Nightlife in Zurich

15 clubs, live music venues and late-night spots in Zurich.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Drink
Bierhalle Wolf
A lively beer hall often with live music. In addition to the beer selection, they serve great local food.
Drink
El Lokal
Bar, restaurant, and intimate gig venue attracting alternative crowd, "soccer vs elvis vs che guevara" themed.
Drink
Exil
small club and concert venue in Kreis 5. Look up what's happening beforehand. Music can range from trap/hiphop to indie rock
Drink
Friedas Büxe
small underground club with techno and house music, beloved by the local scene
Drink
Gonzo
A basement club that generally plays no electronic music. Can be lots of fun but the queues are long and the door can be strict. Great on Wednesday (Hip-Hop) and Thursdays (students).
Drink
Gotthard Bar
This dive bar exists since forever. It's almost always packed, there's live music sometimes. Very mixed crowd but very likeable place.
Drink
Helsinki
Small bar and club with nice atmosphere, especially in summer when the outdoor area is open. Live concerts most nights and safe haven for independent artists from all over Switzerland.
Drink
Hive Club
Many rooms to wander through and listen to DJs from Switzerland and abroad. Sometimes offers nonstop parties during the weekends. Focus on Techno and House.
Drink
Kauz
Underground club with great drinks and cocktail selection. house techno and other electronic music
Drink
Klaus
Member only club that is mostly frequented by the local "scene". Features mostly local DJs but is the new place to be. Befriend a local to get in.
Eat
Rosalys
Typical Swiss food including Älplermacrone (pasta with apple purée). Excellent cocktail bar, too.
Buy
Sihlcity
A good old fashioned shopping mall, which is a 5-minute S-Bahn ride away from the main station. It comprises some 100,000 m² of rental space with a range of facilities, such as restaurants, a shopping center, a multiplex cinema, entertainment, health and fitness/wellness area, nightclub, a Four Points hotel and a chapel.
Mon-Sat 09:00-20:00; Sun off
Drink
X-Tra
Big club with events and concerts, the famously have a weekly goth (dark scene) party. Can be trashy depending on the party, check beforehand
Do Not mapped
Street Parade
The biggest open air techno rave in Europe. It happens one day each year on the second Saturday of August, during which trucks which function as mobile soundsystems ("Love mobiles") start driving along the lake side, starting from the east at Utoquai and ending at the west at Hafen Enge. Every year this event attracts nearly a million visitors who dance in the streets to the music which you can hear from anywhere in the city. After the Street Parade the party doesn't stop, there are open air parties along the route until midnight and club parties at various locations in town until late the next day, to keep the party going. Don't be surprised if the city's cleanliness isn't up to its usual standard the next day. Check out Lethargy festival that happens during the same weekend if you're into less commercial electronic music.
Free
Drink
Moods
Jazz club in the Schiffbau complex, concerts on Saturdays.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Zurich (CC BY-SA 4.0).