Best Myrtle Beach Nightlife

AOL PICK from our Editors

When the sun sets over the horizon, you’d better still be moving to catch the buzz. From shows and concerts to dance clubs and shag contests, you certainly won’t get bored. Dance the night away at Broadway at the Beach’s Celebrity Square, where you’ll find some of the top Myrtle Beach nightclubs such as Senor Frogs, or take in dinner and a show appropriate for the whole family at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. Most of the nightlife takes place in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle proper, where you’ll find the highest concentration of activities along the Highway 17 Strip. Pawleys Island, Murrells Inlet and Georgetown are much sleepier destinations, which we recommend primarily for dinner and drinks. Be aware that while these towns often party through the night, you aren’t in the big city with public transportation so arrange for a sober driver or taxi ahead of time. Keep reading for the best of Myrtle Beach nightlife.

Celebrity Square

Neighborhood: Downtown

Head ‘round the world in just a few blocks. From Senor Frogs to Margaritaville to the Hard Rock Café and back again, you’ll find plenty of nightlife options at Broadway at the Beach’s Celebrity Square. Come nightfall, these restaurants are the city’s most hopping destination for clubs and bars. Offering daily specials, seasonal happy hours and even the occasional parade, Celebrity Square is one of the city’s top places to see and be seen. Our favorite? Celebrations, a mega club that combines four distinct clubs—Malibu Surf Bar, Club Boca, Froggy Bottomz and Broadway Louie’s—under one roof and accessible via one cover charge.

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Celebrity Square

House of Blues Myrtle Beach

Neighborhood: North Myrtle Beach

You may think you know the House of Blues, but you ain’t seen nothin’ until you’ve visited the Grand Strand location, a mecca for artists of both the country and pop/rock variety alike. This is one of the best Myrtle Beach places for nightlife entertainment. Both major acts (Ke$ha, Cyndi Lauper, Nas, and Deftones were on the summer 2010 lineup) and up-and-comers play for between $10 and $85 per show, but nightly entertainment is also available in the form of a few stiff drinks. Don’t miss the Sunday Gospel Brunch, a buffet extravaganza priced at $20 per person and offering southern fare and gospel performances.

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House of Blues Myrtle Beach »

Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede

Neighborhood: Downtown

You ain’t seen Southern until you’ve seen the Dixie Stampede. Enjoy a four-course dinner with down-home favorites like ribs, corn on the cob, and chicken while you marvel at a sound and stage act complete with 32 trick-riding horses, a stampede of Longhorn steer, and pageantry that’ as showy as Dolly herself. The theme is the Civil war and the audience is encouraged to cheer for either the North or the South. Watch Southern Belles display their singing talent and cowboys perform a roundup. You may even get taken on stage to become part of the act yourself. Don’t miss the holiday season shows, including a special Christmas pageant.

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Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede

Spanish Galleon

Neighborhood: North Myrtle Beach

Hey baby, wanna shag? No, it’s not a line from Austin Powers. It’s the native dance of South Carolina. Sure, we know you’re thinking “native dance?"—but bear with us. The three-step is similar to swing and practically a requisite for graduation at southern schools. Want to learn? Look no further than North Myrtle and Spanish Galleon in particular. Known as the unofficial home base of the shag, you’ll find nightly live beach music or DJs playing top hits inside this club, part of the Ocean Drive resort complex. Young and young at heart can dance the night away to songs like “Carolina Girls.” Even if you’re not one (a Carolina Girl, that is), you can still join in the party as an unofficial member.

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Spanish Galleon

Alabama Theatre

Neighborhood: North Myrtle Beach

Opened in 1993 by country superstar band Alabama, this 2,200-seat theater is part of the Barefoot Landing shopping complex. The group founded the $7 million theater in hopes of returning to the place where they first gained their start—playing for tips at local Myrtle Beach bars like The Bowery. Expect to see Alabama themselves perform at least ten shows per year, with other traveling country names offering Opryland style singing, dancing and musical acts throughout the year, including the popular yearly performance of “One: The Show,” a musical review of country, gospel, pop and rock favorites.Check the website to find out who is playing and when.

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