3 reviewed party hostels · from €19.95/night · Hostelworld rated
Antwerp's nightlife runs deep into the early hours, and the city's party scene is concentrated enough that you can walk between most of it. The Groenplaats and Grote Markt area is where pre-drinks happen, but serious nights tend to migrate east towards the Nationalestraat corridor and the cluster of clubs around the old Harbour district. Red & Blue and Café d'Anvers are the names you'll hear most often, and both sit within a short taxi or tram ride of the main hostel belt near Centraal Station. The hostel scene here is smaller than Brussels or Amsterdam, but that means you'll actually get to know your dorm-mates. A&O Antwerpen Centraal is the biggest option, well-placed for both the Diamond District by day and the bar streets by night. Dorm beds start from around €20 on weekdays, rising at weekends. The crowd skews young European, with a solid mix of Erasmus students and long-haul backpackers passing through.
Rated by Hostelworld score · Prices per dorm bed per night
Great social hostel with a lively on-site bar and amazing vibes. The hostel offers a lot of free entertainment like table tennis, board games, PlayStation, bike hire, etc. A huge fully-equipped kitchen is a perfect place for preparing your own food or enjoying fun group dinners with other backpackers. A great on-site bar is hosting daily happy hour events.
Nice social hostel with modern design and several common areas. Well-located, right in the heart of the city and the main nightlife area. There are great local pubs, bars, and clubs right next to the hostel. Besides plenty of games and entertainment, the hostel also offers free tasty breakfast for all the guests.
The hostel features an amazing game centre with foosball and a pool table, perfect for meeting the new people. Cosy garden with comfortable outdoor seating is one more great social spot where guests like to hang out. A friendly and helpful staff is ready to share great and useful tips and make your stay into a real adventure.
How Antwerp's nightlife zones break down
The area immediately around Antwerp-Centraal is the most practical base for backpackers. Most hostels sit within a ten-minute walk of the station, which puts you on direct tram lines to every other part of the city. Pelikaanstraat cuts through the Diamond District just west of here, lined with jewellery traders by day and a handful of late-night bars by night.
Het Zuid is Antwerp's art and bar district, centred on the Wapenplein and spreading along the Vlaamsekaai towards the river. It's where a younger local crowd drinks on weeknights, with wine bars and craft beer spots lining the streets around the Museum of Fine Arts. The walk from Centraal takes about 25 minutes, or jump on tram 4 or 8.
The Eilandje district, anchored by the MAS museum and the old Bonapartedok, has shifted from a post-industrial waterfront into one of the city's main club zones. Café d'Anvers occupies a former church here, and the surrounding streets fill up on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a 20-minute walk north from Centraal or a short ride on tram 7.
Where the hostel pub crawls end up, and where to go on your own
One of Europe's most respected club venues, housed in a 17th-century former church in the Eilandje district. The interior is enormous, with a main dancefloor under vaulted ceilings and a sound system that was serious before most current clubbers were born. It runs house and techno nights on Fridays and Saturdays, doors from 11pm, entry typically €10 to €15.
Long-running club on Lange Schipperskapelstraat that draws a mixed crowd for electronic music nights. The crowd is friendly and the bar prices are reasonable by Belgian standards. Gets genuinely busy after midnight on weekends.
A student favourite on the Oude Koornmarkt in the Old Town, loud and unpretentious with cheap beers and a reliably packed interior. It's the kind of place where a quiet Tuesday pint turns into a late night without much warning. Belgian draft beers from around €3.
Specialist jenever (Dutch gin) bar on the Reyndersstraat with over 200 varieties behind the bar. It's not a club, but it's where you go to understand what Belgians actually drink. Sit at the wooden bar, order something aged, and let the staff guide you.
Jazz and live music bar in Het Zuid that pulls a slightly older, local crowd looking for something other than a DJ set. Live acts play most weekends, and the beer selection is strong. Worth arriving before 10pm if you want a seat.
A reliable club on Adriaan Brouwerstraat in the Old Town running regular themed nights across multiple floors. The crowd is younger and the music ranges from commercial house to R&B depending on the night. Entry is often free before midnight.