Nightlife in Goa: Best Parties, Bars and Clubs [2024]

As the most liberal state in an otherwise conservative country, Goa is easily the best party destination in India.

Relatively small in size (Goa is only slightly larger than Hong-Kong or Luxembourg), it attracts millions of tourists every year with its beautiful beaches, a relaxed vibe, cheap booze and tons of crazy parties. There are also thousands of long term residents, including hippies who have been living there since the 1970s.

The following review will give you an overview of Goa nightlife. If you have any questions, please send me an email.

Best Seasons to Party in Goa

Goa experiences unbearable heat and heavy rainfall from late April to September. This is the time when many foreign residents (and some businesses) pack their bags and leave for the milder climate of the Himalayas, in northern India.

October to March is a good time to visit Goa, especially the month of January when the best parties are organized. Unfortunately, it is also quite crowded then, and everything is more expensive. It is common for hotels to charge up to twice as much during this season.

It gets even worse during Christmas and New Year Eve. This is the peak season, and it can be complicated to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price. Some restaurants will even have a different menu with hiked prices just for these few days. Taxis charge more, motorcycle rent increases, etc. Be aware of this when planning your trip.

To summarize:

→ April to September: Off-season with few parties, many closed businesses (including bars, clubs, etc), but inexpensive hotels.

→ October to March: High-season (best to enjoy the nightlife and the beach).

Party Areas in Goa + Hotels

(You can click on the map above to enlarge it)

Just to make things clear in case you didn't know it yet: Goa is not a city.

It is an Indian state split between two main areas, North and South Goa, each with their own characteristics:

Generally speaking, North Goa is better known for its party vibe while the South is considered more secluded, with its pristine beaches and chic boutique resorts.

Naturally, this Goa nightlife review will focus on North Goa, even though I will also mention a few South Goa clubs as well.

In North Goa, these are the most interesting options for your stay:

→ Vagator and Anjuna

Former hippie destinations which have now morphed into a partygoer's paradise (nowadays, mostly Indians, Russians, British, and Israelis). If you come to Goa mainly for the nightlife, you should choose a hotel in one of these two cities.

Vagator has the best bars and clubs, and many are walking distance to one another. Arjuna is quieter, more laid-back, with plenty of great beach cafés.

Here are a few recommended hotels to stay nearby:

⭐ Tropical Wave Hostel (rated 9/10, US$7 per night for dormitory and US$25 for a private room) - On Vagator beach, great party hostel for the budget traveler.

⭐⭐⭐ The Ivy Anjuna (rated 8.6/10, US$50 per night) - Very central, near the restaurants and shops, just 7 minutes to the beach

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Casa Anjuna (rated 8.3/10, US$80 per night) - Beautiful colonial-style garden with a relaxing garden

→ Calangute and Baga beaches

More crowded, tacky, and noisy. Its residents are beach enthusiasts who come from India or from Russia/Europe on cheap holiday packages. There is an infamous nightlife area called Tito's Lane where you will find tourist bars like Tito's, Cape Town or Mambo's. Beware as there are can be some prostitutes there. In the past few years, some upscale Indian bars have opened near Baga as well, such as Las Olas.

→ Candolim beach

Known for its exclusive hotels and peaceful environment. The nightlife is limited but you have a few holiday bars like Cohiba. Good, wholesome fun but nothing very edgy.

→ Arambol beach

Further north, it is an almost 3-hour drive from central Goa. It is an up-and-coming destination, where hippies, digital nomads, and backpackers from all over the world stay for longer periods of time.

Best Nightclubs and Bars in Goa

Enjoying Goa nightlife is all about knowing the right events, parties, and festivals. A great club may be packed on a Wednesday afternoon, but empty on a Friday night.

Therefore, it is crucial to get up-to-date information about the latest parties before heading out.

To help you, you can follow these social media groups and pages:

Nightlife in Goa and Events in Goa: Weekly parties and events

Goa Freaks: Info about the underground party scene in Goa

What's Up Goa: A hip guide to all events in Goa

Goa Vibes Only: All the parties in Goa

These clubs are some of the most happening ones in Goa at the moment:

House of Chapora (Vagator)

An indoor event space with techno, trance, and psychedelic music (DJ or live). Open during low season.

Salud (Vagator)

Also in Vagator, an elevated restaurant/café with a beautiful panoramic sea view. Techno parties on weekends. 1000 rupees entrance for men.

Curlies (Anjuna)

Another beach shack, similar to Shiva Valley (and right next to it), where the best parties are held on Thursdays. It's also a good spot to have a beer during the day.

If you walk 10 minutes north, you will find Cafe Lilliput which has some good events during the high season.

Club Cubana (Arpora)

If you need a change from your beach party routine, Club Cubana offers a memorable experience on top of Arpora hills. Hosted in a large building, this club boasts several bars and dancefloors with different styles on each level (mostly commercial: House, hip-hop, EDM). The place also features a serene outdoor area with a guarded swimming pool to relax under the stars.

Opened only during high season. Stag entries (single guys) are strictly prohibited. INR 3,000 entry for couples with unlimited drinks. Go early as it closes at midnight.

Hilltop (Vagator)

As its name suggests, this iconic venue is an actual open-air hilltop. It has been known since the 1970s to host some of the biggest parties in Goa, including music festivals like Sunburn (see below).

I recommend going there on Sunday afternoons. They will have several different DJs (local and international) playing mostly trance sets. It is a huge venue so it can often feel a bit empty, unfortunately.

Hilltop parties are subject to noise pollution norms and hence they shut at 10 pm unless they have special permission, which is usually for music fests, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Leopard Valley (South Goa)

Leopard Valley is an offbeat venue in the southern part of Goa, not too far from Palolem. You need to go about 5 kilometers into the jungle in order to reach it. They have a big open-air party on Fridays that lasts until morning. The music is techno and trance and there are some shows like sexy fire dancers. A great experience but a bit more pricey than the usual Goa nightclub (INR700 entrance). Beware that it does not open every year (check their Facebook page for more information).

Hammerzz (Baga)

Upmarket nightclub, quite expensive (over 4000-5000 rupees for a couple, up to 7000 for a guy alone, but you can buy drinks with this credit). They have a strict dress code so do not come with shorts, sandals, or sleeveless shirts. Music is EDM/Techno/Trance. Quite spacious and it usually gets full. Also serves food.

Another popular club nearby in Baga is Las Olas. It is much less classy, though.

SinQ (Morjim)

SinQ is an upmarket Indian club with different daily events (the retro nights on Thursdays being the most popular). Nice cabanas near the poolside for those who want to chill. Forbidden for single guys, but you can enter if you accompany a couple (INR 2,000 for the couple, and INR 3,000 for the guy).

LPK Waterfront (Candolim)

LPK - Love, Passion, and Karma - is a waterfront club on the Nerul river in Candolim. Surrounded by water on three sides, this place has an old heritage feel. Popular among the upmarket Indian tourists. It is known for cocktails, Goan Chicken Cafreal, and unlimited house brand drinks at a low price of Rs. 1000 ($14).

Bora Bora (Morjim)

Morjim's gem Bora Bora is the only bar in Goa that stays open 24/7. It's a good place to crash after a long night out and to order some food. They have nice music and a relaxed atmosphere. Most customers are Russians (the owner of the bar is Russian as well). Closes on winter.

Music Festivals and Parties

Goa is a popular destination for music festivals in India. During the high season, there is at least one happening every month. Two events worth going to are:

Sunburn Festival

With the distinction of being Asia's largest music festival, Sunburn attracts artists like Sam Feldt, David Guetta, KYGO, Martin Garrix, and many others. It was also ranked as one of the top 10 music festivals in the world by CNN. This 3-day festival is spread across multiple stages with artists playing day and night. Sunburn was hosted in Goa until 2015 before shifting its venue to Pune. In 2019, the organizers brought it back to Goa. It usually happens just before the New Year. Prices start at USD50 for one day pass.

Sunsplash Reggae Festival

Located in AntiSOCIAL café, this is the largest reggae festival in India. It usually features up to 50 local and international artists, for an event that lasts 3 days. Prices start at USD30 for a day pass.

Goa Nightlife Tips

Places to avoid

→ Baga / Calangute

Unless you like to be on cramped beaches with endless EDM and Bollywood music blaring out of every beach shack, you should avoid visiting Baga or Calangute beaches. These beaches were, about a decade ago, the go-to destination. Over time, they have been polluted and crowded beyond imagination. Many tourist guides and blog posts still feature them, but the authors are yet to visit them in 2019.

→ Tito's / Mambos on Tito's Lane

You will find Tito's and Mambos on most "must visit" listicles online. These two bars are one of many that are located in Baga/Calangute, on Tito's Lane. They can be OK to visit once out of curiosity, but I doubt you will enjoy partying there. The entrance fee is a whopping INR2,700 for single males, for which you get a free flow of cheap alcohol. Poor food, poor music, poor atmosphere.

Cost of partying

The cost of partying in Goa can be divided into three categories:

One is the entry fee. This can vary from season to season ranging from INR200 ($3) to INR1500 ($22). A few clubs, like Hammerz, charge even more than that but they give you more free drinks.

The second most important cost is the transport cost to and from the party place. Goa is one state in India where you cannot find Uber or similar cab services. Taxis in Goa charge an exorbitant amount of money. The best way to go is to rent-a-car if you have one sober driver to get you back. If not, it is wise to share a cab with other people in your hotel/hostel.

The third is the cost of booze and food. For top party places, this ranges from Rs. 500 ($7) to Rs. 2000 ($28). Alcohol is cheap in Goa. A can of beer will cost you less than $1.5 in most places.

Safety

It is important to follow traffic rules for safety. Many tourists rent motorcycles to save money and end up in a hospital or caught by traffic police. Locals may encourage you to rent a motorcycle but beware. If you meet with an accident, it is going to cost you dearly (for this reason, make sure you have travel insurance before heading to India - personally, I use WorldNomads which costs about US2$ per day).

Another thing to be careful about is drugs. Pay attention so that no one is spiking your drink. Do not accept drugs from people you do not know. They might sell you fake drugs or worse, bad quality substances.

Drugs are illegal in India, including soft stuff like Marijuana. That being said, they are quite common in many nightclubs and bars. In recent years, the police have started a crackdown on drugs in Goa. They keep a tab on every popular party and will barricade the roads leading out of the venue. If suspected, you will be thoroughly checked and penalized.

Prostitution is illegal in India too. There are places where you will find prostitutes offering their services but it is important to be cautious and stay away. Just like drugs, there is a crackdown on prostitution too. If you are suspected of inviting a prostitute to your guesthouse or hotel, the staff there can report you to the police.

Finally, I should mention that I was bitten by a wild dog once while riding a motorbike. There are quite many around and it can be annoying. Again, it is useful to have travel insurance for this kind of issue.