Nightlife in Vienna - the best bars and clubs in the city

Anyone standing in front of the Vienna State Opera can hardly imagine that the inconspicuous staircase next to it leads to one of the coolest clubs in Vienna. In the Albertina Passage, a former underground pedestrian passage, the O Klub extends over more than 800m². On Fridays and Saturdays, you can party here from 23:00 until the early hours of the morning. On Fridays, the focus is on electronic music, especially house and techno, and international artists. Acts such as Klangkarusell, Fritz Kalkbrenner, Sven Väth and Miss Monique have already played at the O-Klub. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, party hits from the 90s and current songs from the charts will be played. There will be a total of three floors with different music.

There are strict age restrictions at the O - Klub, so you can only enter the club from the age of 19 on Fridays and 21 on Saturdays. Admission costs between €10 and €25 depending on the event and act. It is worth booking a ticket in advance, especially for international artists. Admission is then usually cheaper. As in almost all clubs in Vienna's city centre, the dress code is casual chic.

The Vienna City Card entitles you to a discount on admission at the box office.

Close to the Meidlinger Hauptstraße underground station, far from the city centre, is one of Vienna's most legendary clubs, the U4. It opened back in 1980 and has been a meeting place for the underground scene ever since. Falco was a regular in the 80s and artists such as Kurt Cobain, Grace Jones and Prince also visited this club after their guest appearances in Vienna. Today, the U4 has a wide range of events and appeals to more than just the underground scene. Student clubbings are held regularly on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, 90s & 2000s music finds its way into U4 and on Thursdays, hip-hop and Afrobeats can be heard. On Fridays, all friends of harder music genres get their money's worth at ‘Addicted to Rock’. On Saturdays, ‘Behave!’ plays RnB, house and charts. You can party here from the age of 18 and you don't have to worry about a dress code.

If you like to party but find it too late to start at 23:00, you can visit the ‘Early Eve’ and ‘Shorty Forty’ events. These are aimed at women or people over 40 and start at 18:00. Of course, you can continue the party afterwards at the subsequent clubbing events.

With the Vienna City Card, you get a discount on admission at the box office on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The Eden Bar has been in existence for over 100 years and has welcomed a large number of illustrious guests, who can be admired in photos in the shop windows. The interior design is reminiscent of the elegance of days long gone and brings it back to life. With champagne and live music, guests can enjoy an evening like in times gone by. In addition to high-quality champagne, there are delicious cocktails, fine spirits and small snacks. The bar's prices are upmarket and an elegant style is a must if you want to spend the evening here. However, thanks to a jacket hire service, keeping to the dress code is not that difficult. The bar is open Thursday to Saturday from 20:00 and on Wednesday there is an after-work event from 18:00 with a limited drinks menu.

Friday and Saturday you should make a reservation in advance. This reservation is subject to a minimum consumption per person and/or a time limit.

With the Vienna City Card you receive a discount on the consumption of drinks and food.

Not far from each other in the 9th district near Spittelau are two of the hippest techno clubs in the city, Grelle Forelle directly on the Danube Canal and Das Werk in the underground railway arches next door.

Grelle Forelle offers the best underground DJs from the techno and house genres every Friday and Saturday. On two floors and a total of approx. 1000m², the night is turned into day and the party goes on until the early hours of the morning. During the week there are sometimes concerts from the hip-hop and indie scene.

The Werk is not just a club, but an art and culture initiative with rooms for events, studios, workshops and galleries. Parties with techno, DnB and trance music by national and international DJs and collectives take place here on Fridays and Saturdays. There are also two floors here.

Both clubs see themselves as a safe space for everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or religion. This also includes a strict photo and camera ban as well as awareness teams. All events are generally 21+, except for the concerts at Grelle Forelle.

If you prefer a cosy, rustic party and prefer bars with live music, DJs and a dance floor, you should take a stroll along the Stadtbahnbögen on the Gürtel. There are some cosy bars with fair prices, especially between the Josefstädterstraße and Thaliastraße underground stations.

A classic in the Stadtbahnbögen is the ‘Chelsea’, for example. Concerts by international and national acts of all genres take place here several times a week and DJs play indie, rock, alternative or 80s hits at the weekend. Football matches are also shown here. But the Chelsea is also the perfect place to simply sit, drink and chat in a cosy atmosphere.

Live music of various genres by lesser-known but no less talented acts can also be found at Kramladen, Rhiz, Loop and Cafe Carina. The programme at these bars is varied and diverse. Whether it's an international rock band, local jazz artists, young pop singers, jam sessions or open mic nights, there's always something going on in these four venues. And even if the music is less interesting, you can still enjoy a cosy beer or a spritzer.

The Why Not is Vienna's oldest gay club and has been around since 1980, but it's not outdated - quite the opposite. The LGBTQ+ community meets on three floors on Friday and Saturday evenings to dance, party and have fun. Different music is played depending on the event and theme of the party, so there are 90s, Latin, chart parties and much more. At drag and theme parties, you can also admire a wide variety of creative costumes. The club does not see itself as a purely gay club, but also welcomes women. Entry is usually free before 11pm, so it's worth getting there early.

Flucc describes itself as an intercultural, participative, intergenerational cultural centre. The centre focuses on music, contemporary art and club culture. In addition to concerts and DJ sets by young national and international collectives, there are also art performances on various themes and community events such as karaoke. The Flucc consists of two event areas with different events, the smaller ‘Deck’ above ground and the ‘Wanne’ in the former pedestrian passage. Entry to the ‘Wanne’ usually costs around €15, entry to the ‘Deck’ costs less. The club is very easy to reach by public transport as it is located directly on Praterstern.

Porgy & Bess is not a nightclub, but a jazz and music club, and one of the best in Europe. National and international musicians perform on the club's stage every evening, delighting a diverse audience. Jazz, singer-songwriters, soul, world music, electronic music - there are no limits to the genres represented at Porgy & Bess. It's not just what's on stage that's impressive, but also the interior. The club looks like a small theatre and is decorated entirely in red. The acoustics, which are a must for a jazz club, are also very good.