Bassiani
Bassiani occupies the drained swimming pool beneath Tbilisi's Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, a Soviet-era football stadium. The club opened in 2014 and quickly became the anchor of Georgia's electronic music scene, earning comparisons to Berlin's Berghain and Tbilisi a spot on the global techno map. The main floor fills the old pool basin, creating a sunken dance floor with concrete walls that channel sound in ways purpose-built clubs struggle to match. A second room, Horoom, sits upstairs and programs ambient, experimental, and downtempo sets. International DJs like Ben Klock, Nina Kraviz, and Blawan rotate through alongside a strong roster of Georgian residents. The door policy is strict but fair: selectors look for genuine interest in the music, not wealth or appearance. Entry runs GEL 20-30 ($7.40-11), and the club opens Friday and Saturday nights from midnight, with Sunday morning sessions starting around 8 AM. The crowd is young, dedicated, and respectful of the space. Phones are covered with stickers at the door to prevent photography on the dance floor.
What to Expect
You descend into the former pool basin and the sound hits you before you see the dance floor. The acoustics are unique; bass reverberates off the concrete walls in a way that gets into your chest. Lighting is minimal, mostly strobes and fog. The crowd dances facing the DJ booth with real focus. Conversation happens in the corridor or at the bar, not on the floor. Horoom upstairs offers a gentler space if you need to decompress without leaving the building.
Intense, focused, and communal. The crowd comes for the music and creates a collective energy that builds through the night.
Techno, minimal, industrial, and ambient/experimental in Horoom
Dark, understated clubwear. Black is the default. No flashy logos, no suits. Comfortable shoes for long hours of dancing.
Serious electronic music fans who want a world-class club experience at a fraction of Western European prices.
Cash (GEL) and cards accepted. Cash is faster at the bar.
Price Range
Entry GEL 20-30, drinks GEL 8-20, water GEL 3-5
≈ EUR 7-10 / $7-11
Hours
Fri-Sat midnight to late morning, Sunday sessions 8 AM to afternoon
Insider Tip
Arrive before 1 AM to avoid the longest queues. Dress dark and simple. Don't try to use your phone on the dance floor; staff will ask you to stop. Bring cash for the bar as card machines can be slow during peak hours. The Sunday morning session is a local institution worth experiencing.
Full Review
The entrance is easy to miss. A door beneath the stadium, a short corridor, and then you're descending into the drained pool. The first thing you notice is the ceiling height in the main room; it's low enough to feel intimate but high enough that the space doesn't feel oppressive. The sound system was designed for this specific room, and it shows. Bass frequencies that would muddy in a conventional venue arrive clean and physical here.
The bar runs along one wall of the main room. Service is reasonable by club standards, though the queue builds between 2 and 4 AM. Beer and basic spirits are the staples; don't expect craft cocktails. Water is cheap and available, which matters in a space that runs hot when full. The ventilation system works but can't fully compensate on packed summer nights.
Horoom upstairs is a different experience entirely. Ambient and experimental DJs play to a smaller, quieter crowd. Seating is available. It functions as both a standalone destination and a recovery space for people taking a break from the main floor. The programming is genuinely interesting, not just filler.
The door policy deserves mention. Selectors work the queue and make decisions based on vibe rather than demographics. Being genuine, calm, and clearly interested in the music gets you in. Being drunk, aggressive, or visibly there for reasons other than the music gets you turned away. Groups of men without women don't face automatic rejection, which distinguishes Bassiani from some Berlin counterparts.
The crowd is predominantly Georgian with a growing international contingent. English is widely spoken. The phone sticker policy creates a rare environment where everyone is present rather than filming. It's one of the few clubs where the dance floor feels like a shared experience rather than a collection of individual performances.
The Neighborhood
Bassiani sits beneath Dinamo Arena in the Vake-Saburtalo area, about a 10-minute Bolt ride from Rustaveli Avenue. The surrounding neighborhood is residential and quiet. After the club closes, the area doesn't offer much in the way of food or continued nightlife; most people head to Rustaveli or the Old Town.
Getting There
Take Bolt or Yandex Go from central Tbilisi. The ride from Rustaveli costs GEL 5-8. Metro to Delisi station gets you within walking distance, but the metro closes at midnight, so it only works for early arrivals. On foot from Rustaveli, it's a 25-30 minute walk uphill.
Address
49 Irakli Abashidze St, Tbilisi
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