Nightclubs and Discotheques in Las Vegas
Published April 14, 2024 | 
The Beach 365 Convention Center Dr., 702/731-1925. Sin City becomes Surf City - after a fashion. Surfboards adorn the walls, beer is served out of ice-filled metal tubs and busty waitresses sport bikini tops. Popular with tourists and locals, The Beach parties on and on, constant as the sea itself. Sports bar open 24/7. Over 21.
Club Rio 3700 W. Flamingo Rd., 702/252-7727. This is a big-city disco in every sense of the word, positive and negative: Many, many bodies, booming top-40 dance hits and a sex-discriminatory
door and bar policy (meaning men pay more across the board, while women pay next to nothing). To call Club Rio a “meat market” is a considerable understatement. Over 21.
Drink & Eat Too! 200 E. Harmon Ave., 702/ 796-5519. Owned by Michael Morton (brother of Hard Rock Hotel owner Peter), Drink is dedicated to that pillar of Western Civilization: cocktails. Multiple bars serve everything from margaritas to raspberry-soaked Stolichnaya in containers ranging from buckets to baby bottles. The dance floor is usually packed with conventioneers and assorted tourists,kicking out the jams on Latin disco, techno, top 40, or the occasional band - everyone from the Royal Crown Revue to George Clinton’s P-Funk All Stars have taken the stage. You’ll be getting down with a bunch of Java programmers from the Inland Empire or real estate agents from Baltimore, but who cares when the getting’s this good? Expect long lines and casual scrutiny. Over 21.
Gipsy 4605 Paradise Rd., 702/731-1919. The original place to go for LV’s gay dance enthusiasts and other open minds, Gipsy is truly the most uninhibited and unpretentious dance club in town. Many have tried, but nobody has been able to kick a dent in the hot, sweaty crowds that fill this house. Dress as casual, swanky or slutty as you want_nobody cares. Not for the small-minded, so if you’re looking to shuffle your feet to “Blister in the Sun,” knock back shots of Jagermeister and fortify your ingrained homophobia, please go elsewhere. Music mixes of house, rave, Top 40, etc., rotate every hour or so. The crowd happens in a big way at midnight. Over 21.
Hard Rock Joint 4455 Paradise Rd., 702/226-4650. The Hard Rock Hotel’s concert venue offers an after-hours club, the “Orbit Lounge,” on Friday and Saturday. Opening times vary; call for details.
The Nightclub at the Las Vegas Hilton 3000 Paradise Rd., 702/732-5111. The Nightclub offers patrons a high-energy environment in which to dance the night away. Live music every night - from Latin smoothie Louie Louie - attracts dancin’ fools from all over town; if you don’t dance, check out the great drink specials, sit back and watch the night away. Over 21.
Ozone 770 W. Sunset Rd., 702/564-6303. One of the Valley’s only all-ages dance club, Ozone features popular DJ “Panic” (of Club Rio fame), who spins hip hop, industrial, techno and house music for the throngs of young people who frequent this place. Live acts also play the Ozone - which endears itself to parents as well as patrons, thanks to its emphasis on security. All ages.
Ra Luxor, 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702/262-4000. Ra capped a $400 million renovation of the Luxor with a futuristic Egyptian motif evocative of the sci-fi epic “Stargate.” Swing bands kick out the jams on Wednesdays, and 80′s bands like Dead or Alive and Information Society pop by frequently to cash that last paycheck. Ra seems to be aimed at the convention crowd, though the club’s proprietors have made more concessions to the locals than their neighbor and rival, Studio 54. No tennis shoes, tank tops or cutoff jeans. Wednesdays through Saturdays; over 21.
Rockabilly’s 3785 Boulder Hwy., 702/641-5800. A classic dancehall, y’all, complete with mechanical bull. Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places! Until recently, line dancing was the only constant here, but recently the club has branched out to book alternative rock acts like Southern Culture on the Skids and - no kidding! - rockabilly acts like our own Dragstrip 77. Wear your hoop skirt.
Studio 54 MGM Grand Hotel, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702/891-1111. Studio 54 takes its name and attitude from the classic New York City discotheque, recently immortalized in a feature film nobody saw. Comely go-go dancers gyrate, hired “club kids” mingle, diva Kristine W. trips the light fantastic, and middle-aged men struggle to achieve a simple hip-shake. Studio 54 is obviously aimed at a transient crowd: The restrictive door policy (bouncers hand-pick who will enter, just like their predecessors did) and exclusionary attitude may offend some. Then again, it may not. Over 21.
Utopia 3765 Las Vegas Blvd. South (The Epicenter), 702/593-5935. Club founder Aaron Britt passed away in a tragic auto accident some time ago but his dream carries on apace. Music: progressive house, tribal, techno, rave. Atmosphere: daring, industrial, psychedelic, lasered, foggy. Crowd: funky, well-heeled and glib. A number of internationally known DJs spin every weekend, and rave acts like The Crystal Method and Electric Skychurch take the stage on a regular basis. Be sure to hit the second-level patio, and shake your booty to the hip-jazz sounds while the Strip happens around you. Saturdays; over 21.