Best Places To Dance Salsa in Vancouver
Here is the ultimate guide to all the Vancouver, BC Salsa nights and dancing hot-spots. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, this guide will help you find the best place to Salsa dance in Vancouver day or night. We’ve got all kinds of Salsa night clubs and practice spots for you to hit up! If you’re keen to get hit the social dance scene in Van, be sure to check out these events and salsa venues.
Last updated: January 2, 2015
Mondays
Monday Night Practica – Hosted by Roger Chen
Start time: 9pm
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Merengue
Price: $5 drop-in
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: Harbour Dance Centre, 927 Granville Street, 2nd Floor (Downtown Vancouver)
Monday Night Practica tends to be the practice spot for many of the more experienced Salsa dancers in Vancouver. At the beginning of the evening you’ll find dancers of all skill levels there as some of Roger’s students stick around after their class ends at 9pm. As the night goes on more and more of the “regulars” start showing up. This tight knit group is friendly and provides a great environment to get some extra practice in without the pressure of dressing up for a night out at the club. More info here
Tuesdays
Salsa Tuesdays at Joe’s Apartment
Start time: 9pm
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Merengue
Cover charge: Yes
Must be 19+ to enter
Location: 919 Granville Street (Downtown Vancouver)
Free Lesson from 9-10pm
Joe’s Apartment is always a great time. The DJ’s keep the place alive with more upbeat ‘party’ style music like Cuban salsa and reggaeton. The crowd here tends to be quite mixed. You’ll find a ton of beginner dancers as well as some experienced ones that tend to frequent the club more often. More info here
Wednesdays
Salsa 560 Wednesdays – Hosted by DJ Cachete
Start time: 9:00pm
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Merengue
Cover charge: Yes
Must be 19+ to enter
Location: 560 Seymour Street (Downtown Vancouver)
Free Lesson starts at 9:30pm
560 is the favourite place to go for weekday Salseros. It’s got a large space, consistently good music and is open until 1am. Drink specials are a flowin’ and you can often get discounted admission before 10pm if you call ahead of time and get on the guest list. This place usually gets busy after 11pm. More info here
Thursdays
TBA
Fridays
Weekly Friday Night Salsa – Hosted by the Dancey Ballroom
When: 9:00pm – 1:00am
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Cha-cha-cha, Merengue +more
Cover charge: $10 (cash only!)
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: 505 Hamilton Street, 2nd Floor (Downtown Vancouver)
Free Lesson from 9-10pm
The Dancey Ballroom hosts Vancouver’s only weekly Friday night downtown Salsa event. This venue has the largest and most beautiful dance floor in the city, free intro Salsa classes with some of Vancouver’s best instructors and a new guest DJs each week. Friday night Salsa at the Ballroom attracts dancers of all levels from beginners to pros. Earlier in the evening variety music is played and the Salsa ranges from popular hits and contemporary releases to more vintage tracks. Later in the evening, the music mix shifts to classic Salsa and Mambo. More info here
Saturdays
* Indicates monthly events. Carefully note the correct date
Salsa Duello
When: Every other Saturday
Music: Salsa & Bachata
Start Time: 8pm-1:30am
Cover charge: $10 (cash only!)
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: Academie Duello, 415 West Hastings Street (Downtown Vancouver)
Two free lessons starting at 8pm and going until 10pm.This is one of the more popular Salsa nights among Vancouver locals and it happens every other Saturday. Academie Duello is a beautiful venue with a 4,000 sq. ft. dance floor attracting dancers of all levels. Every night has a little something different from goodies and snacks to entertaining performances. For all the details, dates and happenings see the salsaevents.ca Facebook Page.
SBK Saturday – Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba Hosted by the Dancey Ballroom*
When: 1st Saturday of every month
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba
Start Time: 8pm-2am
Cover charge: $10 (cash only!)
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: Dancey Ballroom, 505 Hamilton Street, 2nd Floor (Downtown Vancouver)
Free Kizomba lesson starts at 8pm
Free Bachata lesson starts at 9pm
Voted by dancers as their favourite night at the Dancey Ballroom! More info
Fiesta Habana – Hosted by DJ Kubanito*
When: 2nd Saturday of every month
Music: Cuban Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton
Start Time: 9pm-1am
Cover charge: $10 (cash only!)
All ages welcome (licensed!)
Location: D2 Dance Studio, 55 West 8th Ave. at Manitoba
Free Cuban Salsa lessons start at 9pm
Get your drink on and enjoy the up-tempo Cuban rhythms of DJ Kubanito. This venue is in a quiet area of Vancouver and has lots of free parking! More info
Strictly Salsa – Hosted by Patrick & Scarlet of Dance Dojo*
When: 3rd Saturday of every month
Music: Salsa, Mambo, Cha-cha-cha, Pachanga
Start Time: 9pm-1am
Cover charge: $10 (cash only!)
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: Dancey Ballroom, 505 Hamilton Street, 2nd Floor (Downtown Vancouver)
Two Free Lessons start at 9pm (beginner & intermediate)
This is a night for the Salsa lovers of Vancouver with a focus on Salsa music. Dress to impress and dance the night away to a wide variety tunes by DJ Jose Manuel including Classic Salsa, Mambo, Salsa Dura, NY Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, and Pachanga. There is often an inspiring performance in the middle of the evening, so don’t miss out! More info
Sundays
Sunday Salsa at the Dancey Ballroom
When: Weekly every Sunday
Music: Mainly Salsa with some Bachata, Cha-cha-cha, Merengue
Start Time: 4pm-7pm
Cover charge: $7 (cash only)
All ages welcome (not licensed)
Location: Dancey Ballroom, 505 Hamilton Street, 2nd Floor (Downtown Vancouver)
Sunday afternoon social dancing at the Ballroom is a casual and non-intimidating atmosphere for dancers of all ages and skill levels. You can expect to hear a variety of music with the focus on Salsa. In the summer time, this weekly social turns into a buzzing event called Sunday Salsa at Robson Square, attracting hundreds of dancers from the lower mainland and Vancouver Island.
First Sunday of every month has free admission! More info here
Salsa Soirée*
When: 4th Sunday of every month
Music: Salsa, Bachata, Cha-cha-cha and a little Kizomba
Start Time: 8:30-11:30pm
Cover charge: $10 (cash only)
All ages welcome (licensed!)
Location: D2 Dance Studio, 55 West 8th Ave. at Manitoba
This event is becoming a favourite among Vancouver Salseros. Admission includes complimentary wine and cheese—it’s the perfect wind-down after a long week or work and play. If you attend the Sunday Afternoon Salsa Social at the Dancey Ballroom, show your wrist stamp for half price admission ($5) to the Salsa Soirée. Music by DJ Osito. More info here