Karaoke used to be stereotyped as something a little foolish and ‘kitsch’, something drunk and emotional people would do on their own. Thankfully for those who secretly love singing along to their favorite tunes, Karaoke has come back in full force! From the 2000s onward Karaoke has re-emerged in popular culture. The massively popular ‘Carpool Karaoke’ hosted by James Corden where the most famous stars sing along to their own hits and others is a good example.
Karaoke events and bars have popped up all over the (Western) world! Make your next trip extra exciting by planning a fun song filled evening for you and your travel partners. It’s also a great way of meeting new people. Singing takes a lot of courage, so if you pass that stage, you can handle anything. This article will give you ten spots in ten cities where you can sing your heart out! As a local of course.
The Social in London
The Social lies close to Oxford Street and the wooden clad interior and fab brown leather booths take you a million miles away from the hustle and bustle and grab a quick bite and a cocktail.
Feel free to get carried away as most nights they open the basement club for nights including Hip Hop Karaoke! They say don’t mix alcohol with singing but who cares. You don’t know these people.
Gemelli in Podgorica
Gemelli is located in the close vicinity of the Millennium Bridge, and it’s one of the favorite student spots in the city. During the evening it’s usually packed with people and they often organize cool events, including karaoke!
But you can also enjoy pub quizzes, language exchange nights and other thematic events. But who are we kidding? You guys prefer karaoke over those intellectuals activities right.
BAR in Rotterdam
BAR is a place filled with young people from all over the city enjoying themselves with a game of foosball, pinball or on the brand-new Pacman player machine. Probably best of all is that every Wednesday night is Karaoke night!
Surround yourself with the international young crowd and enjoy some drinks while singing your favorite songs with friends. People are very friendly here so don’t you guys worry about hitting a false note or two. There’s nothing to be ashamed of!
Converse Bar in Tirana
Converse Bar is a very small underground basement bar mostly visited by students, high schoolers, metal heads, and artists. But everyone can go there and have a nice time.
It’s not the kind of place to go to have a conversation since the music is too loud, especially on weekends or karaoke nights! But night times are not for conversations, they’re for the fun!
Fambar in Zurich
In Fambar every Friday and Saturday it’s karaoke time! Don’t worry if you’re a little shy at first, the mood is usually so laid-back that it’s easy to become friends with everyone else in the room.
On other nights they also organize Pub Quizzes (German only) and Foosball tournaments on three tables. Check their Facebook page for upcoming events!
Piece in Chicago
Piece is a pizzeria and brewery which serves up homemade pizzas and delicious award-winning microbrews. It’s centrally located in the heart of Wicker Park and probably why it’s one of the more popular local spots.
It’s a great place to go with a group since they have plenty of large tables and has live band karaoke after 23:00 every Saturday! You are advised to arrive a bit early because Piece tends to be rather crowded on weekends.
Backstage Bar & Grill in Los Angeles
The Backstage Bar and Grill is actually a karaoke bar! It’s is usually packed on weekends with a crowd ranging from mid-twenties the to late thirties, and since this is Hollywood, you can always expect to see a couple of people with real vocal chops. Expect to see some professional karaoke.
Don’t let it scare you though since you will also see crazy guys doing random songs with the goal of making everyone laugh! But that just makes it more fun and it definitely encourages other people to sing as well. So, which one are you? The real Hollywood professional, or the joker?
Stonewall in New York
Stonewall is a formerly mafioso (Genovese family) owned bar. As the name might suggest, this isn’t your typical place, and it attracts a very inclusive crowd. And as you can see from those flags, everyone is welcome here.
It’s a hive of entertainment with activities ranging from karaoke, bingo, “Big, Gay Happy Hour” (Mon-Fri, 2:30-7pm), dance parties, live singing drag queens, and variety shows. You can check out either their website or social media for their upcoming events!
Slate Bar in San Francisco
Slate Bar is one of the dozens, maybe hundreds, of dive bars in the Mission. It’s a new addition to 16th Street but still manages to stand out. They have weekly events, including Dance Karaoke Thursdays.
It’s a nice sized space with a good dance floor and limited loungey seating. And if you’re karaoke-shy, just learn to the words to any song by Journey. Don’t stop believing!
Pauper’s Pub – Toronto
Pauper’s Pub is a “British Pub,” which Toronto has many of, yet they manage to attract a variety of visitors. Their rooftop patio is always busy due to its refreshing southeasterly view of downtown.
But the street patio is more subdued making it a great spot if you just want to have a pint or a martini. The best part is, of course, live music/karaoke on Thursdays at 22:00!
More? We have local spots in 75 cities!