10 Best Nightlife in Las Vegas, Nevada

This nightclub–concert hall hybrid at Mandalay Bay was the seventh entry in this chain of successful, intimate music clubs. As if the electric roster of performers taking the stage almost nightly wasn't enough (past acts include Carlos Santana, Billy Idol, Social Distortion, Joe Walsh, Slash, Dropkick Murphys, and Seal), the decor is lusciously imaginative. (Our favorite decoration isn't inside, though—it's the Voodoo Mama statue greeting you outside.) The Gospel Brunch on Sunday has great live music and is worth a visit. Also, buy music, books, hot sauce, and T-shirts at the souvenir shop, where an expansive, remarkable collection of colorful folk art decorates the walls.

The Palms' comfortable midsize concert venue has an inventive layout to create great sightlines, and the host property has easy access and parking. Small wonder locals have rooted for its effort to stay in the game as more and more venues open on the Strip. When the hotel relaunched under new ownership, the Pearl was off to a promising relaunch as well, with shows roughly once a month including Kenny Loggins, Counting Crows, and Iggy Pop.

Live music is a constant at this adults-only hot spot on the southeast corner of 6th and Fremont Streets. Genres range from rock and metal to honky-tonk and rap. As the name suggests, billiards is a big part of the appeal. Optional table service includes cut-the-line passes and a spot near the stage.

Tucked into a grungy strip mall between a Blueberry Hill diner and Krab Kingz lies a real treat, a new(ish), dedicated jazz club, which is rare enough in Las Vegas, but even more valuable for folks who want to hear live music before the late evening: the bands start at 7 pm nightly (except Tuesday). The club caters to its performers, with a stage spanning the width of one wall and a real grand piano for musicians, who often play on nights off from their "real" jobs on the Strip. There’s one catch for early-birds: it’s not a “supper club” (though it is a sushi bar). Those who come hungry or aren’t fans of sushi might want to dine before, as the menu isn’t laden with filling entrees. A $25 minimum can be applied to both drinks and food.

This festive room with an "outdoor piazza" vibe is a worthy Italian restaurant in its own right (it has family ties to Nora's a block or so away). But what really sets it apart is the live entertainment on weekends and select weeknights. The place turns into more of a cabaret, starting after the dinner rush at 8:30 pm. The house songstress is co-owner Naomi Mauro, but likeminded jazz vocalists and trios round out the calendar.

This venue became famous hosting Zowie Bowie, a guy-and-gal, too-blond-for-words act with music that sounds like Eminem and Frank Sinatra getting together to groove. The intimate venue now welcomes a variety of other entertainers, mainly tribute bands. Not exactly worth a trip from the Strip in and of itself, but if you're already at the Red Rock Resort, it's a fun place to hang out.

Don’t be deterred if you walk through the door and see a few guys in barber chairs getting haircuts. Just head to the “janitor” door in the back of the room and pass through. The next room—gorgeous and high-ceilinged with crystal chandeliers—reflects Las Vegas’s current fascination with speakeasies, though they were seldom this opulent. There’s bottle service, shooters, and “spiked juices” such as the Bonnie & Clyde, which is Rittenhouse rye, Cointreau, Aperol, and lemon juice and serves two in a souvenir flask. And if you want to, you really can get a haircut, shave, or facial.

This comfortable venue is versatile enough to be closed off for ticketed concerts or opened up to host free lounge acts and casino promotional events. Sight lines are great, and it's really the only game on this side of town for a diverse range of local and mid-level concerts that range from rock to country and just about everything in between.

For decades the home of off-Strip rock and blues, this Las Vegas institution lies tucked away in an office park so bland as to be invisible by day. Its fortunes have risen and fallen over the years, but the place is riding high enough now that a second location opened Downtown, inside the Plaza. Once a pitch-black joint where you could choke on cigarette smoke, The Sand Dollar is lighter and brighter these days, with a friendly center bar separating the “pool table side” from the “music side.” The bands vary by genre, but the larger umbrella is the “Austin sound” of rootsy blues and rock. Good pizza helps soak up the beer.

The concert hall long known as The Joint is now just The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. During the makeover, the 4,000-plus capacity venue was entrusted to concert promoter AEG Presents, and the room was spruced up with new seating and some changes, like moving a VIP area to the ground-floor level. Upgrades were welcome, as the venue was always better known for the big names it hosted than for the room itself, a big box, which jammed seated fans into folding chairs and put the versatility of its seating configurations ahead of comfort, aesthetics, or design. While leaving the biggest names (and highest ticket prices) to the Strip, The Theater has booked a steady flow of acts, including Widespread Panic, Sabrina Carpenter, and Mastodon.