The Perfect Week

By Willie Gichora

Night after night after night after night! Sometimes the stars align and everything comes together for that perfect week of nights-out when you can paint the town red for days on end. If you’ve got the time, money and stamina, Nairobi can be a great playground for the quintessential party animal. Though it might seem that there are more options than ever, mix it up with old and new favourites to archive party bingo. Let me be your guide, as we seek out the perfect week of events, venues and club nights. Get set, ready, GO!

Tuesday

Now that you’ve recovered from the previous weekend and spent Monday getting everything in order, it’s time to get started. Nice and easy though, so we’ll try to be “polite” on Tuesday. As “polite” as you can be when you’re at The Alchemist (Westlands) for movie night on Tuesday. There’s bound to be an interesting independent movie showing so sit back, order a beer and let’s get started. One or two or three drinks later, the movie is done but you’re not. Head over upstairs and enjoy the 10pm - Midnight Happy Hour. Leave at your leisure but remember tomorrow’s another day.

Wednesday

Hump-day! Now we’re talking. Although, you’ll have to try your best not to get derailed because Wednesday night can be tricky for the uninitiated. Tapas (Westgate) is where it’s at on Wednesday nights. The vibe is set right by music from Foozak, one of Nairobi’s pre-eminent DJs and they’ve got a specialty cocktail menu for the night served up in part by Marek; music business by day, mixologist by night. Once you’ve got your drink (my recommendation: Mexican Sour), find your spot & cheers to a great time! The program runs officially until 10pm but the DJ have been known to extend his set, if the vibe is right and the vibe is always right. So come ready to have a good time.

Thursday

You’ve made it this far but now, it’s time to set it up a notch. All roads lead to J’s Westlands on Thursday as the rest of Nairobi starts its weekend. It appears no one can escape the magnetic pull of J’s on a Thursday night and the live music, food and ambience make it an easy choice for revellers. Since this joint keeps on going until the wee hours of the morning, I recommend arriving between 9 and 10pm. You can catch the tail end of the band’s performance as you get your drink and after you can head to the Secret Garden for music by J’s resident DJs. Resistance is futile when it comes to J’s on a Thursday, so buckle up and enjoy a great start to the weekend. You’ve earned it.

Friday

Furahi-day! You’ve made it this far, 3 nightsout in a row and there’s no stopping us now. It’s time for Hip-Hop Fridays at The Alchemist. After celebrating the 1st year anniversary of this weekly event in May, DJ Kace is not slowing down, if hosting Nasty C is anything to go by. The music will be on point as new and old Hip-Hop favourites play all night long. It can get crowded and I recommend getting a spot on the deck and for more privacy moving over to the new upstairs bar. It’ll keep going until the early hours, so if Hip-Hop is your thing, stay on and party to your heart’s content.

Saturday

It’s been an exciting 4 days but now it’s SATURDAY! Having spent the day recovering (let’s be honest), get ready for an amazing Saturday night at MUZE Club, Westlands. With high concept events, the best of Kenya’s electronic music talent and occasional international DJs and musicians, MUZE is where you’ll want to be on a Saturday night. Enjoy their late night happy hour and music from Africa’s #1 club sound system. Dance the night away with like-minded people and stay on until early morning when the party ends, reluctantly. Did I mention that the kitchen stays open until morning, so you can satisfy your cravings before heading home.

Sunday

If you’ve made it this far, then we’ve got the perfect way for you to end this gratuitous party crawl: Gondwana at Captain’s Terrace. Enjoy panoramic views of Nairobi’s national park synced to great music by the resident DJs. Arrive by late afternoon/early evening (5pm - 7pm) and in no time, you’ve been dancing like its your first night out.

Monday

Recover. That’s what you’ll have to do on Monday after 6 nights-out in a row. It was worth it though as you’ve criss-crossed Nairobi and experience the best that the city has to offer. That’s the perfect week for me; curated music, great food and good vibes all over Nairobi. You just have to know where to look. Go Hard or Stay Home; what will you do?