Copenhagen Nightlife

Nightlife in Copenhagen changes fast and starts late. The city has an ever-changing range of clubs, restaurants and bars catering to all tastes - cutting edge dance music, world-class jazz, rock and pop.

The Office, opened in 2008 with British bartender Paul Muldowney and is located in a basement in the district of Østerbro. With urbane décor, outdoor waterside service, walls in the rough and indoor swings they serve innovative cocktails with names like Knowledge, Not Broccoli and Extreme Prejudice. The Office opened another cocktail bar near Nyhavn, named The Union in September 2009. Only a buzzer on the door indicates that that a bar is to be found on the premises.

Cocktail Bars&Clubs:
Take one part boutique hotel, one part Tivoli and a twist of a historically unique location, and add one of the world's leading bartenders, and presto! You have gourmet cocktails at Nimb Bar. NIMB launched its very own cocktail bar led by one of the world's greatest bartenders, Angus Winchester in November 2009. For the past 20 years he has traveled the world mixing drinks and managing bars. The new concept offers different unique cocktails everyday created by leading mixologists. The bartenders are leading Danish mixologists as well as international top bartenders such as Jim Mehan (US mixologist of the year 2009). The gourmet cocktail concept is based on cocktails as a culinary delicacy, much like in gourmet restaurants. Each month sees a new innovative menu inspired by the season consisting of Pre's, Main's and Dessert's as well as a cocktail of the day.

Bartender Gromit from Bar 1105 has almost legendary status on the Copenhagen bar scene. 1105 opened 2008 and put the classical cocktail back on the map. Creating an ambiance that doesn't cater to teenyboppers!

Behind an entrance that is easily mistaken for a private residence, you find Ruby. High ceilings and wooden floors create an exclusive cocktail bar that plays host to uptown socialites as well as downtown socializers.

The Office, opened in 2008 with British bartender Paul Muldowney and is located in a basement in the district of Østerbro. With urbane décor, outdoor waterside service, walls in the rough and indoor swings they serve innovative cocktails with names like Knowledge, Not Broccoli and Extreme Prejudice. The Office opened another cocktail bar near Nyhavn, named The Union in September 2009. Only a buzzer on the door indicates that that a bar is to be found on the premises.

Bar Rouge at the five star design hotel Sankt Petri in a former department store from 1928 has Bar Rouge Nights every Friday and Saturday. Bartenders shake international cocktails and the DJs give you the latest and greatest, plus have their own Lounge CDs for sale.

At Hotel Twentyseven just check in with one of the Live Life-packages; enjoy life in The Wine Room, experience wine from all over the world; enjoy classical and molecular drinks served in the Honey Ryder Cocktail Lounge with DJs Thursdays to Saturdays and get a cool experience in the Absolut Icebar Copenhagen, built uniquely with ice from the Torne-river in Lapland. Even the restrooms are designed to give you an extraordinary experience! The temperature is kept at a constant minus 5 degrees centigrade, and walls, bar, art, furniture and even the glasses for your drinks are made of crystal clear ice.

There are cocktails and sushi at Hotel Fox with a lounge environment every Friday and Saturday night. FOX Bar opened in 2006 at Hotel Fox, where 21 designers from all over the world have decorated the 61 individually designed rooms.

Isola Rock Music Club is a heaven for serious rock lovers and appreciators of quality music, be it the great classics or the latest from the international rock stages - over and underground.

The Copenhagen district of Vesterbro has plenty to offer a younger crowd, including Bang and Jensen, a café housed in a converted chemist and next door Boutique Lize, offers some of the tastiest and least expensive drinks in town.

Moving on to the district of Nørrebro, Gefährlich (German for ‘dangerous') is a restaurant and bar with live music and dj's. Nearby you'll find The Oak Room a pioneer among cocktail bars with their own original cocktails.  In the Latin Quarter you'll find BAR 7, a combined bar and living room.

Umami, a restaurant that serves Japanese dishes blended with French cuisine, opened their own cocktail bar in November 2009; UBar a lounge cocktail bar designed by Orbit Design.

In the still active meatpacking district in Vesterbro, in what was formerly a slaughter house, art, food and cocktails have been united in a unique, experimental café/restaurant/bar named Karriere. New artworks by leading international artists define the design and functions of the place. Guests are challenged with spectacular light objects (Olafur Eliasson), the bar counter slowly moving from side to side (Jeppe Hein) and a sculpture made of a two way mirror alternating with perforated stainless steel on the square in front of Karriere (Dan Graham). Featuring concerts, djs, artist talks and performances on Fridays and Saturdays.Also in the meatpacking district, close to the above-mentioned Karriere Bar is Jolene Bar. A 175-square-meter venue, transformed from its original purpose in the meat industry to a trendy nightclub and bar. On the next street at Kødboderne 18, you'll find a three storied club. Behind the concept is a group of young DJs, VJs and producers in Copenhagen aiming at - you guessed it! - promoting young talent. In the same area you will find the White Room . The White Room opened in October 2009 and is a venue that hosts private parties and various clubs. In August 2009 the Meat Packing Districts oldest butcher bar reopened as a cozy corner bar named Mesteren&Lærlingen with soul, funk and hip hop music on the record player.

The Vega complex, housed in a magnificent 1950's trade union building, is one of the most popular night life venues in the city. After opening in 1996, Vega quickly built a reputation for attracting big name acts (David Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Bjork and Prince, among others). It also has a strong reputation for luring the best DJs in the world (Sebastian, Binga, Caspa) and has been consistently voted among the top DJ venues by Gaffa and Sound Venue. Vega, located in Vesterbro, is divided into four main areas: Store Vega (Big Vega), a concert venue with a capacity of 1,500; Lille Vega (Little Vega), with live concerts on a smaller scale; and Ideal Bar, which sometimes has DJs and live bands during the weekends. Then finally, Vega Lounge (Night club) in two rooms across another floor that is open several times a month when there are night club events.

Rivalling Vega for popularity and also attracting cutting edge, big name acts is Rust in Nørrebro. Since birth in 1989 Rust has been at the forefront of Copenhagen nightlife, presenting a vital live music and clubbing scene for those who prefer their night out a bit off the mainstream. Though not as big as Vega, Rust is spread over three floors and has a cocktail bar, main bar and large dance floor. Popular with students and trendy, young locals, Rust also has an outdoor yard, which is open during the summer. Four days a week, Rust provides help for the clubaholics! : Wednesdays to Saturdays. Just around the corner from Rust you will find Global. Global is Copenhagen's world music venue with everything from crossover fusion to ethnic folk. Presenting both international and local bands.

Amager Bio is a live music venue that hosts up to 200 concerts a year featuring top international and national artists from various musical genres with room for a thousand guests. Next door to Amager Bio is a little club by the name of BETA with cutting edge music.

In 2004 a new nightspot opened in the former circus building not far from the City Hall Square. Wallmans offers a spectacular dinner show. About 1000 guests can enjoy a 4-course dinner while being served and entertained by Wallman's 22 professional artists on seven stages beneath the circus-building dome. After the show the interior is transformed into a gigantic nightclub with dancing.

Around the corner from Wallmans you will find the club and concert house Pumpehuset situated in what once was originally an old power station. They have a strong live music program and a night club concept named Damp.

For jazz lovers, the world famous Copenhagen Jazz House offers international quality performers in an intimate atmosphere.

Culture Box, is the first regional venue for electronic music events, and opened their own cocktail bar January 2009

Dancing:
In Baron Boltens Gård is the private members club NASA, which - if you are pretty enough or look rich enough - you might be able to wriggle your way in to without membership. As a club within the club Fridays offer 'FIRE - you're hot when you're on fire!' Nasa has become member of the exclusive World Finest Clubs - finestclubs.com which for clubs is what Michelin stars are for restaurants.

Park is, however, a more than acceptable replacement if you don't fancy doing battle with the doorman at NASA. Park is close by Parken, the national stadium in Østerbro, and presents live music every week, DJs and discothèque every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Park also runs a café/restaurant, offering a three-course menu for dinner and outdoor barbeque in the summertime.

Gay:
Copenhagen's gay scene is centred on Oscar with DJ'son Fridays and mixed club Dunkel Bar with toned down twilight lighting, black painted walls and stuffed owls looking down upon the guests. Here DJs also haunt.

Events and Festivals:
WOMEX, the most important meeting place for World Music, will be hosted by Copenhagen October 2009, 2010, and 2011. WOMEX (which stands for World Music Expo) is both conference, trade fair and festival with concerts of world music spanning ethnic folk music traditions, as well as fusion, from all over the world.

"A celebration of Copenhagen nightlife", Copenhagen Distortion is the biggest annual clubbing and nightlife event of the year lasting 5 days and nights! Always starting on the Wednesday before the first Sunday in June.

One of Copenhagen's biggest and most popular festivals is the Copenhagen Jazz Festival that takes place each year in July. During the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, jazz can be heard in every corner of the city featuring top international artists and local talent.

An unusual summer event deserves mention: "Lækker Lytter" - Musical cosiness without limits. Mobile from a raft and bicycles - at Islands Brygge, in parks and streets, whenever the sun is shining. "Lækker Lytter" won the award for "Best CPH Club 2003/2004".

After a successful debut in 2007, Copenhagen's electronic music festival STRØM has become an annual event with concerts, open air events, DJs and music throughout the entire city. From night clubs to venues like Vega, Culture Box, and Nadsat; to places like Trinitatis Kirke by the Round tower and Mikkel Bryggers Gade by the Grand movie theatre.

Clubbing/Raves venues in Copenhagen please check: www.housemusik.dk