When you think of a night out in Cologne, you’re probably thinking more “a couple of kölsch beers in a cosy corner pub” than “sweaty nightclub with booming beats”. But the thing that makes Cologne’s nightlife so special is that it offers both: neighbourhood pubs for laidback evenings playing table football and dark basement clubs for wild parties.
Sonic Ballroom – radically rock ‘n’ roll
Not afraid of hangovers and fancy spending a whole night listening to reverberating rock and feeling like Joey Ramone or Iggy Pop? Follow us…
One of the most exciting clubs in Cologne is based in a pretty unexciting part of the Ehrenfeld district. Far away from hip cafés and cool bars, where things are a bit more low-key so the sticker-strewn entrance to Sonic Ballroom stands out. But, as soon as you leave the foyer and the table football behind you and walk into the actual club with its gigantic silhouette picture of the Ramones, you know the walk to this less lively part of the neighbourhood was worth it. This place screams rock’n’roll!
For the ultimate Sonic Ballroom experience, order their sticky speciality, Kettenfett – if you dare! With its worn charm, this is an excellent place for a long night that leaves your ears and your head buzzing. As well as pulsating punk parties, underground bands perform here regularly too. Then the small space feels like a sauna with punk rock playing in the background.
Oskar-Jäger-Str. 190, 50825 Cologne
SixPack – crowded with sound(s)
At first glance, this place doesn’t really seem unforgettable. The noise that reverberates through the two interlinked rooms is overwhelming. If you want to chat at a normal volume, you’ll need to do it before you get yourself settled because this club is loud.
6Pack is like the rush hour of Cologne’s nightlife. You meet new people here quickly – if only because you step on their feet, or they step on yours. This intimate atmosphere attracts its fair share of celebrities too – actors passing through town and, of course, local musicians. So it’s not just Cologne’s party-goers that think this is one of the city’s most legendary clubs. The choice of sounds reflects this mixed clientele as well. People who are snobby about their music certainly won’t like it but it does seem to appeal to the “broad masses”.
Aachener Str. 33, 50674 Cologne
Gewölbe – like a rave, only better
At this electro music venue, night becomes day and dance becomes trance at 160bpm – this is not a cosy Cologne pub.
Gewölbe is one of the most popular clubs in Cologne – thanks in no small part to the TikTok techno boom. Top DJs from around the globe do sets here, your mobile’s camera will be taped over at the door and the sound system is one of the best the city has to offer.
Located at Westbahnhof railway station, the club is a long brick tunnel, akin to the underpasses or motorway bridges where real raves take place except this has a bar and better sound. Unlike at illegal techno gatherings, electro aficionados can party into the small hours at Gewölbe without being bothered by the police. The admission policy can be a bit strict though and big groups will have trouble getting in. But once you get past the door, the bright lights and booming bass will swallow you up into a fabulous night of revelry.
Hans-Böckler-Platz 2, 50672 Cologne
Subway – magic, music and motion
Subway is one of those clubs that manage to blur the lines between space and time – a touch of magic and a generous helping of adrenalin in the Belgian Quarter.
The shiny dancefloor exudes a nostalgic charm and takes you back to the spark you felt just before your first holiday kiss as a teenager.
Apart from the orange awning over the entrance though, there’s not much to remind you of holidays in the south of Europe: plenty of dance music and places, somewhere in the dark depths of the room, to sit. But who wants to sit? It’s too loud and busy too chat or chill anyway. Life at Subway is all about staying in motion. In addition to DJ sets featuring reggae, indie and hip-hop, there’s live music too. They even have jazz concerts by their very own Subway Orchestra – a special treat.
Aachener Str. 82-84, 50674 Cologne
Stereo Wonderland – a friend you can count on
A club that’s like a good friend – available for a good chat or a couple of beers any time of the evening or night.
Stereo Wonderland really is a mate you can rely on. Its gaudily bright entrance near Südbahnhof station makes it easy to find – even in the dark. So you don’t need to know your way around the infamous “Bermuda triangle” between Blue Shell and Luxor.
If bobbing to the beat from the comfort of a bar stool is more your thing than getting up close in a sweaty crowd, you’ll like it here. Two steps in and you’re at the bar, where you usually get served in record time. And then there’s Stereo Wonderland’s tiny stage that’s just big enough for gigs by artists whose breakthrough is either yet to come or a distant memory.
Trierer Str. 65, 50674 Cologne
Tausend Bar – a club with many faces
Tausend Bar is one of those clubs in Cologne that can be whatever you want: a pub for a friendly chat, an electro joint for throwing moves or a small bar with an eclectic mix of music and dancing.
This place is like a magician’s hat, from whence a rabbit miraculously appears. Nestled between the cafés and restaurants of the Belgian Quarter, it may seem quite unassuming on the outside but the brightly decorated windows hint at the vibrant mix of dance, cocktails and music inside. The mirror ball above the small dancefloor spins to R’n’B some days and melodic techno beats on others. Now and again, you’ll find musicians playing instruments here instead of DJs playing tunes. If atmosphere appeals more to you than music, make sure you get there quick: at the weekend, this modestly proportioned bar fills up quickly. But perhaps that’s just another reason to make Tausend Bar the place you go to dance until you drop.
Aachener Str. 57, 50674 Cologne
Tsunami Club – more mellow than it sounds
Tsunami Club is more reminiscent of a party in a shared flat than a hotspot of Cologne’s nightlife scene. But that’s exactly what gives it its charm.
This little club on a side street near Severinskirche church is a haven for any lover of music of times gone by – music that’s more raw and unconventional than the setting would lead you to believe. Young and old come together here, united in the knowledge they’ll be spending an evening with as yet undiscovered or long-adored sounds.
Away from all the fancy-schmanciness, Tsunami Club’s petit stage hosts non-mainstream rock, punk and indie bands at the weekends. On weekdays, you can get your groove on to 80s and 90s sounds on the modest dancefloor. Sometimes there’s a bit of pop in there too. The party-goers here are usually a lively bunch that like to bawl and bop together. Occasionally, things get a bit more raucous too, depending on what’s being played.
Im Ferkulum 9, 50678 Cologne
Veedel Club – Standing the test of time
Veedel Club has been part of Cologne’s club scene for a long time. It was a cult meeting place for Cologne creatives as far back as the 1980s, when it still went by the name of “Rose Club”. Nirvana played here in 1989 before they made it big. Since then, it’s grown to become one of the city’s favourite clubs.
Located a stone’s throw from Köln-Süd station, Veedel Club has a graffiti-covered facade you can’t miss. Inside, it’s quickly clear that the Kurt Cobain underground days are long gone. Most evenings, there’s a mix of 1990s and noughties tunes or the dancefloor vibrates to the sound of hip-hop, R’n’B and reggaeton. They also host live gigs by up-and-coming members of the Cologne hip-hop and rap scene several times a week.
Veedel Club’s “open to all” vibe is apparent both in the choice of music and the door policy. Larger groups have a good chance of partying the whole night here.
Luxemburger Str. 37, 50674 Cologne
Bumann & SOHN – A hip place for a drink and a dance!
Most people probably wouldn’t put Bumann & SOHN at the top of their list of Cologne’s best clubs – mainly because it’s better known for great drinks than for long nights of partying. But they should think again – the dancing here is at least as good as the drinking.
This mecca for Cologne revellers sits behind a not very welcoming-looking fence in the middle of the Ehrenfeld neighbourhood. Its presence announced by a neon sign and Chinese lanterns, during the week Buhmann & SOHN goes undercover as a laid-back beer garden and cocktail bar but it transforms into a lively dance club at the weekend. On Fridays and Saturdays, they play disco and house here from 10pm. On other days, there’s karaoke, comedy and concerts.
The beer garden is wonderful for a summer’s evening, with food trucks, an outdoor stage and enough space to dance. So it’s time for Bumann & SOHN to claim its rightful place in party history not just as one of Cologne’s most popular bars but also as one of the city’s best clubs.
Bartholomäus-Schink-Str. 2, 50825 Cologne
Blue Shell – electrifyingly legendary
Blue Shell, possibly Cologne’s most legendary club, literally does have a blue shell – it’s blue outside and in. But that’s not its only claim to fame. This quirky venue has been a meeting place for the city’s creative community for more than 40 years. International stars have spent wild nights out here too. People still talk about the times when the likes of The Clash and Guns n’Roses came here to party.
The centrepiece of the club is its small stage, which hosts intimate gigs by a variety of punk, indie and rock artists several times a week. When it’s full (it has a capacity of 250) and the musicians start playing, an electrifying mood pervades the air, captivating audience and artists alike. And it’s that atmosphere that makes Blue Shell what it is: nothing much has changed here in the past 40 years. And that’s a good thing.
Luxemburger Str. 32, 50674 Cologne
More into pubs than clubs? Head this way to read about the city’s top watering holes.
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