I went to all of Victoria’s prominent nightclubs so you don’t have to
The Wicket Hall, photo by Kristen de Jager.
Going out to nightclubs on the weekends is a prominent fixture in student culture. Due to this, many young adults know that choosing the right place to blow off some steam can make or break the night. So, after waiting in way too many lines, almost blowing out my ear drums, and dancing until my legs were sore, I have ranked all of Victoria’s nightclubs from worst to best, and am sharing the results here with our Martlet readers.
5. Upstairs Cabaret
Upstairs is a Victoria classic in terms of the clubbing scene. For a lot of young adults in Victoria, this is their first clubbing experience, and usually it’s a positive one. The dance floor might be the largest of these five clubs and the two bars are easily accessible.
However, the size of the venue doesn’t make up for the fact that there’s a larger chance of being groped than being complimented by a drunk girl in the bathroom. No matter how many times I go, I always find myself wondering, “Why did I pay $20 to be here right now?”
- Music: 4/5
- Atmosphere: 3/5
- Chance I would go again: 60 per cent
4. The Duke Saloon
The Duke might be one of the more unique nightclubs on Victoria’s roster. Being a country-themed bar, it has a niche that one should respect, even if they’re not the biggest fan of country music.
The live music is a nice incentive to come in. However, people who are afraid of getting hit by swinging legs should be cautious of joining the dance floor. Overall, the Duke is a nice place to go if you’re looking for a taste of country in Victoria, but it’s not the place to have your Taylor Swift moment.
- Music: 4.5/5
- Atmosphere: 3.5/5
- Chance I would go again: 70 per cent
3. Wicket Hall
Wicket Hall is the newest club on the scene in Victoria, and very evidently still has the new club shine. A positive aspect of Wicket Hall is its sheer size, as well as its connection to the Sticky Wicket and Big Bad John’s. This allows for more opportunities to begin or continue your night than other clubs.
Regardless of the space of the club, the dance floor is too small to properly dance — it’s more of a pit of people at the foot of the DJ than a dance floor. But if you enjoy being tossed around in the crowd to the top 100 songs of 2022, this is the club for you.
- Music: 4/5
- Atmosphere: 4/5
- Chance I would go again: 80 per cent
2. Lucky Bar
In comparison to the other clubs that Victoria has to offer, Lucky is definitely the smallest in size. However, the atmosphere of the club makes up for the lack of space. At Lucky, there’s usually good music and positive vibes from the staff and club-goers.
The thing that puts Lucky into the top contenders is their 90210 Mondays, which is their most popular night of the week. If you’ve never partied on a Monday, I recommend considering it at Lucky — it just might change your mind.
- Music: 4.5/5
- Atmosphere: 4/5
- Chance I would go again: 100 per cent
1. Paparazzi
If you took all the good parts of the clubs in Victoria and put it into one place, that place would be named Paparazzi. The music has a mix of current and past hit songs and the dance floor is large enough to dance close together without getting thrown around.
The layout of the club is also something remarkable because, although it isn’t one of the larger clubs, it still manages to have a flow. People can choose if they’d like to sit down, play pool, or dance their night away.
- Music: 4.5/5
- Atmosphere: 4.5/5
- Chance I would go again: 100 per cent
