Nightclubs

Allston, Massachusetts

Great Scott is Allston's most beloved music venue — a 275-capacity bar that presents indie, punk, and alternative acts for the Boston music community in the most authentic neighborhood rock bar setting in New England. Great Scott's closure during COVID and subsequent reopening demonstrated how central it is to the Boston music community's identity, with musicians and fans mobilizing to preserve a venue that serves as a genuine community gathering place for music-loving Bostonians.

1222 Commonwealth Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Boston, Massachusetts

Bijou is Boston's leading nightclub for electronic music — a historic theater space converted into a venue with superb acoustics and a booking program spanning house, techno, and EDM headliners. Located in the Theater District near the South End, it draws Boston's nightlife crowd alongside visitors staying near Encore Boston Harbor.

51 Stuart St 02116

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston's Brighton neighborhood is one of the most densely Irish-American communities in the United States — a neighborhood where Irish pub culture, Boston College student life, and the city's sports culture combine to create one of the most passionate and community-oriented bar neighborhoods in New England. Brighton's concentration of Irish immigrants and Irish-American families creates a pub culture with genuine emotional connection to the traditions of the old country.

Brighton, Boston, MA 02135

Boston, Massachusetts

Club Cafe is Boston's most beloved LGBTQ+ entertainment venue — a Bay Village lounge and performance space that has been the heart of Boston's gay community for over 35 years with cabaret shows, DJ entertainment, and the most inclusive atmosphere in New England. Boston's significant LGBTQ+ community and Massachusetts' extraordinary history as the first state to legalize same-sex marriage (2004) create a deeply committed and culturally sophisticated LGBTQ+ entertainment market that Club Cafe has served with distinction.

209 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116

Boston, Massachusetts

Royale in Boston's Theater District presents touring concerts and DJ nights in a converted 1920s movie palace turned nightclub.

279 Tremont St 02116

Boston, Massachusetts

Lansdowne Street adjacent to Fenway Park is New England's most active nightlife corridor — a concentrated strip of bars and nightclubs serving the enormous crowds before and after Red Sox games and creating one of the most reliably exciting nightlife environments in Boston. Fenway Park's extraordinary cultural importance to Boston (as much a symbol of the city's identity as the Freedom Trail or Harvard Yard) ensures that the surrounding Kenmore Square and Lansdowne Street entertainment district remains one of the most consistently active in the city.

3 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215

Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Sinclair is Harvard Square's most important music venue — a 525-capacity club presenting indie, folk, and alternative artists for the Cambridge academic and music community. Harvard Square's extraordinary concentration of intellectual and creative energy (Harvard, MIT, Lesley, and Cambridge College create the most formidable academic environment in the United States) creates a music market that expects intelligence, creativity, and cultural significance from its entertainment.

52 Church St, Cambridge, MA 02138