Downtown Miami's Five Best Dance Clubs

Life can be hard for a Miami club kid. It's not all champagne and bathroom-stall snow showers. Sometimes your favorite place is marked by developers and reduced to rubble overnight. Sometimes you love a place but no one else seems to care, and it slowly fades into nothingness, prompting half-hearted queries like, "Is that place even still open?"

Many dance clubs have disappeared over the years, but Miami has never been a city of the past. It survives by looking forward, and quite a few dope spots have cropped up recently. For those who want to keep the party going, we suggest one of these fabulous late-night faves.
1. Club Space. Space: the final frontier. It's the place all good nights go to transform into holy-shit-how-am-I-still-standing afternoons. Though it doesn't operate throughout the week, Space is open for special events and should be your go-to spot for weekend all-nighters. The Terrace is a hallowed area where you can dance well after the sun rises. Whether you're catching a resident DJ or a special guest performance, the music and vibes will keep your ass shaking all night. The Ground is Space's poppin' live-music venue on the first floor that Miami didn't know it needed. It has found renewed spirit since the guys behind III Points and Link Miami Rebels took over. The biggest names in trance and house love to drop legendary, record-breaking sets at Space. It's more than 18 years old, and the Magic City is lucky to have it. 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com.
2. E11even. It's part cabaret, part megaclub, and all rap-music-video fantasyland. E11even is the party that never stops. The 24-hour club has been open round-the-clock since February 2014 and is ready for your all-night ragers any night of the week. It's a hedonistic playground of the highest order. Yes, there are topless dancers, but there are also former Cirque du Soleil aerial performers and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. It's a double-decker party palace with a rooftop lounge and restaurant. It's constantly booking highly rated EDM acts. Drake performed at E11even's New Year's 2016 shindig. It's not your average bachelor-party spot, but it's basically every Miami nightlife stereotype rolled into one odd but undeniably delicious burrito. Everyone must go at least once — that's an official Miami rule. 29 NE 11th St., Miami; 305-829-2911; 11miami.com.
3. 1306. Whether you want to chill out with a cocktail at the classy indoor bar or get down and dirty in the fresh air of the back patio, 1306 has something for everyone. Brought to you by the people who made Grand Central, a legend of downtown's old scene, 1306 has been known to book trivia nights, jam nights, big-ticket DJ sets, and special performances you don't want to miss. Just last year, Charli XCX made her Femmebot Fantasy a reality here. Pop in any given night to escape your Miami woes. When things get busy, they're really busy, but head to the front porch to escape the madness. 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami 305-377-2277; 1306miami.com.
4. Floyd. Technically, it's part of Club Space, but Floyd boasts a whole different vibe. Craft cocktails and close quarters lend the dimly lit room a classier, sultry mood, but if you come for one of the special events, the luxuriously decorated space rocks with the best of them. Offering genres from lo-fi house to French-touch classics, Floyd is an elevated turn-up experience for those who like to boogie and look good doing it. 34 NE 11th St., Suite B, Miami; 786-618-9447; floydmiami.com.
5. The Hangar. Come hang at the Hangar for an array of Latin, deep house, hip-hop, and other genres depending upon the night you choose. The warehouse-like layout befits the club's name. This space was once the home of Studio A, a legendary underground hangout in the 2000s. Though other clubs have come and gone since then, the Hangar has claimed its place in Miami nightlife. 60 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-480-4203; thehangar305.com