The Best Nightclubs in Sochi, Russia

There is no excuse needed to head up into the Caucasus Mountains, but this club is one. A stalwart on Sochi‘s club scene, Sky entertains the punters with EDM DJs from Russia and around the world and podium dancers, club performers and acrobats who perform their tricks throughout the night. The venue’s lighting set-up is immense: Sky has over 400 lights and 25,000 lasers set up to give you a sensory overload as you dance the night away.

A reliable chain that is a pub-cum-club, Harat’s keeps everyone on the dance floor with plenty of booze and familiar, easy songs that ensure punters have a fun night in the spirit of Irish pubs everywhere. Harat’s also has a kitchen that serves plenty of pub grub and European standards to fill you up before your big night gets underway. Close to the main beach, Harat’s is central with a view of the water.

Cabaret Mayak (translating to Cabaret Lighthouse) made a name for itself at the 2014 Winter Olympics, which it has managed to hold on to since. The most distinguishable gay bar in town, it welcomes the LGBTQ+ community and basically anyone who wants to be entertained by a drag show and a chat with elaborately costumed queens. Throughout the week, there are regular stage shows that can be viewed from the comfortably padded booths while sipping any one of the expert libations on offer.

If you want to get into Cocos, you must look the part. The ‘face control’ (when bouncers selectively admit guests into the club so it looks like the venue is really exclusive and fancy) is fierce. So, dress up. As a result of this door policy, Cocos is one of the most sought-after places to spend a night. DJs spin every night of the week, and the club has an extensive range of cocktails, from more familiar drinks, to house-made concoctions, to tropical tiki-inspired libations. It also is a restaurant and bar.

The premier rock club in town, Treugolnik (translating to triangle) has seen some of Russia’s finest rock and rollers grace its stage. There’s only one rule at Treugolnik and that is no pop music, and so party goers can rock out throughout the weekend as they enjoy noisy, sweaty fun. During the week, however, the nights are a little quieter. The kitchen’s speciality is pizza, although they offer other European food as well. The venue has a 24-hour license, and so it generally stays open as long as people are still standing.

Fanera is a karaoke club that keeps going into the early morning, or until the last singer drops the mic. With a karaoke lounge as well as a dance floor, it’s also quite literally a place full of song and dance. If you need a bit of Dutch courage to either sing or dance, the bar offers an array of cocktails as well as a selection of spirits and beer to ease the nerves. The kitchen serves European and Russian food as well as a selection of sushi.

While Khuan Ivanych (sometimes written as Juan Ivanych) is a more relaxed restaurant-cum-club than others around town, it still uses ‘face control’ to weed out those who aren’t at least dressed in smart casual. Here, you can catch a band, DJ or MC, depending on the night, but irrespective of the music, the club packs out most nights thanks to its reputation as a ‘fun’ destination. The bartenders are known to put on a show as they whip up delicious drinks, and the word on the street is you can’t get a stronger mojito anywhere in town.