Get in the Groove at These 5 Places to Boogie in Austin
From swanky nightclubs to disco dens, here's where to hit the dance floor with friends
Whether you choose to sashay on a 70s-style dance floor, prefer a cozy corner to appreciate international DJs, or get rowdy at a rooftop rave, Austin has a little something for everyone in the mood to boogie. Here’s where to venture out and dance the night away.
Howards Bar & Club
While many clubs don’t really get started ’til midnight, Howards opens and closes a little earlier than most, allowing you to enjoy local and international DJ surprises before your carriage turns into a pumpkin. A tiny space envisioned as a neighborhood bar and nightclub, Howards squeaky clean corner space shines across the street from Clark’s Oyster Bar. Expect comfortably intimate digs pivoting to standing room only on the entry or exit of a few dozen people. Nicely illustrating the way Austin itself feels like a mix of old and new, notice how the snacks list includes a contrast of comfort food and the nosh of imperial conquerors: hot dogs and caviar.
Superstition
Powerhouse booking group C3 brings big names in modern dance music to this glam nightclub. Mirrored walls and a gleaming bar inspired by the 1970s and Studio 54 set the tone of luxury and excess in this disco ball of an event space. Explore the cozy upstairs VIP room of Superstition for sporadic smaller events announced via social media, and the small Gold Room, with it’s outdoor patio starting at 8 p.m., Thursday to Saturday, before heading onto the main dance floor.
RELATED: South Congress Nightclub Superstition Brings Top DJ Performances and Disco Vibes
Mala Fama
Doors opened to a “First Look” in late July with giant neon trees on the rooftop and a double archway of fabric blooms on the ground floor, but if other spaces in the Gabriela’s Group portfolio are any indication – think Mala Vida, Rosa Mami, Gabriela’s, Taquero Mucho, and Revival Coffee by Gabriela’s – Mala Fama should transform into an immersive pink playground in the future. Expect Latin pop and reggaeton inside from DJs on two floors and Mexican regional banda Sinaloense on the rooftop space. La Factoria, a smaller first floor room, is still in the works.
RELATED: Gabriela Bucio Honors Hispanic Heritage with Ever-Growing Business Empire
Outer Heaven Disco Club
Who could resist the mirror ball doorway on E. 12th Street? What lies beyond the walls is a sweatbox of enthusiastic dancers and creative DIY-style design. Visit Outer Heaven’s Instagram page for updates on DJs and bands, heartfelt screeds, and earnest imploration from the owner to visit this den of flashing lights and sing-along mayhem for your casual weekend cardio marathon. Expect to dance alongside the extra casual and the casually fabulous alike.
The Concourse Project
It’s not your imagination. The Concourse Project is smaller sometimes. The massive warehouse-style nightclub from local rave makers Kelly Gray and Andrew Parsons is fine-tuned for crowd size, shrinking and surging as needed. Sound and lighting are second to none when it comes to world-class nightclubs. This club is already a power hitter of large names and smaller upcoming acts touring through. Free shows are peppered throughout the events calendar, and with a home-grown husband and wife team growing their following for more than a decade, it’s no wonder that The Concourse Project has a dedicated army of followers lining up to get in on any given weekend. Expect an unapologetic rave scene here.