From warehouse raves to rooftop bars and jazz nights to hip hop, here's where to boogy all night in the City of Light
© Romain Guede
Written by Rémi Morvan, Smael Bouaici & Antoine Besse
Advertising
Paris’s clubbing scene hasn’t always had the best reputation, and ten years ago, early curfews and strict sound controls near killed it off completely. But thankfully, its hardcore party-goers refused to give up, and in 2024,Paris’s nightlifescene is looking better than ever.
Now, some of the French capital’sclubs rival the likes of Berlin and Budapest, from repurposed floating péniches to giant disused warehouses extra-muros. Parties carry on into the early hours, and you’ll get great co*cktails, good music and majestic views that you’ll be shouting about for years to come. Here are our picks of the best clubs in Paris.
RECOMMENDED:
🥘 The best restaurants in Paris🎨 The best things to do in Paris⛵ The best day trips from Paris🏡 The best Airbnbs in Paris
This guide is by the editorial team at Time Out Paris. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
🙌
Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
Best nightclubs in Paris
- Clubs
- House, disco and techno
- 18e arrondissem*nt
Fan of music’s harsher incarnations? La Station’s got you. Tucked inside a former coal station just beyond the Périph’, this leftfield clubbing spot boasts several stages inside and out, and doubles as an exhibition space by day. The programme, by Collectif MU, takes in everything fromstraight-uptechno to hardcore punk.
- Clubs
- Abbesses
price 2 of 4
As La Locomotive, this venue played host to the likes of the Beatles, David Bowie and the Who. Bought by the Moulin Rouge in 2010, it’s since been transformed into a three-floor mega-club known for its eclectic live music bookings and all-night parties – from the self-explanatory We Are The ’90s throwback to raves curated by local collective La Mamie’s. La Machine du Moulin Rouge may be massive, but get down early, as the rooms fill up fast.
Advertising
3.Virage
A must-see for the last two festive summers, Virage, the sub-peripheral wasteland in the 17th district, is back for a third round in full swing. The line-up stands out for its stylistic flexibility – trance, techno, amapiano, house, eurodanceand more – as well as its impressive density, featuring some solid headliners but mainly focusing on unmissable names, collectives, parties, and festivals of the moment, many of which are local. A new feature this year is the DJ booth being set up in the pit for more intimacy with the dancers, allowing people to groove behind the decks, guaranteeing a Boiler Room-like atmosphere.
4.Pamela
Since 2021, Pamela has revitalised the nightlife in the Latin Quarter. Taken over by Adam Spielman from the Madman Regent collective, this club has spared no effort in its revamp, featuring a vaulted cellar decor with a series of well-designed alcoves, an oversized smoking room, and a highly recommended co*cktail menu. On the music front, Joe Lewandowski handles the programming, with house and hip-hop DJs familiar with Fashion Weeks making the vaults groove. This is also where the popular night La P3 was born, created by women for women (over 21), predominantly queer and women of colour. One last fact to impress: Pamela was the name of Jim Morrison’s girlfriend, who passed away in the club’s toilets.
Advertising
5.Silencio
A club designed by David Lynch: what better way to attract the trendy crowd? Silencio gets its name from the favourite spot in Mulholland Drive where characters go to indulge. One of the most exclusive, selective and sought-after clubs in the capital, it opens (a little) at midnight, welcoming a sharply dressed crowd eager to spot VIPs and take in the decor of this vaulted den. It features a cinema, an art gallery, a co*cktail bar (quite decent for a club), and a stage shared by performing arts, contemporary artists, and musicians from various genres.
- Music
- Music venues
- 13e arrondissem*nt
price 2 of 4
Nothing beats partying until the sun comes up – especially when the views are this good. Anchored on the Seine in the south-east of Paris, this scenic spot is a restaurant, rooftop bar and 450-capacity music venue in one. Concertstake in live rock and metal, experimental electronic music and reggae, while the club nights are among the capital’s most eclectic. Try to catch one of the city’s many groundbreaking DJ collectives.
Advertising
7.Fawa Wafa
Carved out after extensive renovations in the former Péripate, under the ring road, Fawa Wafa unfolds over a dual space with a six-metre-high honeycombed concrete ceiling, creating a raw bunker vibe: unfinished paintings, shabby benches, and a minimalist booth – just a table for the turntables – with a few red neon lights and Vendôme barriers used as tape. The dance floor, encircled by an all-encompassing 360-degree sound system, welcomes a fashionable and queer crowd, grooving to an adventurous electronic soundtrack. We’ve danced to the Hi-NRG of French DJ Minor Black, as well as the Afro-descendant sounds of Andy4000, who celebrated her birthday with Ohjeelo and Greg. After a rocky start and some unexpected closures, the venue seems to have found its stride by spring 2024, offering a mix of dining, performances, exhibitions, and DJ sets on Fridays.
- Clubs
- Sentier
price 2 of 4
For more than 40 years, this club beneath the historic Grand Rex cinema has drawn the cream of electronic music from around the world. An early stomping ground for French pioneers like Laurent Garnier and Daft Punk, the Rex Club still puts on some of the city’s best nights. Want to truly immerse yourself in the sound? A quality 70-speaker set-up makes that an inevitability.
Advertising
- Music
- Saint-Georges
price 2 of 4
It’s in this rococo hidey-hole that Georges Bizet composed his famous opera. Velvet drapery, a huge golden cage and outsizemirrors hint at the building’s past as a Pigalle maison close.Today, though,Le Carmen fills up with slebs, influencers and other beautiful-looking types as resident DJ Adnane spins hip-hop classics from midnight.
10.Cabaret Sauvage
A meeting place for lovers of Maghreb and Mediterranean music, Cabaret Sauvage’sparquet floor and bevelled mirrors have hosted the best of Jamaican and Latin music, and of course, legendary techno and drum’n’bass parties. Since emerging from the Covid pandemic, the (newly refurbished) tent has specialised in events linked to Latin music, notably the monthly La Rumba nights, which explore the entire history of South American dances, and El Perreo, dedicated to reggaeton, led by the pioneering Parisian DJ El Dany. Not to forget the venue’s own electro night, Sauvage, which is always brimming with magical moments.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
🙌
Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
🙌
Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
Recommended
You may also like
You may also like
Advertising
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
