub are Friday and Saturday nights. Most nightclubs cater to a particular music genre or sound for branding effects. Some nightclubs may offer food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/11/12/how-to-run-a-clubnight/|title=How to ... run a clubnight|date=12 November 2012|work=[[Fact (U.S. magazine)|Fact]]|access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>

==Terminology==
In some countries, nightclubs are also referred to as "discos" or "discothèques" ({{langx|de|Disko}} or {{lang|de|Diskothek}}, outdated; nowadays: {{lang|de|Club}}); {{langx|fr|discothèque}}; [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''discoteca,'' ''antro'' (common in Mexico), and ''boliche'' (common in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), ''discos'' is commonly used in all others in Latin America). In [[Japanese language|Japanese]] ディスコ, ''disuko'' refers to an older, smaller, less fashionable venue; while クラブ, ''kurabu'' refers to a more recent, larger, more popular venue. The term ''night'' is used to refer to an evening focusing on a specific genre, such as "[[retro]] music night" or a "singles night". In Hong Kong and China, nightclub is used as a [[euphemism]] for a [[Host and hostess clubs|hostess club]], and the association of the term with the sex trade has driven out the regular usage of the term.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==History==

===Early history===

In the [[United States]], [[New York City|New York]] increasingly became the national capital for tourism and entertainment. Grand hotels were built for upscale visitors.<ref>Justin Kaplan, ''When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age'' (2006).</ref>  [[Theater District, Manhattan|New York's theater district]] gradually moved northward during this half century, from The [[Bowery]] up [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] through [[Union Square, Manhattan|Union Square]] and [[Madison Square]], settling around [[Times Square]] at the end of the 19th century. Stars such as [[Edwin Booth]] and [[Lillian Russell]] were among the early [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] performers.<ref>Lewis A. Erenberg, ''Steppin'Out: New York Nightlife and the Transformation of American Culture'' (1984)</ref> [[Prostitution|Prostitutes]] served a wide variety of clientele, from sailors on leave to playboys.<ref>Timothy J. Gilfoyle, ''City of eros: New York City, prostitution, and the commercialization of sex, 1790-1920'' (1994).</ref>

The first nightclubs appeared in New York City in the 1840s and 1850s, including McGlory's, and the Haymarket. They enjoyed a national reputation for [[vaudeville]], live music, and dance. They tolerated unlicensed liquor, commercial sex, and [[gambling]] cards, chiefly [[Faro (card game)|Faro]]. Practically all gambling was illegal in the city (except upscale [[horse racing|horseracing]] tracks), and regular payoffs to political and police leadership was necessary. Prices were high and they were patronized by an upscale audience. [[Timothy Gilfoyle]] called them "the first nightclubs".<ref>Timothy J. Gilfoyle, "Scorsese's Gangs of New York: Why Myth Matters." Journal of Urban History 29.5 (2003): 620–630 at p. 624.</ref><ref>Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace, ''Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898'' (1999) p 1148</ref> By contrast, [[Owney Geoghegan]] ran the toughest nightclub in New York from 1880 to 1883. It catered to a downscale clientele and besides the usual illegal liquor, gambling, and prostitution, it featured nightly fistfights and occasional shootings, stabbings, and police raids.<ref>{{cite book|author=Eric Ferrara|title=A Guide to Gangsters, Murderers and Weirdos of New York City's Lower East Side|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B-F-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT79|year=2009|pages=79–80|publisher=Arcadia |isbn=9781614233039}}</ref><ref>Lewis A.  Erenberg, ''Steppin' Out: New York Nightlife and the Transformation of American Culture, 1890-1930'' (1981).</ref> [[Webster Hall]] is credited as the first modern nightclub,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/preservation/webster_hall/doc/WebsterHallLPCSubmission.pdf |title= Webster Hall Landmark Status Certification |work= Greenwich Village Society for History Preservation |quote= The intact, elegantly detailed façade of Webster Hall has sheltered some of the Village's most infamous moments, and this first modern night club deserves to be an individual landmark |access-date= 5 February 2014 |archive-date= 28 April 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170428040327/http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/preservation/webster_hall/doc/WebsterHallLPCSubmission.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> being built in 1886 and starting off as a "social hall", originally functioning as a home for dance and political activism events. [[Reisenweber's Cafe]] is credited for introducing [[jazz]] and [[cabaret]] to New Yorkers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2010/02/reisenwebers-cafe-glamour-late-nights.html|title=Reisenweber's Cafe: glamour, late nights and hot jazz|website=Boweryboyshistory.com|date=26 February 2010|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

=== Jukebox and prohibition ===
The [[jukebox]] (a coin-operated record-player) was invented by the Pacific Phonograph Company in 1889 by its managers Louis Glass and his partner William S. Arnold.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mysticstamp.com/info/this-day-in-history-november-23-1889-2/|title=Debut of World's First Jukebox|website=Mystic Stamp Company|date=23 November 2018}}</ref> The first was installed at the Palais Royale Saloon, [[San Francisco]] on November 23, 1889, becoming an overnight sensation.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2007/11/dayintech-1123/|title=Nov. 23, 1889: S.F. Gin Joint Hears the World's First Jukebox|magazine=Wired}}</ref>

The advent of the jukebox fueled the [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]-era boom in underground illegal [[speakeasy]] bars, which needed music but could not afford a live band and needed precious space for paying customers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://southfloridareporter.com/the-first-jukebox-was-installed-at-palais-royal-saloon-in-san-francisco-130-years-ago/|title=The First Jukebox Was Installed At Palais Royal Saloon In San Francisco 130 Years Ago|website=South Florida Reporter|date=27 November 2019}}</ref> Webster Hall stayed open, with rumors circulating of [[Al Capone]]'s involvement and police bribery.

From about 1900 to 1920, [[working class]] Americans would gather at [[honky tonk]]s or [[juke joint]]s to dance to music played on a piano or a jukebox. With the [[repeal of Prohibition in the United States|repeal of Prohibition]] in February 1933, nightclubs were revived, such as New York's [[21 Club]], [[Copacabana (nightclub)|Copacabana]], [[El Morocco]], and the [[Stork Club]]. These nightclubs featured [[big band]]s.

During America's Prohibition, new speakeasies and nightclubs appeared on a weekly basis. [[Texas Guinan]] opened and ran many, and had many padlocked by the police. [[Harlem]] had its own clubs including the [[Cotton Club]]. Midtown New York had a string of nightclubs, many named after bandleaders such as [[Paul Whiteman]], [[Vincent Lopez]], and [[Roger Wolfe Kahn]] who opened Le Perroquet de Paris at a cost of $250,000. It was billed as America's most beautiful and sophisticated nightclub and featured the young Kahn and his band most evenings.<ref>[https://syncopatedtimes.com/i-could-always-sell-my-saxophone-replied-roger-wolfe-kahn/ Roger Wolfe Kahn] the article (retrieved Dec 26, 2022) talks about Roger's New York nightclub, Le Perroquet de Paris.</ref>

=== Pre-WWII ===
====Europe====
[[File:Berlin Joachimsthaler Straße 191-0462.jpg|right|thumb|The "Kakadu" (1919–1937), a Pre-World War II nightclub in Berlin,<ref name="morat_2016"/> offered a bar, a dance floor, live music played by [[jazz band]], and [[cabaret]].]]
Pre-World War II [[Soho]] in [[London]] offered [[café society]], [[cabaret]], [[burlesque]] jazz, and bohemian clubs similar to those in New York, [[Paris]], and [[Berlin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishpathe.com/workspaces/08782f054ae3df7596715391e027a861/hOnvzVEA|title=1940s and 1950s Nightclubs (London)|website=Britishpathe.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref> Nightclubs in London were tied much to the idea of "[[high society (social class)|high society]]", via organisations such as the [[Kit Kat Club (nightclub)|Kit Kat Club]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBzbqYYOOD4| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/LBzbqYYOOD4| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=Roaring Twenties:Crazy Night at Kit Kat Club in London, 1926| website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2023}} (which took its name from the political [[Kit-Cat Club]] in [[Pall Mall, London]]) and the [[Café de Paris (London)|Café de Paris]]. The [[43 Club]] on [[Gerrard Street, London|Gerrard Street]] was run by [[Kate Meyrick]] the 'Night Club Queen'. Meyrick ran several London nightclubs in the 1920s and early 1930s, during which time she served prison sentences for breaching licensing laws and bribing a police officer. In this era, nightclubbing was generally the preserve of those with money.

In Paris, [[Josephine Baker]] ran several nightclubs during the 1920s including Chez Josephine, as did her friend [[Bricktop]] who ran Bricktops. Jazz singer and Broadway star [[Adelaide Hall]] and her husband Bert Hicks opened the nightclub ''La Grosse Pomme'' on Rue Pigalle in [[Montmartre]] on December 9, 1937.<ref>Iain Cameron Williams, [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51780394 ''Underneath A Harlem Moon''], Continuum, 2002, {{ISBN|0-8264-5893-9}} chapters 16 & 17 covers Hall's life in Paris and details her nightclub La Grosse Pomme in depth.</ref> Hall and Hicks also owned the chic Florida Club in London's Mayfair.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/580633/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Hall, Adelaide (1901-1993) Biography|website=Screenonline.org.uk|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

In Germany during the [[Golden Twenties]], there was a need to dance away the memories of the [[World War I|First World War]]. In Berlin, where a "[[tango]] fever" had already swept dancing establishments in the early 1910s, 899 venues with a dancing licence were registered by 1930, including the [[Moka Efti]], [[Casanova (nightclub)|Casanova]], [[Scala (nightclub)|Scala]], [[Delphi-Palast]] (destroyed in WW2, replaced by the [[Delphi Filmpalast]]<ref name=delphi>{{cite web | title=Festival Map: Delphi Filmpalast | website= Berlinale  | url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/service/map/map.html?loc=delphi-filmpalast | access-date=18 September 2022}}</ref>), [[Kakadu (nightclub)|Kakadu]], [[Femina-Palast]], ''Palais am Zoo'', ''Gourmenia-Palast'', ''Uhlandeck'', and the [[Haus Vaterland]].<ref name="theguardian_mokaefti">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/24/babylon-berlin-real-1920s-superclub-behind-weimar-era-thriller |title=Sex, seafood and 25,000 coffees a day: the wild 1920s superclub that inspired Babylon Berlin|last=Oltermann|first=Philip |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=24 November 2017 |access-date=1 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="morat_2016">{{cite book |title=Weltstadtvergnügen: Berlin 1880–1930 |trans-title=World city pleasure: Berlin 1880–1930 |last1=Morat |first1=Daniel |last2=Becker |first2=Tobias |last3=Lange |first3=Kerstin |last4=Niedbalski |first4=Johanna |last5=Gnausch |first5=Anne |last6=Nolte |first6=Paul |publisher=[[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]] |date=2016 |isbn=978-3525300879}}</ref><ref name=spiegel_haus_vaterland>{{cite web |last=Geschke |first=Linus |url=https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/erlebnisgastronomie-haus-vaterland-in-berlin-a-951068.html |title=Berlins Haus Vaterland: Mutter der Erlebnisgastronomie |trans-title=Berlins Haus Vaterland: Mother of event gastronomy |language=de |date=22 March 2013 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> In the 1920s, the [[nightlife]] of the city was dominated by [[club drug|party drug]]s such as [[cocaine]].<ref name=spiegel_berlin_crime>{{cite web |last=Boegel |first= Nathalie |url=https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/serienmorde-in-berlin-die-grausamen-verbrechen-der-weimarer-republik-a-1172249.html |title=Berlin, Hauptstadt der Verbrechen |trans-title=Berlin, capital of crime |language=de |date=16 October 2017 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=spiegel_golden_twenties/> Hundreds of venues in the city, which at the time had a sinful reputation, offered in addition to bars, stages, and dance floors an erotic nightlife, such as [[Dark room (sexuality)|small booths]] where lovers could withdraw to for intimate moments. These venues were aimed at rich and poor people, [[gay]]s, [[lesbian]]s, [[nudist]]s, and gangsters alike.<ref name=spiegel_golden_twenties>{{cite web |last=Boegel |first= Nathalie |url=https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/berlin-hauptstadt-des-verbrechens-das-wildeste-nachtleben-der-welt-a-1227988.html |title=Berlin in den Goldenen Zwanzigern: "Ich bin Babel, die Sünderin" |trans-title=Berlin in the Golden Twenties: "I am Babel, the sinner" |language=de |date=17 September 2018 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |access-date=1 March 2020}}</ref>

====Asia====
In 1930s [[Shanghai]], the big clubs were [[The Paramount Club]] (opened in 1933) and [[Ciro's (Shanghai)|Ciro's]] (opened in 1936). Other clubs of the era were the Metropole and the [[Canidrome (Shanghai)|Canidrome]]. [[Jazz band]]s, big bands, and singers performed for a bowtied clientele.  The Paramount and Ciro's in particular were fiercely rivalrous and attracted many customers from the underworld. Shanghai's clubs fell into decline after the [[Second Sino-Japanese War#1937: Full-scale invasion of China|Japanese invasion of 1937]] and eventually closed. The Paramount reopened after the [[Chinese Communist Revolution|communist victory in 1949]] as [[The Red Capitol Cinema]], dedicated to [[Maoism|Maoist]] propaganda films, before fading into obscurity. It reopened as The Paramount in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/post/9633/history-of-the-hai-old-shanghais-glamorous-rockin-night-clubs|title=Old Shanghai's glamorous, rockin' night clubs|website=Thatsmags.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

=== World War II years===
In [[occupied France]], [[jazz]] and [[bebop]] music, and the [[jitterbug]] dance were banned by the [[Nazis]] as "decadent American influences", so as an act of resistance, people met at hidden basements called ''discothèques''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/10/the-birth-of-disco/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106112206/http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/10/the-birth-of-disco/|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2012|title=The birth of disco|date=30 October 2012|publisher=OXford Dictionaries|access-date=8 January 2014}}</ref> where they danced to jazz and [[swing music]], played on a single turntable when a jukebox was not available. These discothèques were also patronized by anti-[[Vichy France|Vichy]] youth called [[zazou]]s. In [[Nazi Germany]], there were underground discothèques patronized by [[Anti-nazism|anti-Nazi]] youth called the "[[Swing Kids]]".

===Post-WWII: Emergence of the disc jockey and discothèque===
The end of World War II saw the beginning of a transformation in the nightclub: no longer the preserve of a moneyed elite, over several decades, the nightclub steadily became a mass phenomenon.{{why|date=July 2021}}

In Germany, the first discothèque on record that involved a [[disc jockey]] was [[Scotch-Club]], which opened in 1959.<ref name=spiegel_scotchclub>{{cite news |last=Crossland |first=David |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/club-culture-meet-heinrich-the-world-s-first-disc-jockey-a-656052.html |title=Club Culture: Meet Heinrich, the World's First Disc Jockey | date=19 October 2009 |newspaper=[[Spiegel Online]] |access-date=4 January 2019}}</ref> Its, and therefore the world's first DJ was 19-year-old local cub reporter Klaus Quirini who had been sent to write a story about the strange new phenomenon of public record-playing; fueled by [[whisky]], he jumped on stage and started announcing records as he played them and took the stage-name DJ Heinrich.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/club-culture-meet-heinrich-the-world-s-first-disc-jockey-a-656052.html|title=Meet Heinrich, the World's First Disc Jockey|website=Der Spiegel|date=19 October 2009|last1=Crossland|first1=David}}</ref>

In the US, [[Connie's Inn]] and the [[Cotton Club]] in [[Harlem]], NY were popular venues for white audiences. Before 1953 and some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands.

In Paris, at a club named [[Le Whisky à Gogo]], founded in 1947 on the [[rue de Seine]] by Paul Pacine,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parismatch.com/Vivre/Art-de-vivre/Whisky-a-gogo-1662646|title=Whisky à gogo|website=Paris Match|date=9 December 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockstateofmind.com/2009/12/whiskey-go-go-los-angeles-ca.html|title=The Whiskey A Go Go (Los Angeles, CA)|author=Johnny Pierre|date=6 December 2009|publisher=Rock and Roll is a state of mind|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424202413/http://www.rockstateofmind.com/2009/12/whiskey-go-go-los-angeles-ca.html|archive-date=24 April 2010|access-date=11 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Last Night a Dj Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey|last=Brewster|first=Bill|last2=Broughton|first2=Frank|publisher=Grove Press|isbn=9781555846114|pages=50|date=December 2007}}</ref> [[Régine Zylberberg]] in 1953 laid down a dance floor, suspended coloured lights, and replaced the jukebox with two turntables that she operated herself so there would be no breaks between the music. This was the world's first-ever "discothèque".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schofield |first1=Hugh |title=No holding back French disco diva |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4372150.stm |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=30 January 2023 |date=24 October 2005}}</ref> The Whisky à Gogo set into place the standard elements of the modern post-World War II ''discothèque''-style nightclub.

In London, by the end of the 1950s, several of the [[coffeehouse|coffee bars]] in London's Soho introduced afternoon dancing. These prototype discothèques were nothing like modern-day nightclubs, as they were unlicensed, daytime venues where coffee was the drink of choice and that catered to a very young public – mostly made up of French and Italians working illegally, mostly in catering, to learn English, as well as [[au pair]] girls from most of western Europe.

A well known venue was [[Les Enfants Terribles (club)|Les Enfants Terribles]] at 93 Dean St., in [[Soho]], London. Initially opening as a coffee-bar, it was run by Betty Passes who claimed to be the inventor of [[disco]] after she pioneered the idea of dancing to records at her premises' basement in 1957.  It stayed popular into the 1960s. It later became a 1940s-themed club called the Black Gardenia but has since closed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/20-colour-snapshots-vibrant-soho-1956|title=20 colour snapshots of vibrant Soho in 1956|website=Bfi.org.uk|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adrianstern.com/getSongs.pl|title=The songs|website=Adrian Stern|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

[[The Flamingo Club]] on [[Wardour Street]] in London ran between 1952 and 1967 and was known for its role in the growth of [[rhythm and blues]] and jazz in the UK. It earned a controversial reputation with gangsters and prostitutes said to have been frequent visitors in the 1960s, along with musicians such as [[the Beatles]].

===1960s===
Discothèques began to appear in New York City in 1964: the [[Village Vanguard]] offered dancing between jazz sets; Shepheard's, located in the basement of the [[Drake Hotel (New York City)|Drake Hotel]], was small but popular; L'Interdit and Il Mio (at [[Delmonico's]]) were private; the [[El Morocco]] had an on-premises disco called Garrison; and the [[Stork Club]] had one in its Shermaine suite. Larger discos opened in 1966: Cheetah, with room for 2000 dancers, the [[Electric Circus (nightclub)|Electric Circus]], and Dom.<ref>Mark Caldwell, ''New York Night: The Mystique and Its History'', 2005, {{isbn|0743274784}}, p. 314</ref>

While the discothèque swept Europe throughout the 1960s, it did not become widely popular in the United States until the 1970s,<ref name=spiegel_scotchclub/> where the first [[rock and roll]] generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to nightclubs until the disco era.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} In the early 1960s, [[Mark Birley]] opened a members-only discothèque nightclub, [[Annabel's]], in [[Berkeley Square]], London. In 1962, the [[Peppermint Lounge]] in New York City became popular and is the place where [[go-go dancing]] originated. [[Sybil Christopher|Sybil Burton]] opened the "Arthur" discothèque in 1965 on East [[54th Street (Manhattan)|54th Street]] in [[Manhattan]] on the site of the old El Morocco nightclub and it became the first, foremost, and hottest disco in New York City through 1969.<ref>''Time'' magazine. (14 May 1965). Brewster, B.; Broughton, F. ''Last Night a Disc Jockey Saved My Life'', Grove Press, 2000, pp. 62–64. {{ISBN|0802136885}} <!-- This seems to be a book review; if so it should say so; if not, what's Time got to do with it?--></ref>

In Germany in the 1960s, when Berlin was divided by the [[Berlin Wall|Wall]], [[Munich]] became Germany's epicenter of nightlife for the next two decades with numerous nightclubs and discothèques such as [[Big Apple (club)|Big Apple]], [[PN hit-house]], [[Tiffany (nightclub)|Tiffany]], [[Domicile (nightclub)|Domicile]], ''Hot Club'', ''Piper Club'', ''Why Not'', ''Crash'', ''Sugar Shack'', the underwater discothèque [[Yellow Submarine (club)|Yellow Submarine]], and  [[Mrs. Henderson (nightclub)|Mrs. Henderson]], where stars such as [[Mick Jagger]], [[Keith Richards]], [[Freddie Mercury]], and [[David Bowie]] went in and out and which led to artists such as [[Giorgio Moroder]], [[Donna Summer]], and Mercury settling in the city.<ref name="mjunikdisco">{{cite book |last1=Hecktor |first1=Mirko |last2=von Uslar |first2=Moritz |last3=Smith |first3=Patti |last4=Neumeister |first4=Andreas |date=1 November 2008 |title=Mjunik Disco – from 1949 to now|isbn=978-3936738476|pages=212, 225|publisher=Blumenbar |language=de}}</ref><ref name="tz_70ies_Munich">{{cite web |date= 26 April 2016 |title=Discos prägen wilde Epoche: Die 70er in München: Laut, schrill, verrucht|trans-title=Discos shape a wild era: The 70s in Munich: Loud, fancy, infamous|url=https://www.tz.de/muenchen/stadt/70er-muenchen-laut-schrill-verrucht-6346653.html |publisher=[[Tz (newspaper)|tz]] |access-date=28 October 2019 |language=de}}</ref><ref name="mitvergnuegen">{{cite web|url=https://muenchen.mitvergnuegen.com/2017/11-verrueckt-vergessen-clubs-muenchen/ |title=11 verrückte Clubs in München, die Geschichte schrieben |trans-title=11 crazy clubs in Munich that made history |last=Schauberger |first=Anja |publisher=Mit Vergnuegen |access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref> In 1967, Germany's first large-scale discothèque opened in Munich as the club [[Blow Up (club)|Blow Up]], which because of its extravagance and excesses quickly gained international reputation.<ref name="mjunikdisco"/><ref name="tz_70ies_Munich"/>

In parallel, the [[hippie]] movement spawned Britain's first club for [[psychedelic music]], the [[UFO Club]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUuoMp7TYzQ| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301154814/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUuoMp7TYzQ&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2020-03-01|title=1960s London UFO Club, Rare Footage|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elkIed4qjPo| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/elkIed4qjPo| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=1967 The Round House and Memories of The UFO Club & the Fantastic Light Shows in 1960's London| website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUHMltEOLds| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/sUHMltEOLds| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=PINK FLOYD at the UFO club IN GLORIOUS COLOUR| website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adam-ritchie-photography.co.uk/?page_id=1695|title=At The UFO Club, London|website=Adam Ritchie Photography}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/5517147568|title=London Lost Music Venues: Rock Music 07 – UFO Club|website=Flickr|date=10 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{PastScape|mnumber=1439208|mname=THE UFO CLUB|access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref> (at the Blarney Club, 31 [[Tottenham Court Road]], London from 23 Dec 1966 to Oct 1967) which then became the [[Middle Earth (club)|Middle Earth]] club<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/middlearthclublondon/|title=Middle Earth Club London|website=[[Facebook]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/5516558727/in/photostream/|title=London Lost Music Venues: Rock Music 08 – Middle Earth|website=Flickr|date=2 January 2011}}</ref> (at 43 King Street) and eventually the [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]] in 1968. Both the UFO Club and Middle Earth were short-lived but saw performances by artists such as house-band [[Pink Floyd]], [[Soft Machine]], [[Procol Harum]], [[Fairport Convention]], [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]], and [[Jimi Hendrix]]; DJ [[John Peel]] was a regular. These clubs germinated what would later become the underground gig scene of the 1970s and 1980s, at venues such as the [[100 Club]] and [[The Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith|The Clarendon in Hammersmith]]. During the 1960s, the Clarendon was a [[country music|country & western]] club, having earlier been an upmarket jazz, [[dining club|dining]], and dancing club in the pre-War era.

In the north of England, the distinct [[northern soul]] movement spanned [[Manchester]]'s [[Twisted Wheel Club]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.manchestersfinest.com/music/the-twisted-wheel-club-is-back/|title=The Twisted Wheel Club is BACK!|website=Manchestersfinest.com|date=2 November 2017}}</ref> the [[Blackpool Mecca]],<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804230534/https://northernsoulers.co.uk/famous-northern-soul-venues-blackpool-mecca-highland-room/|archive-date=2020-08-04|url-status=dead|url=https://northernsoulers.co.uk/famous-northern-soul-venues-blackpool-mecca-highland-room/|title=Famous Northern Soul Venues – Blackpool Mecca – Highland Room|website=Northernsoulers.co.uk}}</ref> [[Cleethorpes Pier]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://soulie.weebly.com/a-look-back-at-cleethorpes.html|title=A Look Back At Cleethorpes|website=Northernsoulers.co.uk|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref> and the [[Wigan Casino]], known for the [[acro dance|acrobatic dancing]] of its clubgoers;{{Cn|date=August 2024}} each of these clubs was known for all-nighters.

===1970s: Disco===
Disco has its roots in the underground club scene. During the early 1970s in New York City, disco clubs were places where oppressed or [[social exclusion|marginalized]] groups such as gay people, [[African Americans]], [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latinos]], [[Italian Americans]], and [[Jews]] could party without following male to female dance protocol or exclusive club policies. Discothèques had a law where for every three men, there was one woman.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lawrence |first1=Tim |title=Love Saves The Day. A History Of American Dance Music Culture 1970-1979. |date=2006 |publisher=Duke University Press |location=Durham |isbn=9780822331858 |page=31}}</ref> The women often sought these experiences to seek safety in a venue that embraced the [[independent woman]] – with an eye to one or more of the same or opposite sex or none. Although the culture that surrounded disco was progressive in dance couples, [[cross-genre]] music, and a push to put the physical over the rational, the role of women looked to be placed in the role of safety net.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lawerence|first1=Tim|title=Disco and the Queering of the Dance Floor|date=14 March 2011}}</ref> It brought together people from different backgrounds.<ref>Lawrence, Tim. "Disco and the Queering of the Dance Floor". ''Cultural Studies'' 25.2 (2011): 230–43.</ref> These clubs acted as safe havens for [[homosexuality|homosexual]] partygoers to dance in peace and away from public scrutiny.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lifestoriesnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=184:1970-gay-bars|title=Gay bars|website=Life Stories Network |access-date=22 May 2016}}</ref>

By the late 1970s, many major U.S. cities had thriving disco club scenes centered on discothèques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful [[PA system]]s for the dancers. The DJs played "a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long{{'"}}.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Rietveld |first=Hillegonda C. |date=July–August 2000 |title=The body and soul of club culture |journal=UNESCO Courier |volume=53 |url=http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_07/uk/doss13.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626022613/http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_07/uk/doss13.htm |archive-date=26 June 2007 |access-date=8 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music.

The genre of disco has changed through the years. It is classified both as a musical genre and as a nightclub; and in the late seventies, disco began to act as a safe haven for social outcasts. This club culture that originated in downtown New York, was attended by a variety of different ethnicities and economic backgrounds. It was an inexpensive activity to indulge in, and discos united a multitude of different minorities in a way never seen before; including those in the gay and [[psychedelia|psychedelic]] communities. The music ultimately was what brought people together.<ref>Dyer, Richard. Only Entertainment. Routledge, 2002.</ref>

Some cities had disco dance instructors or [[Dance studio|dance schools]] that taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", the "[[Hustle (dance)|hustle]]", and the "[[cha-cha-cha (dance)|cha-cha-cha]]". There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing [[Halston]] dresses for women and shiny polyester [[Qiana]] shirts for men. Disco clubs and "hedonistic loft parties" had a club culture with many Italian American, African American, gay, and Hispanic people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timlawrence.info/books/reviews_lsd.php |title=Reviews of Love Saves the Day |date=14 June 2005 |publisher=Tim Lawrence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712064049/http://www.timlawrence.info/books/reviews_lsd.php |archive-date=12 July 2007 |access-date=8 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving [[drug culture|drug subculture]], particularly for [[Recreational drug use|recreational drugs]] that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as [[cocaine]]<ref>Gootenberg, Paul. "Between Coca and Cocaine: A Century or More of U.S.-Peruvian Drug Paradoxes, 1860–1980". ''Hispanic American Historical Review'', 83:1, February 2003, pp. 119–150. He says that "The relationship of cocaine to 1970s disco culture cannot be stressed enough; ..."</ref> (nicknamed "blow"), [[amyl nitrite]] "[[poppers]]",<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/drugsearch/drugsearchpages/nitrites.htm |title= Nitrites |work= DrugScope |quote= Amyl, butyl and isobutyl nitrite (collectively known as alkyl nitrites) are clear, yellow liquids inhaled for their intoxicating effects. Nitrites originally came as small glass capsules that were popped open. This led to nitrites being given the name 'poppers' but this form of the drug is rarely found in the UK. The drug became popular in the UK first on the disco/club scene of the 1970s and then at dance and [[rave]] venues in the 1980s and 1990s. |access-date= 8 January 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140108072019/http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/drugsearch/drugsearchpages/nitrites.htm |archive-date= 8 January 2014 |url-status= dead }}</ref> and the "other quintessential 1970s club drug [[Methaqualone|Quaalude]], which suspended motor coordination and turned one's arms and legs to [[Jell-O]]".<ref name="Braunstein">{{cite journal|last=Braunstein |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Braunstein |date=November 1999 |title=Disco |journal=[[American Heritage Magazine]] |volume=50 |issue=7 |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1999/7/1999_7_43.shtml |access-date=24 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205223044/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1999/7/1999_7_43.shtml |archive-date=5 February 2010 }}</ref> The "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discotheques by newly liberated gay men produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant [[promiscuity]] and [[public sex]]. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases, the disco became a kind of "main course" in a [[hedonism|hedonist]]'s menu for a night out."<ref name="Braunstein"/>

Well known 1970s discothèques included celebrity hangouts such as Manhattan's [[Studio 54]], which was operated by [[Steve Rubell]] and [[Ian Schrager]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/studio-54-opens|title=1977: Studio 54 opens|website=History.com| access-date=14 March 2020}}</ref> Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "[[Man in the Moon]]" that included an animated [[cocaine spoon]]. Other 1970s discothèques in New York City were Manhattan's Starship Discovery One at 350 West [[42nd Street (Manhattan)|42nd Street]], [[Roseland Ballroom]], [[Xenon (nightclub)|Xenon]], [[The Loft (New York City)|The Loft]], the [[Paradise Garage]], a recently renovated [[Copacabana (nightclub)|Copacabana]], and Aux Puces, one of the first gay disco bars. The album cover of Saturday Night Band's ''Come On and Dance, Dance'' featured two dancers in the Starship Discovery One. In San Francisco, there was the [[Trocadero Transfer]], the [[I-Beam (nightclub)|I-Beam]], and the [[End Up]].

In Spain during the 1970s, the first clubs and discos opened in [[Ibiza]], an island which had been a popular destination for hippie travelers since the 1960s and now was experiencing a tourist boom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vogue.fr/lifestyle-en/article/the-spirit-of-ibiza-in-14-vintage-vacation-photos-from-the-1970s-and-the-1980s|title=The spirit of Ibiza captured in 14 vintage photos from the 1970s and the 1980s|date=12 August 2019}}</ref> The first ever "[[Superclub]]" in Ibiza was the now-abandoned "Festival Club" at [[Sant Josep de sa Talaia]], which was built between 1969 and 1972 and serviced tourists who were bused in until it closed in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewhiteisle.co.uk/the-original-super-club-of-ibiza/|title=The original Super Club of Ibiza|website=Thewhiteisle.co.uk|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/festival-club-ibiza|title=Festival Club|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref> Responding to this influx of visitors, locals opened the first large clubs [[Pacha Group|Pacha]], [[Amnesia (nightclub)|Amnesia]], and the [[Privilege Ibiza|Ku-club]] (renamed Privilege in 1995).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Ibiza-How-it-all-began/12822/|title=History of Ibiza: How it all began &#124; Skiddle|website=Skiddle.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190131-how-ibizas-party-really-started|title=BBC: How Ibiza's Party Really Started|website=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.addictedtoibiza.com/2013/03/05/the-history-of-ibizas-club-scene/|title=The History Of Ibiza's Club Scene|website=Addictedtoibiza.com|date=5 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://discoveribiza.com/history-of-music-in-ibiza/|title=History of dance music in Ibiza|website=Discoveribiza.com}}</ref>

By the early 1980s, the term "disco" had largely fallen out of favour in the [[United States]].

===1970s: Glam and punk rock===
In parallel to the disco scene and quite separate from it, the [[glam rock]] ([[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], David Bowie, [[Roxy Music]]) and [[punk rock]] cultures in London produced their own set of nightclubs, starting with [[Billy's]] at 69 [[Dean Street]] (known for its David Bowie nights),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2013/jan/25/bowie-nights-billys-club-pictures|title='The birth of the London club scene': Bowie Nights at Billy's Club – in pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 January 2013|last1=Lewis|first1=Tim}}</ref> Louise's on [[Poland Street]] (the first true punk club and hangout of the [[Sex Pistols]], [[Siouxsie Sioux]] plus the [[Bromley Contingent]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Louise's and Sombreros |date=6 September 2007|url=http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com/2007/09/club-louise-and-sombreros-london-197677.html|website=History-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com}}</ref> and then Blitz (the home of the [[Blitz Kids (New Romantics)|Blitz Kids]]). [[Crackers (nightclub)|Crackers]] was a key part of the jazz-[[funk]] scene and also the early punk scene via its Vortex nights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2013/03/nightclubbing-crackers|title=Nightclubbing: Crackers|website=Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

The underground warehouse party scene was kicked off by [[Toyah Willcox]] with her [[Mayhem Studios]] at [[Patcham Terrace]] in [[Battersea]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Toyah – Mayhem – Patcham Terrace, Battersea 1979-80 |website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhLlfgma--Y| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/IhLlfgma--Y| archive-date=2021-10-30}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toyah.net/ds/classic-toyah-mayhem-1979/|title=Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite » Classic Toyah: Mayhem 1979|website=Toyah.net|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chris Sullivan on nights out with Bowie and nights in with Iggy |date=26 May 2019|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/chris-sullivan-book-interview|website=Gq-magazine.com}}</ref> The emergence of this highly experimental artistic scene in London can be credited almost entirely to [[Rusty Egan]], [[Steve Strange]], the Bromley Contingent's [[Philip Sallon]], and Chris Sullivan.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515133503/http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/chris-sullivan/|archive-date=2017-05-15|url-status=dead|url=http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/chris-sullivan/|title=Chris Sullivan|website=Soho Radio London}} </ref>

Dozens of clubs came and went, but one of the original batch, and being London's longest running one-nighter club,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gaz's Rockin' Blues|url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/tag/gazs-rockin-blues/|access-date=2021-06-22|website=Shapersofthe80s.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Gaz's Rockin' Blues]], is still going as of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazrockin.com/gass-rockin-blues|title=Gaz's Rockin' Blues|website=Gazrockin.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpmQEbfLh8o| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/JpmQEbfLh8o| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=GAZ'S ROCKIN BLUES: A BRIEF HISTORY|website=YouTube / Spine TV}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The [[new wave music]] scene grew out of Blitz and the [[Cha Cha Club]] in [[Charing Cross]]. Whilst overall, the club scene was fairly small and hidden away in basements, cellars, and warehouses, London's complicated mix of punk, [[New Romantic]], New Wave, and gay clubs in the late 1970s and early 1980s paved the way for [[acid house]] to flourish in the late 1980s, initially with [[Shoom]] and two acid house nights at [[Heaven (nightclub)|Heaven]]: Spectrum and Rage.

In the north of England, what later became the "alternative" scene was centred around the Roxy/Bowie room at Pips in Manchester,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/pips-disco-manchester-nightclub-roxy-13434245|title=Pips Disco Manchester|website=Manchester Evening News|date=6 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGjM26me_AA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/xGjM26me_AA| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=Pips Nightclub Manchester – 23rd April 1977|website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> which opened in 1972; as small as this scene was, many notable figures attended the club, and Joy Division played their first gig there, billed as "Warsaw" before changing their name that night.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cooper|first=Matthew|date=2017-08-06|title=The nightclub which birthed Joy Division now lies beneath the Corn Exchange|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/pips-disco-manchester-nightclub-roxy-13434245|access-date=2021-06-22|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref>

===1980s: New wave, post-punk, goth, rave, and acid house===
[[File:Dj2can club dj.jpg|thumb|upright|A disc jockey (DJ) mixing vinyl records on [[turntable]]s ([[Inland Empire]], 2009)]]
During the 1980s, during the New Romantic movement, London had a vibrant nightclub scene, which included clubs like The Blitz, [[Batcave (club)|the Batcave]], the [[Camden Palace]], and [[Club for Heroes]]. These clubs grew out of the earlier [[Gargoyle Club#The Mandrake|Mandrake]] and Billy's (later Gossip's)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/clubbing/69-dean-street-and-the-making-of-uk-club-culture/|title=69 Dean Street and the making of UK club culture|website=Shapersofthe80s.com|date=16 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.urban75.org/london/gossips-club-london.html|title=Gossips Club,69 Dean St, Soho|website=Urban75.org}}</ref> at 69 Dean Street, in the basement below the ground floor [[Gargoyle Club]].  Both music and fashion embraced the aesthetics of the movement.  Bands included [[Depeche Mode]], [[Yazoo (band)|Yazoo]], [[The Human League]], [[Duran Duran]], [[Eurythmics]], and [[Ultravox]]. [[Reggae]]-influenced bands included [[Boy George]] and [[Culture Club]], and [[electronic music|electronic]] vibe bands included [[Visage (band)|Visage]]. At London nightclubs, young men would often wear make-up and young women would wear men's suits. [[Leigh Bowery]]'s [[Taboo (nightclub)|Taboo]] (which opened in 1985)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/taboo|title=Boy George interviewed by Mark Ronson about Leigh Bowery and Taboo|website=Interview Magazine|date=19 December 2008}}</ref> bridged the New Romantic and acid house scenes.

With the birth of [[house music]] in the mid-1980s and then acid house, kickstarted by Chris Sullivan's [[The Wag Club]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The end of the night – in the 80s, the Wag Club was glorious but it could never happen now |website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=8 July 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/jul/08/the-wag-club-london-could-never-happen-now}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How Soho's Wag Club Took on the West End and Won |date=11 May 2016 |url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4x8nbb/the-wag-club-soho|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713110037/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4x8nbb/the-wag-club-soho|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/nightclubs-what-a-wag-unfriendly-elitist-and-super-cool-it-nevertheless-broke-the-disco-mould-james-1369754.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/nightclubs-what-a-wag-unfriendly-elitist-and-super-cool-it-nevertheless-broke-the-disco-mould-james-1369754.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Nightclubs: What a Wag: Unfriendly, elitist and super cool, it nevertheless broke the disco mould. James Style celebrates 10 years of the Wag|date=13 April 1994|website=The Independent}}</ref> (on the site of the earlier [[The Flamingo Club]]), a cultural revolution swept around the world; first in [[Chicago]] at the [[Warehouse (nightclub)|Warehouse]] and then London and New York City. London clubs such as [[Clink Street]], Revolution in Progress (RiP), Philip Sallon's [[The Mudd Club]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crfashionbook.com/culture/a24889980/a-historical-look-at-the-mudd-club/|title=A Historical Look at The Mudd Club – Revisiting the downtown antithesis of Studio 54 that had an "anything goes" atmosphere|date=15 Nov 2018|website=CR Fashion Book}}</ref> [[Danny Rampling]]'s [[Shoom]] (starting in December 1987 in the basement of Southwark's Fitness Centre), [[Paul Oakenfold]]'s [[Spectrum (nightclub)|Spectrum]], and [[Nicky Holloway]]'s [[Trip (nightclub)|The Trip]] fused the eclecticism and ethos of [Ibiza with the new electronic music from the US.

The largest [[United Kingdom|UK]] cities like [[Birmingham]], [[Leeds]] (The Orbit), [[Liverpool]] ([[Quadrant Park]] and 051), Manchester ([[The Haçienda]]), [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], and [[Swansea]], and several key European places like Paris ([[Les Bains-Douches]]), Ibiza ([[Pacha Group|Pacha]]), and [[Rimini]], also played a significant role in the evolution of [[Clubbing (subculture)|clubbing]], DJ culture, and nightlife.

Significant New York nightclubs of the period were [[Area (nightclub)|Area]], [[Danceteria]], and [[The Limelight]].<ref>{{cite book|
title=Consumption: critical concepts in the social sciences |
author=Miller, Daniel |
publisher=Taylor & Francis|
isbn=978-0-415-24269-1 |
page=447 |
url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAe6U6y-i1EC&q=Downtown+Musto&pg=PA427|
year=2001|
access-date=8 January 2014}}</ref>

However, the seismic shift in nightlife was the emergence of [[Rave|rave culture]] in the UK. A mixture of free and commercial outdoor parties were held in fields, warehouses, and abandoned buildings, by various groups such as Biology, Sunrise, Confusion, Hedonism, Rage & Energy, and many others. This laid the ground for what was unfold in the 1990s, initially in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States and then worldwide from the 2000s onwards.

===1990s, 2000s, and 2010s===
[[File:Bob Beaman Nightclub Munich 1.jpg|thumb|Club DJ using digital [[CDJ]] players for mixing music ([[Munich]], 2010s)]]
In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as [[house music]], [[techno]], [[Eurodance]] and other dance music styles such as [[electronica]], [[breakbeat]], and [[trance music|trance]]. Most nightclubs in major cities in the U.S. that have an [[early adulthood]] clientele, play [[hip hop]], [[dance-pop]], house, and/or trance music. These clubs are generally the largest and most frequented of all of the different types of clubs.

Techno clubs are popular around the world since the early 1990s. Well known examples of the 1990s include [[Tresor (club)|Tresor]], [[E-Werk (Berlin)|E-Werk]], and [[Bunker (Berlin)|Bunker]] in [[Berlin]]; Omen and [[Dorian Gray (club)|Dorian Gray]] in [[Frankfurt]]; [[Ultraschall]], {{nowrap|[[KW – Das Heizkraftwerk]]}}, and [[Natraj Temple]] in Munich; and Stammheim in [[Kassel]].<ref name="ronaldhitzler">{{cite book|last1=Hitzler|first1=Ronald|title=Loss of safety? Lifestyles between multi-optionality and scarcity. |last2=Pfadenhauer |first2=Michaela |last3=Hillebrandt |first3=Frank |last4=Kneer |first4=Georg |last5=Kraemer |first5=Klaus |date=1998 |isbn=978-3-531-13228-0 |page=85| language=de |chapter=A posttraditional society: Integration and distinction within the techno scene|doi=10.1007/978-3-322-83316-7}}</ref>

The [[Castlemorton Common Festival]] in 1992 triggered the UK government's [[Criminal Justice Act]], which largely ended the rave movement by criminalizing any gathering of 20 or more people where music ("sounds wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats") was played. Commercial clubs immediately capitalized on the situation causing a boom in "Superclubs" in the UK, such as [[Ministry of Sound]] (London), [[Renaissance (club)|Renaissance]], and [[Cream (nightclub)|Cream]] ([[Liverpool]]). These developed the club-as-spectacle theme pioneered in the 1970s and 1980s by Pacha (Ibiza) and [[Juliana's|Juliana's Tokyo]] (Japan), creating a global phenomenon; however, many clubs such as [[The Cross (nightclub)|The Cross]] in London, preserved the more underground feel of the former era.

Since the late 2000s, venues that received high media attention include [[Berghain]] in Berlin and [[Fabric (club)|Fabric]] in London.

[[Video art]] has been used in nightclubs since the 1960s, but especially with the rise of [[electronic dance music]] since the late 1980s. [[VJing]] gained more and more importance. VJs ("video jockeys") mix video content in a similar manner that DJs mix audio content, creating a visual experience that is intended to complement the music.

=== 2020s ===
The 2020s started with the global [[COVID-19 pandemic]], which closed nightclubs worldwide – the first ever synchronized, global shutdown of nightlife. In response, online "virtual nightclubs" developed, hosted on [[videotelephony|video-conferencing]] platforms such as [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-14/virtual-nightlife-grows-past-dj-livestreams-to-paid-zoom-clubs |title=People Are Paying Real Money to Get Into Virtual Zoom Nightclubs |work=Bloomberg |last=Lhooq |first=Michelle |date=14 April 2020 |access-date=20 August 2021 }}</ref>  As countries relaxed lockdown rules following drops in case numbers, some nightclubs reopened in repurposed form as sat-down pubs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/manchester-nightclub-become-nightpub-throwing-18795022|title = Manchester nightclub becomes a 'nightpub' – with a sit-down disco|website=Manchestereveningnews.co.uk|date = 19 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/sit-down-gigs-dis-dancing-zoom-raves-are-these-the-last-day-of-disco-r93wzt3nl|title = Sit-down gigs, dis-dancing, Zoom raves – are these the last day of disco?|last1 = Spicer|first1 = Kate|newspaper=[[The Times]]}} {{subscription required|date=September 2023}}</ref>  As vaccine rollouts reached advanced stages, nightclubs were able to reopen with looser restrictions, such as producing [[Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic|certification of full vaccination]] upon entry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/explained/night-clubs-reopen-uk-covid-safety/|title=When will nightclubs reopen in the UK and what safety measures will be in place?|website=Lbc.co.uk|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>

==Entry criteria==
[[File:Bouncer checking IDs at a nightclub.jpg|thumb|200px|A bouncer checks patrons' IDs at the entrance to a nightclub]]
Many nightclubs use [[bouncer (doorman)|bouncer]]s to choose who can enter the club, or specific lounges or VIP areas. Some nightclubs have one group of bouncers to screen [[Client (business)|clients]] for entry at the main door, and then other bouncers to screen for entry to other dance floors, lounges, or VIP areas. For legal reasons, in most jurisdictions, the bouncers have to check ID to ensure that prospective patrons are of legal drinking age and that they are not intoxicated already. In this respect, a nightclub's use of bouncers is no different from the use of bouncers by [[pub]]s and [[sports bar]]s. However, in some nightclubs, bouncers may screen patrons using criteria other than just age and intoxication status, such as [[dress code]], [[guest list]] inclusion, and physical appearance.

This type of screening is used by clubs to make their club "exclusive", by denying entry to people who are not dressed in a stylish enough manner. While some clubs have written dress codes, such as no ripped jeans, no jeans, no gang clothing, and so on, other clubs may not post their policies. As such, the club's bouncers may deny entry to anybody at their discretion. The guest list is typically used for private parties and events held by [[celebrity|celebrities]]. At private parties, the hosts may only want their friends to attend. At celebrity events, the hosts may wish the club to only be attended by [[A-list]] individuals.

===Cover charge===
[[File:Advance Ticket Sales Ibiza Nightclubs.jpg|thumb|200px|Advance ticket sales for diverse nightclubs on [[Ibiza]] island]]
In most cases, entering a nightclub requires a flat fee, called a [[cover charge]]. Some clubs waive or reduce the cover charge for early arrivers, special guests, or women (in the [[United Kingdom]] this latter option is illegal under the [[Equality Act 2010]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lawthink.co.uk/2011/04/nightclub-policy-equality-act/ |title=Is Ladies' Night illegal? Nightclub entry policy and the Equality Act |publisher=Law Think |date=6 April 2011 |access-date=8 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108065732/http://www.lawthink.co.uk/2011/04/nightclub-policy-equality-act/ |archive-date=8 January 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> but the law is rarely enforced, and open violations are frequent). Friends of the [[bouncer (doorman)|doorman]] or the club owner may gain free entrance. Sometimes, especially at larger clubs in Continental European countries, one gets only a pay card at the entrance, on which all money spent in the discothèque (often including the entrance fee) is marked. Sometimes, entrance fee and cloakroom costs are paid by cash, and only the drinks in the club are paid using a pay card.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

Some clubs offer patrons the chance to sign up on their guest list. A club's guest list is a special promotion the venue offers separate from general admission. Each club has different benefits when you are signed up on their guest list. Some of the benefits of being on a club's guestlist are: free entry, discounted cover charge, the ability to skip the line, and free drinks. Many clubs hire a promotions team to find and sign up guests to the club's guest list.

===Dress code===
[[File:Fetish party at a nightclub.jpg|thumb|upright|140px|Dancers in [[fetish fashion]] at a nightclub]]
Many nightclubs enforce a dress code in order to ensure a certain type of clientele is in attendance at the venue. Some upscale nightclubs ban attendees from wearing trainers (sneakers) or jeans while other nightclubs will advertise a vague "dress to impress" dress code that allows the bouncers to discriminate at will against those vying for entry to the club.

Many exceptions are made to nightclub dress codes, with denied entry usually reserved for the most glaring rule breakers or those thought to be unsuitable for the party.

[[Rave parties]] typically both allow and encourage the wearing of clubwear, deliberately skimpy and outrageous clothing designed for dancing and exhibitionism.

Certain nightclubs like [[fetish club|fetish nightclubs]] may apply a dress code ([[Fetish fashion|BDSM]]) to a leather-only, rubber-only, or fantasy dress code.

Dress code criteria can be an excuse for discriminatory practices, such as in the case of Carpenter v. Limelight Entertainment Ltd.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/1999/pdf/carpenter_vs_limelight_entertainment_ltd_d.b.a._limit_nigh.pdf | title=In the Matter of the Human Rights Code R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 210 (as amended): Carpenter v. Limelight Entertainment Ltd. (1999), C.H.R.R. Doc. 99-197: Trudy Carpenter (now Trudy Jack) v. Limelight Entertainment Ltd. doing business as "Limit Night Club" | publisher=British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal | access-date=15 February 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617143826/http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/1999/pdf/carpenter_vs_limelight_entertainment_ltd_d.b.a._limit_nigh.pdf | archive-date=17 June 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Exclusive nightclubs===
[[File:Suite-88 (48123084092).jpg|thumb|upright|200px|[[Bottle service]] at a nightclub]]
Large cosmopolitan cities that are home to large affluent populations (such as [[Atlanta]], [[Chicago]], [[Sydney]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Melbourne]], [[Miami]], [[New York City]], and [[London]]) often have what are known as exclusive boutique nightclubs. This type of club typically has a capacity of less than 200 occupants and a very strict entrance policy, which usually requires an entrant to be on the club's guest list.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}} While not explicitly members only clubs, such as [[Soho House (club)|Soho House]], exclusive nightclubs operate with a similar level of exclusivity. As they are off limits to most of the public and ensure the privacy of guests, many celebrities favor these types of clubs to other, less exclusive, clubs that do not cater as well to their needs.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

Another differentiating feature of exclusive nightclubs is that they are known for having a certain type of crowd, for instance, a fashion-forward, [[affluent]] crowd or a crowd with a high concentration of [[fashion models]]. Many exclusive boutique clubs market themselves as being a place to socialize with models and celebrities.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} Affluent patrons who find that marketing message appealing are often willing to purchase [[bottle service]] at a markup of several times the retail cost of the liquor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socialyeti.com |title=NYC Clubs and lounges - Your Guide to Exclusive New York Nightlife |publisher=Socialyeti.com |access-date=9 March 2013}}</ref>

=== Substance abuse ===
A distinctive feature of a nightclub is also the fact that it can serve as a hub for substances like [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]], which could affect third parties, creating a negative externality of consumption. The culture of nightclubs create a sense of consuming alcohol in larger quantities than usual. A study in São Paulo looking to identify causes of binge drinking found that environmental variables such as more number of dancefloors, higher level of noise, and 'all you can drink' services to be significantly linked to binge drinking.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Carlini|first1=C|last2=Andreoni|first2=S|last3=Martins|first3=SS|last4=Benjamin|first4=MM|last5=Sanudo|first5=A|last6=Sanchez|first6=ZM|date=2014|title=Environmental characteristics associated with alcohol intoxication among patrons in Brazilian nightclubs.|journal=Drug and Alcohol Review|volume=33|issue=4|pages=358–366|doi=10.1111/dar.12155|pmid=24975881}}</ref> Furthermore, the culture created around nightclubs to indulge in 'pre-drinking' accentuates the amount of alcohol consumed, which leads to more problems in residential areas off nightclub premises (for example, a higher chance of participating in a fight).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Hughes|first1=Karen|last2=Anderson|first2=Zara|last3=Morleo|first3=Michela|last4=Bellis|first4=Mark A.|date=2008|title=Alcohol, nightlife and violence: the relative contributions of drinking before and during nights out to negative health and criminal justice outcomes|journal=Addiction|volume=103|issue=1|pages=60–65|doi=10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02030.x|pmid=17996008|issn=1360-0443}}</ref>

Moreover, young consumers of nightclubs who tend to binge drink are often found to be less safe during sexual encounters as a result of the alcohol,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wells|first1=Brooke E.|last2=Kelly|first2=Brian C.|last3=Golub|first3=Sarit A.|last4=Grov|first4=Christian|last5=Parsons|first5=Jeffrey T.|date=1 January 2010|title=Patterns of Alcohol Consumption and Sexual Behavior among Young Adults in Nightclubs|journal=The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse|volume=36|issue=1|pages=39–45|doi=10.3109/00952990903544836|issn=0095-2990|pmc=5824634|pmid=20141395}}</ref> which could lead to the spread of [[Sexually transmitted infection|STDs]].

A big issue that stems from [[Alcohol abuse|alcohol]] and [[Substance abuse|drug abuse]] in nightclubs is transportation. Private cars are the most prominent mode of transportation to and from nightclubs, and the use of drugs and alcohol in nightclubs are reported to increase the number of risky behaviors, such as [[driving under the influence]] or taking a lift from someone under the influence.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Calafat|first1=A.|last2=Blay|first2=N.|last3=Juan|first3=M.|last4=Adrover|first4=D.|last5=Bellis|first5=M. A.|last6=Hughes|first6=K.|last7=Stocco|first7=P.|last8=Siamou|first8=I.|last9=Mendes|first9=F.|date=31 March 2009|title=Traffic Risk Behaviors at Nightlife: Drinking, Taking Drugs, Driving, and Use of Public Transport by Young People|journal=Traffic Injury Prevention|volume=10|issue=2|pages=162–169|doi=10.1080/15389580802597054|pmid=19333829|s2cid=205882865|issn=1538-9588}}</ref> A portion of driving customers, despite drinking less than non-driving customers, are still observed to have alcohol levels above the legal threshold after a night out at a nightclub.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wagner|first1=Gabriela A.|last2=Sanchez|first2=Zila M.|date=2017|title=Patterns of drinking and driving offenses among nightclub patrons in Brazil|journal=The International Journal on Drug Policy|volume=43|pages=96–103|doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.02.011|issn=1873-4758|pmid=28343115}}</ref>
[[File:Ba alc.JPG|thumb|347x347px|Number of patients with alcohol-related serious injury and trauma to the emergency department at different hours of the day, before and after a change in alcohol legislation that made partying stricter in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct. These policies include: increased monitoring, increased strictness on entry of clubs, and sharing of information between venues to prevent intoxicated patrons to access different places. On average, there is significant decreases in any alcohol-related injury.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Forster|first1=S. Lesley|last2=Smith|first2=Myles|last3=Fulde|first3=Gordian WO|date=2015-11-02|title=Presentations with alcohol-related serious injury to a major Sydney trauma hospital after 2014 changes to liquor laws|journal=The Medical Journal of Australia|language=en|volume=203|issue=9|pages=366|doi=10.5694/mja15.00637|pmid=26510806|s2cid=25481774}}</ref>]]

==Photography==
In some nightclubs professional [[photography|photographers]] will take publicity photos of patrons, to use in advertising for the nightclub. [[Digital single-lens reflex camera|Digital SLR]] cameras and speedlight flash units are typically used.<ref>Papasergis, George. [http://www.digital-photography-bureau.com/nightclub-photography-tips.html "Nightclub Photography Tips"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115143502/http://www.digital-photography-bureau.com/nightclub-photography-tips.html |date=15 November 2017 }}, Digital Photography Bureau.</ref> [[Concert photography]] and [[event photography]] are used to provide clubgoers with a memorable keepsake in addition to promo material used by clubs. Some nightclubs (and in particular techno clubs) pursue a strict no photo policy in order to protect the clubbing experience, and smartphone camera lenses of visitors are occasionally taped up with stickers when one enters the venue.<ref>{{cite web |author=Izzy Hargreaves |url=http://mixmag.net/feature/the-hard-cell-should-phones-be-allowed-in-clubs/ |title=The hard cell: Should phones be allowed in clubs? |work=[[Mixmag]] |date=24 March 2016 |access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Anna Poeltl |url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/berghain-berlins-mysterious-techno-temple/ |title=Berghain: Berlin's mysterious techno temple |work=theculturetrip.com |date=8 November 2016 |access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref>

==Bouncer==
Most nightclubs employ teams of [[bouncer (doorman)|bouncers]], who have the power to restrict entry to the club and remove people. Some bouncers use handheld [[metal detector]]s to prevent weapons being brought into clubs.<ref name="Hobbs2003">{{cite book|author=Dick Hobbs|title=Bouncers: Violence and Governance in the Night-time Economy|url=https://archive.org/details/bouncersviolence00hobb|url-access=registration|year=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925224-4}}</ref>{{page needed|date=June 2016}} Bouncers often eject patrons for reasons such as possession of [[Recreational drug use|party drug]]s in the venue, physical altercations with other patrons, and behavior deemed to be inappropriate or troublesome.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bill Sanders |title=In the Club: Ecstasy Use and Supply in a London Nightclub |journal=Sociology |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=241–258 |date=1 April 2005 |doi=10.1177/0038038505050537 |s2cid=145212892 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.socresonline.org.uk/13/1/14.html |title=Jenni Ward: Researching Drug Sellers |website=Socresonline.org.uk |date= 21 March 2008|access-date=15 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416012307/http://www.socresonline.org.uk/13/1/14.html |archive-date=16 April 2008 }}</ref> Bouncers only allow a certain number of people into a club at a time by counting heads in order to prevent [[stampede]]s, and [[fire code]], or [[liquor licensing]] violations. They also enforce a club's [[dress code]] upon entry. Many clubs have balcony areas specifically for the security team to watch over the clubbers.

==Floor show==
Some nightclubs present a 'floor show', a series of acts by comedians, dancers, models, singers, and other entertainers, which can be similar to [[cabaret]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of FLOOR SHOW |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floor%20show |website=[[Merriam-Webster]] |access-date=2 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="cambridge-dictionary-floor-show">{{cite web |title=FLOOR SHOW {{!}} definition |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/floor-show |website=Cambridge English Dictionary |access-date=2 April 2022}}</ref>

==Serious incidents==
{{main|List of nightclub fires}}
* 20 September 1929: [[Study Club fire]], early dance club fire that killed 22 in [[Detroit]], Michigan, US
* 23 April 1940: [[Rhythm Club fire]], 209 killed at nightclub fire at [[Natchez, Mississippi|Natchez]], Mississippi, US
* 28 November 1942: [[Cocoanut Grove fire]], 492 killed in a nightclub fire at [[Boston]], Massachusetts, US
* 1 November 1970: [[Club Cinq-Sept fire]] in a nightclub just outside the small town of [[Saint-Laurent-du-Pont]], Isère in south-eastern [[France]]; 146 people killed
* 8 March 1973: [[Whiskey Au Go Go fire]], 15 killed after firebombing at [[Fortitude Valley, Queensland|Fortitude Valley]], [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]]
* 2 August 1973: [[Summerland disaster]], 51 killed at fire at Summerland leisure centre at [[Douglas, Isle of Man]]
* 28 May 1977: [[Beverly Hills Supper Club fire]], 165 killed and 200 injured in nightclub fire at [[Southgate, Kentucky|Southgate]], Kentucky, US
* 14 February 1981: [[Stardust fire]] disaster, 48 killed and 214 injured at nightclub fire at [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland]]
* 17 December 1983: [[Alcalá 20 nightclub fire]], 82 people were killed and 27 injured in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
* 25 March 1990: [[Happy Land fire]], 87 killed in a nightclub fire at Happy Land, [[The Bronx]], [[New York City]]
* 20 December 1993: [[Kheyvis fire]], 17 killed in a nightclub fire at [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]
* 27 November 1994: Yiyuan Disco fire, 233 killed in a nightclub fire at [[Fuxin]], [[China]]	
* 18 March 1996: [[Ozone Disco fire]], 162 dead and 95 injured at a nightclub in [[Quezon City]], [[Philippines]]
* 30 October 1998: [[Gothenburg discothèque fire]], 63 people killed, 214 injured in a nightclub fire at [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]]
* 1 June 2001: [[Dolphinarium discotheque massacre|Suicide bombing at the Dolphinarium discothèque]] in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]]
* 12 October 2002: [[2002 Bali bombings]], 202 killed by large bombs
* 7 December 2002: [[Cowgate#2002 fire and modern history|Cowgate fire]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]
* 17 February 2003: [[E2 nightclub stampede]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], 21 killed and over 50 injured
* 20 February 2003: [[The Station nightclub fire]], 100 killed at nightclub fire in [[West Warwick, Rhode Island|West Warwick]], Rhode Island
* 30 December 2004: [[República Cromañón nightclub fire]], 194 killed and 714 injured in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina
* 18 June 2007: [[Gatecrasher One#2007 fire|Gatecrasher One Fire]], [[Sheffield]], [[England]]
* 1 January 2009: [[Santika Club fire]] in [[Santika Club]] in [[Watthana]], [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]], 61 killed and at least 212 injured
* 5 December 2009: [[Lame Horse fire]], a fire at the Lame Horse nightclub killed at least 155 people and injures 79 others in Perm, Russia.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 January 2010 |url=http://www.interfax.ru/society/news.asp?id=117692&sw=155&bd=5&bm=12&by=2009&ed=5&em=1&ey=2010&secid=0&mp=0&p=1 |title=Количество жертв пожара в пермском клубе возросло до 155 человек |language=ru |trans-title=Number of victims of the fire in the Permian club has risen to 155 people |publisher=[[Interfax]] |access-date=17 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 December 2009 |url=http://www.vz.ru/news/2009/12/9/357082.html |title=СКП: В результате пожара в Перми пострадали и погибли 234 человека |language=ru |trans-title=UPC: 234 people were injured and killed in a fire in Perm |publisher=[[Vzglyad (newspaper)|Vzglyad]] |agency=[[Russian News Agency TASS]] |access-date=8 January 2014}}</ref>
* 27 January 2013: [[Kiss nightclub fire]], 242 died in stampede in Brazil
* 30 October 2015: [[Colectiv nightclub fire]], 55 killed and 180 injured in Romania
* 12 June 2016: 49 people [[Orlando nightclub shooting|killed in an attack]] (shooting spree) at the [[Pulse (nightclub)|Pulse nightclub]] in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], Florida
* 1 January 2017: At least 35 people [[Istanbul nightclub shooting|killed in an attack]] on the Reina nightclub in [[Istanbul]], Turkey
* 8 April 2025: 231 people [[Jet Set nightclub roof collapse|killed in a roof collapse]] at the Jet Set nightclub in [[Santo Domingo]], Dominican Republic

==See also==
* [[Dance hall]]
* [[Dance music]]
* [[Dance party]]
* [[Go-go dancing]]
* [[Nightclub act]]
* [[Rave]]
* [[Outline of entertainment]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Nightclubs}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Discos}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*{{Merriam-Webster|Nightclub}}

{{Drinking establishments}}
{{Disco music-footer}}
{{nightclub fires}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nightclubs| ]]
[[Category:Types of drinking establishment]]
[[Category:DJing]]
[[Category:Restaurants by type]]
[[Category:Concert halls]]
[[Category:Underground culture]]
[[Category:Organized crime activity]]