Nightclubs: either you're getting dragged to them or dragged out of them. Either way, they are an almost inevitable part of social life. In Brisbane, the majority of the nightclubs are either in the city or Fortitude Valley, and while the social divide between these two locations is not as great as it once was, they are still two quite distinct sub-cultures.
Compared to the Valley, nightclubs in the city have always tended towards a more conservative crowd; the focus is on suits and cocktails, particularly for after-work drinks on Friday nights. Down on the river is where most of the action is, with places like
Fridays (almost an institution in Brisbane's nightclub scene),
Jade Buddha (a far cry from when it was City Rowers) and
Siana (probably more a bar than nightclub, but the food and the views are amazing, so it can't be forgotten).
In the Valley, the focus is, and always has been, much more about the music – and you'll find all forms of it here. For live DJs and some of the best dance music in Brisbane, you have places like
Family (Brisbane's first 'super-club', consistently on the list of top nightclubs in Australia),
The Met (navigating yourself around this club is like a voyage of discovery – there is something different around every corner),
Monastery (don't be fooled by the name, there is nothing sacred about this place) and
X&Y.
There are a few places that buck the trend in the Valley, and in days gone by you would have found them in the city. One such place is
Kaliber, where you can dance to all those songs from the 80s and 90s you thought (and potentially hoped) you would never hear again. It's approximately 100 degrees inside this place, so a hot tip (literally), find a spot near one of the industrial fans.
Brisbane is full of excellent nightclubs and, thankfully, most are within stumbling distance of each other. So get your dancing shoes on and give these places a whirl…(pun intended).
