It is a Friday night, and you and your friends are anticipating a fun evening out. You have spent too much time thinking about your makeup, agonizing over your outfit choice and paying an insane amount of money for an Uber. Yet you arrive at the club ready to dance, drink and have a great night. But the second you walk in, you notice the club’s energy is down. There is barely any dancing. Instead, the floor is filled with groups of men who are either standing, vaping or scrolling on their phones. Within twenty minutes, you are ready to leave.
Sound familiar?
Club culture, once an integral part of nightlife for those in their twenties, is dying. No, it is not just because of social media or rising prices. Ask any woman in her late teens or twenties what it is like to go out today and you will hear the same set of complaints. The scene is filled with men taking up the front of the dance floor, drinks in hand, barely moving but making their presence known. Women who are trying to dance are often squeezed between men, dodging unwanted touches or aggressive attempts at conversation. Many treat clubbing as a background to their Snapchat story, not as a place to have fun. There is no longer space for women.
It is more than just the energy. The structure of clubs increasingly caters to men. Door policies often favor men in groups, with some bouncers allowing men in more often if they believe the men are spending money. This results in male-dominated crowds, the exact environment that makes women feel unsafe and unwelcome.
A place that was once valued as a social playground is now a space where men dominate the experience. Even the music and layout lean towards what club owners think men want. Flashy lights, overpriced drinks and views of everyone else. The women? They are expected to provide the “aesthetic:” to look good but not feel so. Nightclubs use women as the “product” that lures men, yet clubs are not offering any consideration for women’s needs.
Women are looking for something different. We want to go out to feel confident, to connect with friends or to dance and unwind. But when nightlife venues become another male-dominated space where we become hyperaware of who is around, the fun disappears. It is no wonder so many young women are trading the club for girls’ nights or house parties.
This issue is not only noticed by women. Club closures are increasing across the U.S. and U.K., with many owners citing low attendance and changing youth habits. While some blame social media or high drink prices, those explanations ignore a deeper issue. The culture inside clubs has shifted. The deeper reality is that many women no longer feel like clubs are for them.
This is not just about women’s comfort; it is also about safety. When club layouts, policies and culture prioritize men, the result is a space where boundary-pushing behavior gets overlooked. Security guards ignore complaints, and men who are harassing women rarely get removed. This reinforces the idea that clubs are men’s spaces first, and everyone else is a guest.
But it does not have to continue this way. Women-focused clubs, queer friendly nightlife and safe clubs are offering a glimpse into what nightlife could look like. They provide nightlife spaces that put women and the LGBTQ+ community first. Such as offering ladies-only nights, themed events or even women-only dance clubs so that women can have fun while feeling safe.
If traditional clubs want to survive the new generation, they need to learn a harsh truth: men are not the main characters. Until clubs start centering and marketing to the people who actually bring the fun, women and the queer community, they will keep losing their main demographic.
No one wants to pay a $15 cover just to stare at a bunch of guys on platforms with barely enough energy to do the frat flick.