While a night down at the local Roxy may do for some, others take their clubbing seriously, and there are hot holiday spots across the world that do so to. If the nightlife counts as much as the sunshine, here are the places to head to.
Clubbing holidays in Ibiza
Where: The Balearic Islands, Spain.
The crowd: Traditionalists.
Ibiza is to clubbing holidays what Glastonbury is to festivals. It’s the dance music generation’s spiritual home, and anyone who’s anyone has played on the island at some stage in their career. The summer, therefore, is one big party, with the end-of-season events being the stuff of legend.
Top venues: It’s not so much about the clubs, but the nights in Ibiza, with the big promoters shifting their events through the island’s many venues over the course of the week. Privilege is the world’s biggest club, and hosts the big Manumission blowout on Fridays, however. Meanwhile Space and Pacha are institutions, still attracting most of the big names.
Clubbing holidays in Miami
Where: Florida, USA
The crowd: Industry moguls and dancers
If the US has an equivalent of Ibiza, then Miami is it. Hot nights get even sweatier when the music’s pumped out loud, but the big Latino influence means that there’s more to the music than the doof doofs.This means it’s a little more about the dancing than throwing shapes. Miami also plays host to the Winter Music Conference in March, where industry bigwigs get together abnd talk shop over the Cristal.
Top venues: For beats, top VIPs and serious attitude on the door, Mansion and The Opium Garden are big. For a more relaxed, Latino vibe, Bongo’s Cuban Cafe morphs into a writhing dancefloor come the witching hour.
Clubbing holidays in Agia Napa
Where: South-eastern Cyprus.
The crowd: Brits who think they’re from Compton or the Bronx.
Formerly a family holiday resort, Agia Napa has become a clubbing destination over the last 15 years. the music policy veers strictly towards R&B, hip-hop and urban, providing a contrast to the thumping techno and house of Ibiza. In recent years, the music has taken a more British-skewed twist (particularly in terms of UK garage), and now grime is hot.
Top venues: Club Abyss and the Insomnia are amongst the hippest places to grind away.
Clubbing holidays in Los Angeles
Where: California, USA.
The crowd: Celebs and beautiful people.
To rub shoulders with the stars, LA is the top spot. Most of the truly hip venues operate on a vicious Face Code policy, and if you’re not hot, blonde or famous enough, expect to spend a lot of time in the queue.
Top venues: The new ‘in’ place changes on an almost weekly basis, however much of the action is centred on the three mile Sunset Strip. The Hyde Lounge and Les Doux are major star hang outs (for the moment). For the old school, there’s always the Viper Rooms, notorious as River Phoenix’s final haunt.
Clubbing holidays in Zurich
Where: North-east Switzerland.
The crowd: Ravers.
To most people it’s a boring banking capital, but Zurich also knows how to let its hair down and throw around the glowsticks. The Zurich Street Parade (held every August) was modelled on Berlin’s notorious Love Parade, and has mushroomed into the biggest open air event in Europe. Yep, even bigger than the Notting Hill Carnival, and with way more whoop whoops.
Top venues: It’s not just about the parade, though. A former industrial area, Zurich West has been transformed into the hip, edgy nightlife hub. The multi-floor Club Q or the Lotus Club are good bets, while Langstrasse is the main street for a down and dirty vibe.
This article was originally written for AOL UK.
Copyright David Whitley
