San Diego is known for its elaborate nightlife scene which continues to impress with new and exciting venues. These spectacular clubs create exciting ways to socialize, meet new people, enjoy the top musical performances, and experience the ultimate customer service and VIP treatment. Know that the best nightclubs are located in the Gaslamp Quarter and are within walking distance of most of the hotels and restaurants. Be prepared to enter clubs that have sexy atmospheres, live music artist performances, top headlining DJs, crazy lighting and LED displays, and celebrity appearances that may surprise you, and high reviews. We wanted to outline what defines San Diego clubs as some of the best on the planet so whether you are looking for a lounge, or the wildest dance club, San Diego has you covered.
WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC?
The nice things about San Diego is that the clubs offer a wide variety of music types with open-format being the most popular. That means that guests will be treated to events that include EDM, Hip Hop, Top 40, and pop. Individual events may have more of a focus compared to others. For example one venue might have a hip hop performer which will have more music in that category while another club may have an EDM event which would lean more toward that genre. Feel free to check out our event calendar for all upcoming parties.
HOW TO GET IN?
It should come as no surprise that the San Diego clubs are popular, and because of this you have a few options of ways to get in. Option 1 involves the guest list. This is a free service in which you select your date and sign up to be on the list. You arrive at the venue and check in at the guest list area and are treated to free or discounted entry depending on the venue, event, and arrival time. See Oxford Social Club’s guest list here. Presale tickets are often an option for larger events and may be required for special holidays. The top way to get into San Diego nightclubs is with bottle service packages. This VIP option gets you and your entire group in the fastest, you enjoy your own reserved table, and table service for your own drinks. The last option would be to arrive to the venue and wait in line and pay with for a cover charge. You can expect cover charges to range and flux between $20 – $50 depending on the event.
HOW MUCH ARE DRINKS IN SAN DIEGO CLUBS?
Drink prices are priced around $8 for beers and well drinks, and closer to $12 to $15 for top shelf and energy drink options.
WHAT IS THE NIGHTCLUB DRESS CODE?
For nightclubs in San Diego you will want to dress to impress. The clubs do enforce dress codes and we have a guide that covers the rules and expectations in more details in our Dress Code Section.
WHAT ARE SAN DIEGO CLUB PROMOTERS & HOSTS
Many of the nightlife venues in the Gaslmap Quarter will have promoters and hosts to help with a booking and reservation services. Think of a promoter as someone to help get you into the club, and hosts to assist with bottle service reservations. Do you need a host or a promoter? No. Are they helpful, yes they are. Feel free to contact us with questions regarding either on our contact page.
WHAT ARE THE BEST CLUBS?
Finding the best club can depend on the night of the week, which event is happening, and/or what is scheduled. As an example Oxford Social Club is open on Thursdays as well as the weekend making it a top choice. Many times people judge the clubs based on the design, the music, the talent, and/or which socialites will be in attendance. The good things is with so many top venues to choose from you really can’t go wrong.