An underground clubbing venue which also hosts gigs from many bands, Cabaret Voltaire is an infamous venue in Edinburgh’s Cowgate. It’s very popular due to the fact it hosts different genres of music and is open seven nights a week.

The Venue
After entering, you descend two flights of stairs and enter the club which is part of the ancient underground cavern network that runs throughout the Cowgate area. The club has exposed brickwork and the curving ceilings in keeping with the history of the venue. There is a main bar area and two main rooms located just off this. More recently a new area has been added, The Speakeasy, which is accessed from the main entrance of the club. Head upstairs into this space and you will enter a suave and sophisticated haven complete with table service. A quirky feature in the toilets of The Speakeasy are the one-way glass doors on the cubicles that allow you to see out; outsiders are unable to see in, thankfully.

The People
What night you choose to visit Cabaret Voltaire ultimately determines what kind of people you may meet here. The crowd will always be chilled out and the atmosphere is always great. The intimacy of the club contributes to this; there is rarely any trouble at this venue.

The Music
Cabaret Voltaire is as popular for its club nights as it is for its gigs. The gigs tend to be on earlier in the evening, with the venue turning into a club later on in the night. The bands that play are usually up and coming artists, although you do get more popular bands such as tribute act, The Complete Stone Roses. It hosts a number of different club nights, some running weekly and some running monthly. Some of the more popular nights include Ultragroove, Karnival, Musika, Tokyoblu and Sugarbeat. The music at the club nights ranges from house to indie and everything in between. At Ultragroove expect deep underground and minimal house; whereas Sugarbeat offers anything from drum and bass to hip hop. Keep your eyes peeled for guest star DJs from around the world visiting the club nights. Past guests include Dimitri From Paris and Felix Da Housecat.

The Drinks
The main bar area is conveniently located as the main hub of the club, with the stairs from the entrance, toilets and the two main rooms running off it. This is a great place to catch up and chat, before heading onto the dance floor. The drink prices depend on what night you visit. During the week expect drinks offers and at the weekends expect to pay weekend prices - around £3 for a vodka and mixer. In The Speakeasy, due to the table service, drinks are a little bit pricier.

The Last Word
Whether it’s the bands or the DJs that rock your world, Cabaret Voltaire aims to please all music lovers.

venue information venue map view edinburgh review user reviews (3) image gallery (5) book tickets what's on