Nightlife · Salt Lake City · United States
Salt Lake City nightlife
Where the evenings happen in Salt Lake City, from early drinks to late nights.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: William Henry Jackson, Public domain
Quick answer
Salt Lake's nightlife is more lively than its reputation suggests, with cocktail bars, brewery taprooms, live-music venues and a strong arts calendar — Ballet West, the Utah Symphony and touring Broadway shows. The main areas are Downtown, Granary District and Sugar House.
Key facts
- Nightlife areas
- 3
- Stay near the action
- Downtown
- Local drink
- Dirty soda
Where to go out
Downtown
Cocktail bars, music venues and theatres around Main Street, Pierpont Avenue and the Eccles Theater.
Granary District
Breweries, distillery tasting rooms and food trucks in converted warehouses south-west of downtown.
Sugar House
Neighbourhood bars and pubs along Highland Drive.
Nightlife tips
- Bars admit only those 21 and over; carry ID.
- TRAX stops running around midnight; use ride-hailing later.
- Check the Delta Center and Eccles Theater schedules for big events.
What to drink
- Dirty soda — Fountain soft drinks customised with syrups, coconut cream and fresh lime, sold from drive-through soda shops that are a Utah phenomenon.
Evenings through the year
Sunset and the overnight low decide how long the outdoor part of a night lasts. July has the warmest evenings, with lows around 19°C (66°F).
| Month | Sunset (15th) | Overnight low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | About 17:24 | -6°C (21°F) | 9 |
| April | About 20:06 | 4°C (39°F) | 9 |
| July | About 20:58 | 19°C (66°F) | 4 |
| October | About 18:48 | 6°C (43°F) | 6 |
Getting home late
- Tram — Check which TRAX stops fall inside the downtown free-fare zone before buying a ticket.
- Bus — UTA buses cover the valley, and in winter ski buses run up Big and Little Cottonwood canyons to the resorts.
- Ride-hailing — Uber and Lyft are widely available for airport runs and evenings.
Late-night bites
- Fry sauce — Local burger drive-ins across the valley; ask for it if it does not arrive automatically.
- Navajo taco — Fairs, festivals and some diners; also at events in summer.
Staying safe at night
Salt Lake City is generally comfortable for visitors; use normal precautions around Pioneer Park and parts of downtown at night. The bigger risks are environmental: altitude and dry heat in summer, winter driving and avalanche danger in the canyons, and periodic poor air quality during winter inversions or summer wildfire smoke.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
Where to stay for nightlife
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, shopping and nightlife
Downtown
Downtown spreads around Temple Square, with the Salt Palace Convention Center, City Creek Center mall, the Delta Center arena and most of the large hotels. TRAX light rail runs through it, including a free-fare zone, and the airport line stops here. Streets are very wide and blocks long, so distances are greater than they look.
- Good
- Direct light rail to the airport; Walk to Temple Square and restaurants; Widest hotel choice
- Watch out
- Quiet on some evenings; Hotel prices rise during conventions and church conferences
- Nearby
- Temple Square, City Creek Center, Utah State Capitol, The Gateway
Questions travellers ask
+Where is the best nightlife in Salt Lake City?
Downtown, Granary District and Sugar House. Cocktail bars, music venues and theatres around Main Street, Pierpont Avenue and the Eccles Theater.
+Which area of Salt Lake City is best for nightlife?
Downtown: Temple Square, convention hotels and City Creek Center on a wide-street grid.