The Beacham
46 N. Orange Ave., 407-246-1419; thebeacham.comYou may think of the Beacham primarily as a live-music venue, but on nights when it's not indie-rockin,' DJs are spinning. Barrio and Tropical Sundays, a live broadcast from 104.5 the Beat on Saturdays and a new Friday night hip-hop and reggae dance party with Power 95.3 FM make this one of downtown's busiest dance clubs.
Icebar Orlando's Fire Lounge
8967 International Drive, 407-426-7555; icebarorlando.comOn one side, Icebar is a bar sculpted out of ice; on the other, it's a smoking-hot nightclub where resident DJs and a full-service bar featuring signature cocktails make it an I-Drive party palace.
Venue 578
578 N. Orange Ave., 407-872-0066; venue578.comIs it a venue or a club? With some of the best EDM nights in town (don't miss Ignition on Thursday nights), it doesn't matter which way Venue 578 (formerly Firestone Live) swings, because there's no other place like it in Orlando and the crowds always come.Independent Bar
70 N. Orange Ave., 407-839-0457; facebook.com/independentbarorlandoThree bars, two dance floors and some of the most creative dance nights in town – like the totally cheeseball dance party Mac-n-Cheese – make I-Bar a downtown hotspot where everyone's welcome.
Lux
5688 International Drive, 407-352-8838; luxorlando.comOrlando's permanent high-decibel DJ dance party spot has a staggering number of revolving events and performers. If you're just sitting at home staring at your lollipop/pacifier/glowstick collection, you should probably spray on some glitter, slap up your do and get on over there.
Ono Nightclub
1 S. Orange Ave., 407-701-9875; ononightclub.comThis newish arrival on the Orlando dance club scene opened its doors in summer 2013, and it quickly established itself as a sleek, chic hotspot featuring private cabanas, bottle service and celebrity hosts.
Gilt
740 Bennett Road, 407-898-4004; giltnightclub.comRemember Roxy? Well, more than a million dollars' worth of renovations have transformed it into Gilt, a club that seems to be trying to class things up after nearly two decades of wild dance nights and EDM parties that shook the joint to the rafters. (Remember that time a dude fell out of the ceiling panel?) Anyway, Gilt boasts 10 bars, two dance floors, upgraded lighting and sound systems, valet parking and craft cocktails. They're also promising to bring some of the top DJs in the world to spin. Stay tuned.
Shine
25 Wall St., 407-849-9904; wallstplaza.netThe theme is moonshine warehouse in this club, which used to be home to Slingapour's. Now it's serving house-made moonshine and it boasts a new audio system that'll have you out of your seat and dancing after your first apple pie moonshine (on tap!).
Tier
20 E. Central Blvd., 407-317-9129; tiernightclub.comThis massive, 10,000-square-foot club features open-format music Tuesdays through Saturdays, and it specializes in the VIP experience. If you're a local celeb, or just want to feel like one, Tier is the place to go to make yourself feel fancy.
Vain
22 S. Magnolia Ave., 407-835-3590; vainorlando.comIf you happen to be wearing your heels, just got your hair did and you're smelling good ... and you happen to be walking around downtown looking for a party, you should definitely hop into Vain. The crowd is always a mix of young and old, and the DJs – some of whom are VH1 reality celebs (we're looking at you, Brian Dawe) – are always spinning the right tracks.
Vintage Lounge
114 S. Orange St., 407-649-0000; facebook.com/vinorlandoVintage attracts some of the area's biggest DJs and hosts some of downtown Orlando's most popular dance nights – don't miss the Original Vintage Saturdays – in a surprisingly cozy-feeling club.