In the world of nightlife, there are many different elements but two of the biggest is this one: pubs and clubs.
Since this website is called PubClub.com, we seek to bring the best of each of those types of establishments to our site visitors. But this brings up an interesting question that is often asked on the internet and among those seeking differentiation between the two: what is the difference in a pub and a club, and a pub and a nightclub?
The answer is explained here.
A pub is a bar that is primarily a sit-down gathering and mingling place. It derives its name from the term “public house,” which was used in the 17th century to describe a place that served alcohol to customers, as opposed going to a friend’s house to empty out his liquor cabinet.
Primarily used in Britain or British colonies, a pub generally is dark, consists of wooden chairs and tables and has an old-school guy behind the bar pouring beers to patrons who, sometimes, spend more time there than at home.
Sometimes a pub has live music, but mostly it is for sitting, swapping stories with long-time friends and drinking beer.
Traditionally, but certainly not always, the pub is primarily a place for men. Pubs are small with a capacity from a few dozen to a couple hundred. They typically have no cover charges and rarely have lines to get into them, even on weekends. Pubs are also great for watching sports, while clubs rarely show sporting events.
Other terms for a pub include a tavern, alehouses or even inns, because many in England, Scotland and Ireland are located within inns.
A club, on the other hand, is a party palace, full of loud music from a pumping DJ and a dance floor.
The latter is really the top difference in a pub and a club. A club has dancing while a pub (generally speaking) does not have a dance floor.
Often called a nightclub, a club can be a venue with as little as 500 people or a mega-club like you find in major worldwide cities holding 2,000 or more clubbers.
Some places – Las Vegas in particular – take their clubs to incredible levels by having dancing girls in cages, top-name DJs who make 100K or more in a single evening, and bring in celebrities as guest DJs. In Ibiza, suds drop from the ceiling to make for a foam party on the dance floor.
Some places combine the two by having a pub-type of bar on one level and a dance floor on another level, often in a basement.
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