By evening, the wind off the harbour has usually dropped enough for people to walk the waterfront and the inner streets, and the city's bars and restaurants begin to fill. Wellington is compact, so a night out rarely involves more than a short walk or ride between one place and the next.
Wellington's nightlife is concentrated and largely youth-driven, with a strong craft beer scene and a mix of mainstream and alternative venues. It suits visitors who want an evening that is easy to navigate on foot, who are happy to move between a few different spots, and who do not need everything to run until dawn.
Where to go out in Wellington
1. Courtenay Place
Courtenay Place is the centre of the city's nightlife, running from the CBD through Te Aro and ending in Mt Victoria. It is where the largest concentration of bars and clubs is found, and it draws the biggest crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.
This is the area to choose if you want choice and atmosphere rather than a single destination. Drinks here are typically around $11–14, and entrance charges are either nonexistent or minimal. Some of the better clubs apply reasonable dress standards, though the mood during the day is extremely casual, with jandals often accepted.
2. Cuba Mall and the Cuba Street precinct
Cuba Mall and the surrounding Cuba Street area are known for a more alternative character, with bars that sit alongside the precinct's historic buildings, op shops and food. It suits a night that is more about character and conversation than a large, loud crowd.
Pair it with Courtenay Place if you want to move between the two, since they are close enough to cover on foot in one evening.
3. Lambton Quay and the CBD after-work bars
Away from Courtenay Place, the CBD district around Lambton Quay has many bars frequented by office workers. The atmosphere is quieter and more conversational, built around the end of the working day.
Note that this area becomes deserted in the later hours, and these establishments do not usually provide all-night partying. It works best as an early stop rather than the final one.
4. Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay
Oriental Parade in Oriental Bay is the city's most scenic street, and locals and visitors run, walk, cycle, rollerblade and eat at the cafes and restaurants along the strip, or sit on the beach. It suits a relaxed early evening, particularly in better weather.
Treat it as a starting point for the night rather than a late-night destination, and plan to move back into the central streets afterwards.
5. Newtown
Newtown is one of the city's cultural precincts, known for creative innovation, op shops, historic character and food. It offers a different, more neighbourhood-scale evening than the central entertainment strip.
It is a good option if you want to eat and drink away from the busiest crowds, and it pairs well with an early start to the night.
How a night out unfolds
Wellington's nightlife is busiest on Friday and Saturday nights, when Courtenay Place draws the largest crowds. The CBD around Lambton Quay fills with office workers after work but empties in the later hours, while Courtenay Place and the Cuba Street area carry the evening on. Because the city is compact and the main areas sit close together, you can move between an early stop and a later one without much travel.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Labour Day – late October
- Guy Fawkes Night – 5 November
- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day – late December
- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day – 31 December and 1 January
- Waitangi Day – 6 February
Frequently asked questions
Where is Wellington's nightlife concentrated?
Along Courtenay Place, one of the major streets running from the CBD through Te Aro and ending in Mt Victoria. Cuba Mall also has more alternative bars, and the CBD around Lambton Quay has after-work bars.
Which nights are busiest?
Friday and Saturday nights, when Courtenay Place has the highest population density in the country.
How much should I expect to pay for a drink?
Drinks are usually about $11–14, and entrance charges are either nonexistent or minimal.
What should I wear?
During the day the mood is extremely casual, with jandals often accepted. In some of the better clubs, reasonable dress standards apply.
Plan your evening around an early stop and a later one, and let the compact centre make the walking easy.