Thursdays are Back On at Smartbar Starting Next Month

In the month of May, Smartbar’s weekends will once again start on Thursday.

Chicago mainstay Smartbar is once again extending its weekends to four days each. For the first time in 2024, the dance music nightclub will operate on Thursdays starting in May.

“Get ready to start your weekends early… Thursdays are back beginning this May!” reads a post by Smartbar on X (formerly Twitter). “Our new Thursday hours of operation will be 9pm-2am and with your student id tickets are only $5.”

The first such night is slated for Thursday, May 2 and features performances by Chicago DJs Shaun J Wright and Dan B. Hood. That Friday and Saturday will be headlined by rising techno stars Henry Books and Marie Davidson, respectively.

The Thursdays to follow will showcase local artists like Green Machine, Greg Haus, Entropic, Public Movement, Club Gauche, FemmeDecks, and Espiral.

Located in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Smartbar celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, placing its origin story at the epicenter of the Chicago house phenomenon that emerged from the city’s gay, Black and Latino communities. Although Founder Joe Shanahan told Resident Advisor that he initially had no designs on working in the music industry, the club came to host resident DJs such as Derrick Carter, The Blessed Madonna, and even the late Frankie Knuckles.

May will not be the first time Smartbar has hosted events on Thursdays. As recently as last year, it programmed four-day weekends throughout June and October.

Following the announcement about upcoming Thursdays, Smartbar announced a Thursday party pass that grants you access to all of the events on that day of the week. Attending all of them via the pass saves you $200 on ticket fees, according to a post on X.

Sign up for Smartbar’s email newsletter to stay in the know on upcoming announcements, and purchase your party pass on the official website.

Read Smartbar’s Post on X:

Follow Smartbar:

Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify | TikTok