Upstairs Cabaret
For a slightly older crowd, head to Upstairs Cabaret in Bastion square. Above the popular pub Darcyâs, the place gets busy on Saturday after the pub crowd are kicked out at 1AM when the awesome rock cover band finishes. Upstairs is a good size and plays a wide variety of music. The staff often ignores all patrons but their friends but with a bit of persistence youâll get a drink.
Lucky Bar
517 yates. a bit small, but not nearly as costly as others. wednesday night is mod night so dress in your hipster finest. thursday night's "hang the dj" is probably the most tasteful music in the city, and the music-snob crowd reflects that. the crowd is a mix of straight and queer. monday night is 90210 so dress to impress and get down there early.
Paparazzi
Victoria's gay crowd, although usually more comfortable at Lucky or Hush, will occasionally show their support and hang out at Paparazzi formerly known as Prism the âofficialâ gay bar on Johnson St. The music is pumping and special drag shows or karaoke contests are often. Straight people are welcomeâ¦sort ofâ¦if they are willing to have a little fun anyway. This place is also home to the only good Karaoke night in town.
Rehab
For rock and 80s fans, go to Rehab formerly Evolution at 502 Discovery. They play classic and modern rock, retro, electro etc. depending on the night. Retro night on Wednesdayâs is especially popular and the drinks tend to be a bit cheaper. The crowd is really mixed, all ages and walks of life.
Touch
View st. at blanshard. formerly know as 'the red jacket' this opulent nightclub is frequented by a posh crowd looking to see and be seen. the crowd tends to be a bit more ethnically diverse. the bar itself is large when both sides are open and features a bright fish tank that is very cool when youâre drunk. when this club is popular, usually thursdays, expect to wait in line unless you come early or know the right people. mondays are the hipster night - complete with dslr photographers and enough electro and mash ups to choke a portland donkey.
Element
Is probably the largest club in victoria, with a sunken dance floor and multiple bars. used to be called legends and was very popular. in the basement of the strathcona hotel which also features the clubhouse, rooftop and big bad john's
Because Victoriaâs downtown is fairly small, most of the nightlife is located within walking distance. Cabs arenât too expensive and there isnât too far to go to get from point A to B. Victoria's police force has an aggressive crackdown on drinking and driving, so take a cab, all you have to do is stumble to Douglas and eventually you will grab one before someone else. But if itâs a âspecialâ night like Halloween or New Yearâs Eve, expect a bit of a wait. Compared to clubs in larger cities, cover in Victoria is cheap, ranging from $3 to $10. Fridays and Saturdays: expect to pay $7 to get in the door and another $2 to check your coat. Compared to larger cities, Victoria's liquor is pretty pricey. There is a law in Victoria that requires all drinks to cost $3 at minimum for a serving of alcohol. Expect to pay at least $3 but most likely more for each drink. Beers and shots are about $5. Most bars have cash machines inside, and accept only cash as payment.
Hush.
Another âsort-ofâ gay bar is Hush. The music is almost purely pounding trance and other dance music genres and anyone is welcome. The bar is fairly small but you can find it on Government St. This is basically where everybody went after the City of Victoria completely destroyed the awesome rave scene that used to happen here.
Plan B
The younger crowd tends to head to Plan B. Its a younger crowd so if you are into that head here for an awesome time. They play a good mix of top 40 and house music. Lots of parties are thrown here and there is a large UVIC crowd who goes here on weekends. How can you go wrong with stripper poles and cages?