Your guide to nightclubs and bars in Cape Town

Our picks for clubbing: House, gqom, amapiano, 80’s & more

Last updated: Thursday, 4 December 2025

The Mother City’s diversity really shows off in the club scene. She’s got laid-back outdoor venues for sunshine and summer evenings, futuristic techno meccas, massive Afrohouse dancefloors, disco-inpired LGBTQ+ clubs, a Tiki-styled basement club, and so much more. No matter your taste, we’ve got you covered.

3D LIGHTS WITH LASERS & HOLOGRAPHS 

If you’re looking for something that feels a little futuristic, head to Halo - complete with two dancefloors with 3D lights, lasers, holographs and more. Catch some of the top local and international talent in techno and house here. If you’re old enough, you might remember this location for the club ERA.

Opening hours: Thursday - Saturday, 9pm - 4am

71 Loop Street | CBD | Cape Town | @halocpt | Image: Halo

OUTDOOR CLUB WITH ALT SOUNDS   

Texas is one of the only venues in Cape Town with a large outdoor section, making it perfect for summer and daytime events. It’s set at the heart of the city, and focuses on more indie and alternative sounds alongside funky house, disco, techno and electro. Legendary Private Life events and Vinyl Digs parties, which champion independent and indie artists, host events here. 

Opening hours: Fridays 4pm - 11pm, Saturdays 3pm - 12am. Occasionally open on Sundays for specific events, 2pm - 10pm, and on Thursdays for First Thursday events 5pm - 11pm

 

 

 

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 11 Albertus Road | District Six | @texas.cpt | Image: Texas

UNDERGROUND TROPICANA 

Tiki Tomb is a basement club and cocktail bar decked out in tiki and Polynesian decor, and serving up exotic rum cocktails. Get down to funky, tropical and Latin house, techno, and pop, or join karaoke on Wednesdays from 9pm. There’s R50 drinks during happy hour (8pm - 9pm, Wednesdays to Saturdays). Please note it’s over 25’s only.

Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 3pm - 2am, Sundays 11am - 6pm

101 Bree Street | Cape Town City Centre | @thetikitomb | Image: Tiki Tomb 

MOST POPULAR QUEER CLUB

One of Cape Town’s most popular LGBTQ+ clubs, Pink Candy, welcomes everyone to a colourful space boasting a well-sized dance floor, plenty of lights, performers and great DJ’s playing funky house, techno, commercial tunes and disco. 

Opening hours: Fridays and Saturdays 9pm - 4am

 

 

 

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 120 Strand Street | Cape Town City Centre | @pinkcandynightclub | Image: Pink Candy

THE FANCIEST PLACE TO BE  

This upmarket club has hosted stars like Idris Elba and Black Coffee and delivers an electric experience complete with gourmet food, cigars, premium drinks and shisha. Saint is the place to go for celebrity spotting. Expect amapiano, house and Afrobeats.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10pm - 2am 

37 Harrington Street | District Six | 067 410 8043 | @saintloungecpt | Image: Saint Champagne Bar & Lounge

PUNK HOLE-IN-THE-WALL

This unassuming but long-standing club has two dance floors, pool tables and a stage for live music. This one’s for anyone who likes to stand out from the crowd. You can expect hard house, K-Pop, emo nights and everything in between. Evol also hosts LGBTQ+ events regularly and bands perform too every once in a while.

Opening hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 9pm - 2am

69 Hope Street | Cape Town City Centre | 082 628 4509 | @evol_nightclub | Image: Leigh Groenemeyer

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE LIGHTS  

This large and popular club has impressive lights and sound, and is known for playing Afro tech, Afro house, powerful amapiano, 3Step, and gqom, as well as melodic techno and deep house, depending on the event. Club Paradise’s rooftop bar functions as a second dancefloor (and bar) for larger events and day parties.

Opening hours: Thursday - Sunday, 9pm - 3am

9 Albertus Street | District Six | 072 358 0626 | @clubparadise_sa | Image: Club Paradise

LOADS OF GROOVE STYLES 

The Waiting Room on Long Street has been around for over a decade, known for its different genres and diverse crowds. The Saturday party Groovy Sensations is the most popular regular event, playing throwback tunes and styles from the 2000s including hip hop, RnB and more. The rooftop hosts techno and psytrance DJs over Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 7pm - 2am

273 Long Street | Cape Town City Centre | 074 744 7636| @thewaitingroom_ct | Image: Waiting Room

IN IT FOR THE DRAMA 

At this stylish spot on Long Street, dressing up (or dressing a little crazy) is encouraged. It's decorated with pink neon lights and funky Grecian-style statues covered in graffiti, and popular with students and young people. Catch drama in the rhythms of amapiano and Afrobeats. 

Opening hours: Thursday - Sunday, 6pm - 2am

259 Long Street | Cape Town City Centre | 072 323 6620 | @dramabar_cpt | Image: DramaBar

BUNNY CHOW BEGINNINGS 

Surfa Rosa is a surf and rock themed bar with a small dancefloor playing punk rock, rock n’ roll, and house bangers, set conveniently below District and Harringtons. It’s big on personality - the walls are covered in graffiti art and punk-rock posters - and has a small outside section. Feast on pizza or bunny chow here as a first stop. 

Opening hours: Event dependent. Tuesday 12pm - 12am, Wednesday 12pm - 1am, Thursday 12pm - 4am, Friday 12pm - 4am, Saturday 12pm - 12am

61a Harrington Street  | Cape Town City Centre | 021 461 2276  | @surfarosact | Image: Surfa Rosa

DINNER & DANCE

Harringtons is a triple threat, with top-notch jazz and funk bands playing live regularly, great food and drinks specials (check out Wine Wednesdays), and reliably good DJs playing funky house, disco, and more. There’s an adjoining rum bar and the opportunity to hop from here to District next door (bigger and open later). 

Opening hours: Event dependent. Wednesdays 5pm - 10pm or 11pm, Thursdays 4pm - 1am or 2am, Fridays and Saturdays 4pm - 4am

61b Harrington Street | District Six | Cape Town | @harringtonsct | Image: Laura McCullagh

BANDS AND BOOGIE SESSIONS

District is one of the city’s top live music spaces, with a stage regularly hosting popular rock, pop and indie bands and artists. Most events feature a band followed by a house or techno DJ. Local rock legends Springbok Nude Girls, Shortstraw and Desmond and the Tutus have all played here, as well as up and coming indie rock artists.

Opening hours: Event dependent. Wednesdays 5pm - 10pm or 11pm, Thursdays 1am or 2am, Fridays and Saturdays 4pm - 4am

61c Harrington Street | Cape Town City Centre | 078 916 7903 or 021 461 2276 | @district_ct | Image: Lauren McCullagh

DRESS FOR THE ADDRESS  

The Address in Athlone hosts themed dress up parties like masquerades or sports, but it’s always a good idea to dress up a little here. Depending on the DJ, you can expect hip hop, Afro house, and commercial. 

Opening hours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 9pm - 2am

35 Aden Avenue | Athlone | 073 758 8688 | @theaddressct | Image: The Address

BOLDER, BIGGER AFROBEATS 

Rands is a 1500-capacity venue in Khayelitsha, hosting highly-popular dance events graced with well-known South African and international house, Afro house, panstula, gqom and RnB DJs. Book a VIP table for extra special treatment with perks (skip the queue, chauffeur, and more). Rands boasts extensive bars but also serves up superb African dishes. 

Opening hours: Dependent on the event calendar. Check Instagram

 

 

 

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 6 Makhabeni Road | Khayelitsha | 083 874 6082 | @randscapetown | Image: Rands

STUDENT SPECIALS 

Nu’Bar in Stellenbosch offers great drinks deals, exam specials, students nights and ‘ladies-drink-for-free’ hours. Dance to pop classics and throwbacks, and even some Afrikaans hits too. 

Opening hours: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm - 2am

51 Plein Street | Stellenbosch | 021 886 8998 | @nubar_stellies | Image: Nu’Bar

HOUSE, DISCO & INDIE IN STELLIES

This “social bar” gets dancey around 9:30pm, when a dancefloor space is cleared and DJ’s take over until 2am, playing house, disco, tech-house, and indie-dance. Between 4pm and 9pm, there’s a range of food and drinks specials. 

Opening hours: Monday - Saturday 4pm - 2am, Sunday 10am - 12am

 

 

 

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90 Dorp Street | Stellenbosch | @foolsgoldsocial | Image: Fools Gold 

ALL IN FOR THE 80’S

This popular club in Montague Gardens plays 80’s music exclusively, except for when they play Afrikaans tunes (every second Wednesday). Decked in 80’s decor, this is a great spot for a trip down memory lane, and with 160 VIP members. It also has loads of parking and even a food truck. 

Opening hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 7pm - 2am

 

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