Guide to DC Nightlife: 18 and Up Venues

Are you under 21? Don’t worry, there is no need to be stuck at a house party… or in your parent’s basement. Washington DC has a wide selection of nightclubs, lounges, and live music venues for those who aren’t of the legal drinking age. Check out the list for 18+ clubs, lounges and live venues in DC!

Check out our DC Nightlife Neighborhood Guide for a breakdown of venues by location!

18+ Clubs in DC:

Ultrabar

Address: 911 F St NW Washington, DC 20004. 202-638-4663
Open for 18+: Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Atmosphere: 6 bars, 4 floors and a mezzanine level appealing to the 18-30 crowd. Ultrabar was made for those who really like to dance and party. It definitely gets wild. Ultrabar sets the standard for nightclubs in DC.

U Street Music Hall

Address: 1115A U St NW Washington, DC 20009. 202-588-1880.
Nightlife 18 and over: Weeknight, Weekends with pre-purchased tickets
Atmosphere: A dance/live music club that features a state-of-the-art sound system, minimal lighting and a ‘be yourself’ attitude. Bookings span the musical gamut from Skream & Benga to Donovan Frankenreiter.

Fur Nightclub

Address: 33 Patterson St NE Washington, DC 20002. 202-842-3401
Open for 18+: Friday, Saturday
Atmosphere: 3 rooms, an outdoor patio and multiple music formats make Fur one of the biggest clubs in DC. Recent bookings include TI, Adventure Club and Dillon Francis. In the early evenings they host rock shows and the occasional MMA fight.

Ibiza

Address: 1222 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002. 888-IBIZADC
Open for 18+: Thursday, Saturday
Atmosphere:  30,000 square foot venue offers 4 distinctly different luxurious areas- the main room, the lounge, the rooftop, the loft.

Love

Address:  1350 Okie Street NE, Washington DC 20002. 202-636-9030
Open for 18+: Saturday
Atmosphere:A lofty space with elevated VIP day beds. Hip-hop DJs reign over 35-foot ceilings. Make it to the top of this party palace and indulge in the infamous “Penthouse” appointed with a luxurious Italian marble bathroom featuring a five-person shower.

Muse

Address:  717 16^th St. NW Washington, DC 20001. 202-842-9800
Open for 18+: Thursdays 18+ ladies
Atmosphere:  Former RnR/Coyote Ugly building was transformed into an upscale club/lounge. Muse boasts 3 floors and 3 DJ booths, with music ranging from Top 40 and Hip-Hop to Latin and House.

Town Danceboutique

Address:  2009 8^th St. NW Washington, DC 20009
Open for 18+: Friday
Atmosphere: A predominately gay dance club just outside the U Street Corridor. It is a combination of a cabaret performance space, a plush lounge, and high-energy dance club.  There are two floors, multiple rooms, an outside smoking area, video installation, and LED lighting.

18+ Lounges in DC:

Barcode

Address: Corner of 17th and L NW.
Open for 18+: Thursday
Atmosphere: A casual-classy restaurant, Washington Post-certified ‘best happy hour,’ non-sports bar with so many TV’s that everyone can watch the game they want vemue. Barcode has it all and does even more. The kitchen is open late, the patio is massive and has hookah, what more could you ask for? DJs and a dance floor? Got that too!

Josephine

Address: Corner of Vermont and K NW. 202.347.8601
Open for 18+: Thursday
Atmosphere: One of the best bottle service spots in DC, Thursdays see Club Glow remove tables from “The Pit” and turn this DC lounge into an all out dance party with the best EDM stars from around the world. Bottle service is however, still available in the surrounding tables. Bookings have included Tiesto, Tommy Trash, Cedric Gervais and more.

Current

Address:  215 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. 202-955-5525
Open for 18+:  Tuesday, Thursday
Atmosphere: Conceived of as “an ultra-futuristic luxury yacht,” Current combines dining with a sleek lounge atmosphere. A staple for locals during happy hour and popular spot for after dark dancing and lounging. The music selection generally features house, mash-ups and top 40. The patio rose bar is a dc lounge favorite.

Lima

Address:  1401 K St. NW Washington DC 20005. 202-789-2800
Open for 18+:  Tuesday, Thursday
Atmosphere: An intimate lounge with a downstairs dance floor and VIP area, ground-level lounge and patio and 2nd level restaurant known as Fujimar. Lima’s vibe is generally underground house/techno for a trendy crowd.

Midtown

Address:  1219 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036. 202-466-7529
Nightlife 18 and over:  Thursday
Atmosphere: A 4-floor lounge/club with a sexy crowd. Rooms include the loft, penthouse and more. Every week college students and 20-somethings pack the Midtown Partyplex, as it’s affectionately known.

Sweet Spot

Address: 1140 19th St NW Washington, DC 20036. 202-775-0668
Nightlife 18 and over:  Friday, Saturday (rotating-check website calendar)
Atmosphere:  A small house music lounge with a top-notch sound system, opened by DJ Palash Ahmed (of the globetrotting DC duo Saeed and Palash).

Tattoo

Address:  1413 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. 202-408-9444
Nightlife 18 and over:  Thursday 18+ ladies
Atmosphere: Part bar, part lounge, Tattoo offers DC lounge appeal without a stuffy, pretentious atmosphere. The music typically beckons your inner rock star, but Tattoo Bar’s flexibility of music genres makes it a true pioneer of the “Party Rock” life (the real party rock, not LMFAO).

Live Music:

Echostage

Address: 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE. 202.503.2330
Nightlife 18 and over: Per event
Atmosphere: Washington DC’s newest and largest dedicated concert venue was built to house large-scale concert productions. Recent bookings include Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Avicii, Big Sean and Beenie Man.

For upcoming events visit www.echostage.com

930 Club

Address: 815 V Street NW Washington, DC 20001.  202-265-0930
Nightlife 18 and over:  All ages (excluding certain shows)
Atmosphere: A nightclub and concert venue has a capacity of 1200 people and is a standing-only venue. It won the Top Club award at the 2007and 2009 Billboard Touring Awards and has been host to shows from Smashing Pumpkins, Tears for Fears, Crystal Castles and Paul Van Dyk. Current concert line-up can be found on their website.

Black Cat

Address: 1811 14th St NW Washington, DC 20009. 202-667-4490
Nightlife 18 and over:  M-S (Every Night)
Atmosphere: Known mainly for indie music but also does metal, punk and electronic plus DJ/dance nights. “Mainstage” on the second floor w/ capacity of ~700. Lesser known acts play the “Backstage” on the first floor that holds ~200 people. The first floor of the club also contains a no-cover bar/lounge called the “Red Room” and the “Food For Thought” cafe.

DC 9

Address: 1940 9th Street NW Washington, DC 20001. 202-483-5000
Nightlife 18 and over:  18 and up depending on the event
Atmosphere: Located in the hopping U Street Corridor, the two-level bar and nightclub features an eclectic mix of live music by local and national acts.

The Velvet Lounge

Address:  915 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. 202-462-3213
Nightlife 18 and over:  Select Shows 18+
Atmosphere:  The Velvet Lounge showcases many different musical genres. There is often a band, DJ or sometimes both.  The crowd is a mix of neighbors and out-of-towners of varying ages that come in to see their favorite shows.