Jolene
Jolene hides in the Meatpacking District at Flaesketorvet 81, occupying a raw basement space beneath the old wholesale meat buildings. The venue holds roughly 200 people across a single room with a bar at one end and a DJ booth at the other. The walls are bare concrete, the ceiling is low, and the lighting is minimal. Jolene opened in 2012 and quickly became the Meatpacking District's most unpretentious night out. The programming swings between indie rock nights, techno parties, queer events, and hip-hop sessions, sometimes within the same weekend. The door is more relaxed than Culture Box, and the crowd is younger and more diverse. During summer months, the outdoor area in the courtyard fills up before people move inside. The bar stocks basic spirits, Danish beers, and a small cocktail selection.
What to Expect
You enter through an industrial doorway and descend into a low, dark room with a solid sound system and a crowd that ranges from art students to off-duty bartenders. The energy builds slowly and peaks around 2 AM. It's sweaty, loud, and completely unpretentious.
Raw, energetic, and democratic. The kind of place where you end up talking to strangers by the bar and dancing with them an hour later.
Varies by night: indie rock, techno, hip-hop, disco, queer dance nights. Check the schedule before going.
Anything goes. Jeans and a t-shirt, vintage finds, all-black techno gear. Jolene's crowd doesn't judge.
People who like small, sweaty clubs with varied programming. Good for groups with different music tastes.
Card and contactless accepted. Cash also works.
Price Range
Entry DKK 60-120, beer DKK 55-65, cocktails DKK 90-110
Entry ~$9-18/~8-16 EUR, beer ~$8-10/~7-9 EUR, cocktails ~$13-16/~12-15 EUR
Hours
Thu-Sat 10 PM to 5 AM. Occasional Wednesday events.
Insider Tip
Check Jolene's Instagram for weekly programming, as the vibe changes dramatically between nights. Thursday tends to be the most eclectic. Saturday late-night is when the dance floor peaks. The courtyard is the best place to start the evening in summer.
Full Review
Jolene is the Meatpacking District's corrective to any notion that Copenhagen nightlife is all polished cocktail bars and exclusive door policies. The basement space is deliberately rough. Concrete, low ceilings, basic lighting. What it lacks in design it makes up for in energy. On a good Saturday night, the room hits a density where everyone is moving and nobody cares what they look like doing it.
The programming is Jolene's strongest feature. Unlike most clubs that stick to a single genre identity, Jolene rotates through indie rock, techno, hip-hop, disco, and queer dance nights across the week. This means the crowd changes character from night to night. Thursday might be art school kids dancing to post-punk. Saturday could be a techno set that wouldn't feel out of place at Culture Box. This unpredictability is the point.
The bar is efficient but basic. Beer, spirits, and a few cocktails at prices that are reasonable for the Meatpacking District, which still means DKK 55-65 for a beer. The outdoor courtyard between the Kodbyen buildings is where most evenings start, especially in summer. People buy drinks, stand around in the warm evening air, and drift inside as the music picks up.
Compared to nearby Bakken (more of a bar that becomes a club) and KB18 (more strictly techno), Jolene occupies the middle ground. It's the place to go when you want to dance but don't want to commit to a specific genre or a specific crowd. The door is relaxed, the vibe is inclusive, and the late license means you can stay until 5 AM without feeling like the party is winding down.
The Neighborhood
Jolene is in the heart of Kodbyen, surrounded by restaurants like Kodbyens Fiskebar, Bakken bar, and the various food spots that fill the Meatpacking District. The area is a five-minute walk from Halmtorvet and the lower end of Istedgade.
Getting There
Walk from Central Station in about 12 minutes via Istedgade and Halmtorvet. Metro Enghave Plads (M3) is a 10-minute walk. Bus 10 stops on Vesterbrogade, a five-minute walk away. Bolt or Viggo ride-hailing from the city center costs around DKK 60-80.
Address
Flæsketorvet 81
Other Venues in Vesterbro
Culture Box
Copenhagen's premier electronic music club, housed in a converted basement with two rooms and a world-class sound system. Resident and international DJs play techno, house, and experimental electronic music.
KB18
Underground club in a converted boiler room beneath Kodbyen, run by volunteers. Raw industrial space hosting techno, ambient, and experimental nights.
Bakken
Meatpacking District bar and late-night venue with outdoor seating, DJs on weekends, and a young professional crowd. Functions as a bar early and a dance venue late.
Mikkeller Bar
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Lidkoeb
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Vega
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