Of course, if you’re a young, attractive woman, clubbing is practically free (and not just on Ladies’ Night). If you weren’t already on a guest list, a promoter would probably pick you out of the queue and sign you in for free. Then, once you’re in, you just need to hang around the bar and wait for someone to buy you drinks.
But for the rest of us – the men, as well as the women who refuse to make eyes at the club staff – the cheapest way to get into a club is by paying the cover charge.
First of all, what is a “cover charge”?
Put simply, it is an entrance fee. In other countries, cover is charged for some night clubs, bars and restaurants, but in Singapore, it’s typically for clubs only.
Usually the cover charge will come with 1 or 2 house drinks, which is fine if you’re just there for a bit of booze and dancing.
Those who intend to get smashed usually pool in their cash to open bottles at the club instead because you can bring in more friends and get table service (i.e. act yi ge baller).
… If not, you can go ghetto and have your pre-game drinks before entering the club.
Contents
- Bang Bang
- Empire Sky Lounge
- Phuture
- Canvas
- Marquee
- Attica
- F Club
- Altimate at 1-Altitude
- Zouk
- Capital
10 Best clubs in Singapore – cover charge comparison
| Club in Singapore | Cover charge |
| Bang Bang | Free |
| Empire Sky Lounge | Free (Mon to Thu), $20 (Fri & Sat, but free if you RSVP & arrive before 10pm & 12mn respectively) |
| Phuture | $20 (women), $25 (men) |
| Canvas club | $20 (Wed, Thu & Sat) or $25 (Fri) |
| Marquee | $20 & up |
| Attica | $28 |
| F Club | $28 |
| Altimate at 1-Altitude | $30 |
| Zouk Club | $30 (women), $40 (men) |
| Capital Zouk | $40 (women), $50 (men) |
As mentioned, the club culture is quite sexist. Rumour has it that every club’s goal is to have about a 3:1 ratio of women to men, because where the beautiful women go, the rich men follow.
So the cover charge for ladies is typically lower than for men. For those that don’t discriminate – woo hoo! – the charges may vary depending on the time you enter the club.
Free / no cover charge – Bang Bang (all day, every day), Empire Sky Lounge (on Mon to Thu, and Fri if you RSVP)
Cheaper for ladies – Phuture, Marquee, Zouk, Capital
Cheaper if you go early – Empire (before 10pm), Attica (before midnight), Altimate (before 9pm)
Bang Bang – free entry
- Cover charge: Free
- Age restrictions: 18+ (ladies), 21+ (men)
- Opening hours: 10pm to 6am on Wed, Fri and Sat
Bang Bang is the first nightclub in Singapore to complete remove their cover charges, so entry into the club is absolutely free. That’s quite unexpected for a night spot in the heart of Marina Bay, at 5-star hotel Pan Pacific.
View this post on Instagram
Bang Bang attracts quite a crowd for this reason though, so either arrive early or be prepared to queue. According to the website, the club has hosted international A-listers like Will-I-Am, LMFAO, Soulja Boy and more, which is quite cool.
However, there are a ton of crappy reviews on TripAdvisor, written by locals and tourists alike. Most complain about being denied entry, as well as encounters with rude staff who snub you if you’re not at a VIP table.
I suppose entry is free, but they still expect you to spend. If you’re thinking of getting a table, this is the Bang Bang menu.
Empire Sky Lounge – free on weekdays
- Cover charge: Free from Mon to Thu
- Free on Fri/Sat if you RSVP (before 10pm/12mn)
- $20 on Fri/Sat after 10pm/12mn, includes 1 drink
- Age restrictions: 21+ (ladies), 25+ (men)
- Opening hours:
- 5pm to 1am on Mon, Tue & Thu
- 5pm to 2am on Wed
- 5pm to 3am on Fri
- 9pm to 3am on Sat
Empire Sky Lounge is not exactly a nightclub, but it’s not just a sit-down bar either. Located on the 45F, the rooftop bar-lounge offers quite a stunning view of Singapore’s surprisingly beautiful cityscape.
View this post on Instagram
If you’re the kind who hates the over zealous crowd of hormone-fuelled college kids and army boys, then this one’s for you – clubbers need to be at least 21 (ladies)/25 (men) to enter.
Cover charge is free from Monday to Thursday, and if you RSVP online, Fridays and Saturdays too. You must enter before 10pm and 12mn respectively for free entry though, anytime after is $20 (includes 1 drink).
Phuture by Zouk – cover charge from $20 for ladies
- Cover charge: $20 (ladies), $25 (men)
- includes 2 drinks
- Age restrictions: 18+ (ladies), 21+ (men)
- Opening hours: Wed to Sat, 10pm till late
Phuture is the most affordable of the Zouk group of clubs, spinning urban, hip-hop and R&B tunes.
View this post on Instagram
As the younger, more vibrant sibling of Zouk, Phuture seemed a lot more popular back at the “old Zouk”. Perhaps it’s because back at Jiak Kim, it was the cheapest and easiest to get into. At Clarke Quay, the competition for cheap clubs is a lot stiffer.
Phuture doesn’t state a specific cover charge, but you can see the ticket prices for different events on different days of the month. It’s typically around $20 for girls and $25 for the guys, but I noticed some events were free entry as well, so be sure to check the Phuture website before heading down.
Canvas Club – cover charge from $20
- Cover charge: $20 on Wed, Thu & Sat, $25 on Fri
- Age restrictions:
- 18+ for ladies, all days
- 21+ for men on Wed & Thu
- 23+ for men on Fri
- On Sat the age restriction for men varies.
- Opening hours:
- 5pm to 1am on Tue
- 5pm to 3am on Wed to Fri
- 6pm to 4am on Sat
- Closed on Sun.
Located at Circular Road, Canvas replaced Home Club, a now-closed night spot that used to host local music gigs and play alternative music. But whatever, right – if you remember head-banging to rock tunes at Home Club, then you would have probably outgrown clubbing already.
View this post on Instagram
Canvas doubles as an art gallery by day, so the chi-chi crowd will surely appreciate the art-filled decor of this fancy club.
Cover is $20, except on Friday when it’s $25. For table charges, see below:
| Canvas table package price | Drinks (bottle) | No. of pax you can bring in |
| $400 | 1 Veuve Clicquot1 House Vodka/Whisky | 4 |
| $800 | 2 Veuve Clicquot1 Nikka All Malt/Grey Goose/ Snow Leopard Vodka
1 Jaegermeister |
8 |
| $1,200 | 4 Veuve Clicquot2 Nikka All Malt/Grey Goose/ Snow Leopard Vodka | 12 |
From the “official” rules on their website, they seem pretty lenient with the girls, but extra strict with the guys.
For girls, the minimum age is 18 for all nights, and sandals are allowed (but must have a back strap). For guys, they must be either 21+ or 23+ (depending on the day), and cannot be dressed in shorts, tank tops and/or slippers.
It is quite funny, because it literally says on the website that the age restriction for men on Saturdays varies – so you kind of never know if you’ll get bounced.
Marquee Singapore Nightclub – cover charge from $20
- Cover charge: $20 and up
- includes 1 drink
- Age restrictions: 18+
- Opening hours: 10pm till late on Fri & Sat
Ah… Marquee. The newest club in town. The Marquee Nightclub chain hails from New York, with branches in Las Vegas and Sydney as well.
Marquee Singapore is located at the luxe Marina Bay Sands, and has everything in excess. The atas club literally has a full-sized Ferris Wheel and a gigantic 3-storey slide.
View this post on Instagram
But atas as it is, the club still attracts some pretty “rabak” people. Shortly after its opening, the club made headlines for having clubbers doing dirty deeds up on the Ferris Wheel – yikes. That’s not exactly the crowd I’d want to dance with, thanks.
Although different blogs cite different rates from $40+ to $50+, there is no cover charge stated on their website. You just need to purchase a ticket on Sistic to enter.
The prices depend on the event – i.e. who’s spinning – and right now, it’s from $20 to $38 (excluding $1 to $4 Sistic booking fee), which is surprisingly affordable.
Attica – cover charge from $28
- Cover charge: $28 all night
- includes 2 drinks
- Age restrictions: 18+ (ladies), 21+ (men)
- Opening hours: 10.30pm to 3am on Tue to Thu, 10.30pm to 4am on Fri & Sat
For some reason, I’ve always had a trashy impression of Attica. It’s now being rebranded as f.Club x Attica, which regularly holds events such as theme parties, guest DJs and branded events.
View this post on Instagram
Attica is known for being quite affordable, especially for the women on Ladies Night. Not only is entry free on Wednesdays, you get complimentary drinks through the night – crazy right?.
F Club – cover charge $28
- Cover charge: $28, includes 2 drinks
- Age restrictions: 18+ (ladies), 21+ (men)
- Opening hours: 10am to 4am on Wed, 10pm to 5am on Fri & 10pm-12am Sat
I thought F Club stood for something a lot more vulgar, but it actually means “FashionTV Club”. Apparently it’s “fashion-themed”, but I never really got that vibe…
Depending on your jam, there are 2 “zones”: The Ruby Room, which is for hip-hop, R&B and chart-toppers, and the Diamond Hall, which plays vocal house and progressive house music.
View this post on Instagram
Generally, cover is $28 for everyone, all nights. For VIPs, there are two tiers: The sofa (min. spend $800 on weekends, $600 on weekdays) and the standing tables (min. spend $500 on weekends, $300 on weekdays).
Altimate (1-Altitude) – cover charge $30
- Cover charge: $30
- includes 1 drink
- Age restrictions: 18+(ladies), 21+ (men)
- Opening hours: 10pm to 4am on Fri & Sat
Altimate is a luxe club within the swanky 1-Altitude complex. 1-Altitude is the rooftop bar, while Altimate is located on the 61F. Like Capital, this one is usually filled with the working professionals, especially on Fridays after work.
View this post on Instagram
The club is open on Fridays and Saturdays only, so no Ladies Night on Wednesdays. If you want a drink on any other day, just go up to 1-Altitude. The minimum age requirement is the same, but the cover charge is higher ($35 to $50, depending on the event).
Zouk Club – cover charge from $30 for ladies
- Cover charge: $30 (ladies), $40 (men)
- Includes 2 drinks
- Age restrictions: 18+
- Opening hours: 10pm till late on Wed, Fri, Sat & PH eve
Zouk is the OGs of the local nightclub scene, and it remains as popular as it was before moving to its new home at Clarke Quay. Zouk is the flagship of the 27-year-old club group, and has hosted international DJs like Avicii, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, and the likes.
View this post on Instagram
Zouk is the largest of the three in the complex – Zouk, Phuture and Capital – with a capacity of over 1,500.
Like the others, the Zouk cover charge depends on the event and DJ of the night, but most nights it’s $30 for the ladies, and $40 for men.
Capital Zouk – cover charge from $40 for ladies
- Cover charge: $40 (ladies), $50 (men)
- Includes 2 drinks
- Age restrictions: 20+ (ladies), 23+ (men)
- Opening hours: 10pm till late on Thu to Sat and PH eve
When I used to visit Zouk Jiak Kim, I knew Velvet Underground as the “old people club”. At Clarke Quay, Capital has taken over this title, with a slightly higher minimum age requirement than Zouk and Phuture.
View this post on Instagram
Capital has more of a lounge vibe, with plush sofas and bar seats. For the 90s kids, they regularly hold Total Recall nights, featuring everything from Britney to The Backstreet Boys.
Cover is typically $40 for women, and $50 for men. However, entry is free for the Thursday Night Hustle on – duh – Thursday.
Which of these are your favourite clubs? Tell us in the comments below!
Related Articles
The Best Credit Cards for Entertainment in Singapore 2019
Best Ladies’ Night Parties Singapore (2019): Complimentary Entry, Free Cocktails and Free-Flow Wine
What to Eat at Clarke Quay: Restaurants & Bars Price Guide for Your Next Night Out