Best Nightlife in Seattle

Fremont Abbey Arts Center remains one of the city's biggest champions of local talent. In their own words, "Abbey Arts focuses on local music, contemporary dance, visual art, spoken word and storytelling," and show formats include multi-arts collaborative performances like The Round, a monthly showcase during which three songwriters share the stage with other musicians, a slam poet and a live painter. Other performances that come to the Abbey's intimate space--a stunning 100-year-old brick church building, originally St Paul's Lutheran Church--include close-up concerts, new dance performances set to live music, community gatherings like The Moth storytelling event (a must-see in our opinion), dance classes, plus a variety of workshops and "artistic life celebrations."

When it comes to karaoke in Seattle, Rock Box is the obvious choice. The rocking Capitol Hill hangout, a Japanese-style club, follows the private room (or "karaoke box" model) popular in Japan and throughout Asia. The venue boasts a full bar plus a menu of tasty snacks. Inspired by Japanese craft and Tokyo lights, the 12 boxes range in size from 2 to 14 seats, and there's a larger "party room" that can accommodate 35-plus. Songbirds show up to peruse a songbook that's been two decades in the making; it contains nearly 30,000 English and 67,000 Japanese songs (with strong Chinese and Spanish libraries, too). Happy singing!

Dating to the late 19th century, this venue has been restored to the glory it knew as a movie theater in the 1920s. These days, you can catch acts as diverse as Boyz II Men and The Head and the Heart to Sturgill Simpson and The Beach Boys, and there's even the odd speaking engagement, too. Enjoy the sumptuous, gilt-edged surroundings as you take in a show. The ambience is decadent; for example, three million crystal beads adorn 218 chandeliers and light fixtures. If dancing is called for, the seating area quickly converts to a stunning hardwood ballroom floor. The "wow" factor here is definitely worth the trip!

You're in the beer-happy Pacific Northwest, where microbreweries sprout like mushrooms after a rainstorm. If you're interested in sampling creations from a wide variety of those breweries, Brouwer's Café in Fremont is pure beervana. Obviously run by hop heads and beer geeks, Brouwer's staff is amazingly knowledgeable about lagers and ales.This casual and understated pub offers no fewer than 64 rotating draft selections, along with more than 300 bottled brews and 60-something types of Scotch. And to help soak up some of that beer in your belly, the café features a Eurocentric menu of exceptional eats. (Check out their happy hour deals, too.)

Attentive service, awesome drinks, an uber-cozy indoor scene (ideal for chilly or gray days) and an outdoor patio draw visitors to this intimate cocktail bar tucked away below Pike Place Market. You may have to ask locals how to find it! Thanks to outstanding cocktails and an enticing menu by Chef Justin Pachmayr, with a background in French cuisine and a love for American comfort fare, it's a popular place to hang out with an eclectic crowd of all ages who enjoy good food, drinks and fun. Take advantage of a weekday happy hour that takes place from 5 to 6 p.m.

Although it's experienced a variety of incarnations, the historic Showbox, located directly across from Pike Place Market, is a must-visit site in which to catch touring bands. Amid Art Deco columns, young and hip crowds clamor to hear and see their favorite groups. There's even a dance floor for them to show off their moves if the spirit strikes. Plus, several bars accommodate patrons with a good menu of libations and stellar sightlines, a rarity for concert venue bars. If you're looking to buy tickets in person, box office hours at The Showbox are Monday though Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at Showbox SoDo Wednesdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Located in Seattle's historic Mann Building in the heart of downtown, this intimate and sophisticated, award-winning music and dinner theatre occupies the renovated space that formerly housed the Embassy Theater (originally a 1920s vaudeville house). The Mainstage, downstairs on the lower level, is an intimate candlelit spot with state-of-the-art sound and booths that offer clear sight lines to the stage. An Asian-fusion menu is provided by adjacent Wild Ginger restaurant, and the same cuisine can be enjoyed upstairs in the Musicquarium Lounge. In this upstairs lounge-like space, live music, DJ sets and a stellar happy hour menu have become legendary around town.

The Seattle Kraken is the still-new, Seattle-based professional ice hockey team that competes in the National Hockey League as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Root them on during energy-filled home games at the groundbreaking Climate Pledge Arena, a dazzling, eco-friendly venue that aims to be "the most progressive, responsible and sustainable arena in the world." This multi-purpose live entertainment venue, built for NHL hockey, live music and events, WNBA and future NBA basketball games, can be found not far from the Space Needle on the 74-acre Seattle Center campus. With the mantra of "Release the Kraken" already reverberating around town, and tens of thousands of fans donning the hues of Kraken blue, it's already apparent that this city was ready for a new hockey team to support and celebrate.

Seattle's premier jazz club for nearly three decades, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley is a sure West Coast stop for top jazz artists on tour. Jazz Alley has hosted luminaries such as Peter White, Randy Brecker, Dr. John and Tower of Power. Oh, and just a few other important names, stars such as Dizzy Gillespie, Brandford Marsalis, Diane Schuur, Oscar Peterson, Betty Carter and Bill Evans, have graced the club's marquee over the years. A local jazz institution, the elegant club setting and name acts attract folks dressed for the occasion. Many choose to dine in the club's fine restaurant before the show. This being a jazz club, it goes without saying that a full-service bar keeps libations flowing during the show.

This beloved Ballard nightspot features a smorgasbord of impressive music on a regular basis, and performances range from zydeco, bluegrass and country to rock, folk, jazz and beyond. In addition to great live music, the Tractor also offers a friendly, neighborhood vibe as well as local beers on tap. Completing the distinctly American scene are walls decorated with old tractor parts and farming implements, and cowboy boots dangle from the ceiling rafters. The venue is 21+ unless otherwise noted on the ticket page; pick up your tickets from will call the evening of the show. Check out special series like Ballard Night Out.