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These Are the Top 10 U.S. Nightlife Cities, According to a New Study—and No, No. 1 Is Not Las Vegas

By 
Kristine Hansen
 
Published on February 26, 2026
3COMMENTS
Bourbon Street in New Orleans with neon signs people walking and urban buildings in the background
People are celebrating and partying while enjoying the street music in New Orleans French Quarter.Credit: 

Photoservice/Getty Images

For some travelers, the top vacation goal is to party ’til they drop. And there’s one city that does it better than any other. And no, it’s not Las Vegas.

The partying honor actually belongs to New Orleans, according to a new study from online gaming platform Gambulls that was shared with Travel + Leisure. Celebrated for its live music, historic architecture, and walkability, the Big Easy also boasts the most bars of the study at over 52 per 100,000 residents (and they happen to be open 24 hours per day).

“Nightlife is part of everyone’s life, regardless of economic conditions,” a Gambulls spokesperson said in a statement shared with T+L. “There’s also a psychological aspect to it: studies show that people have higher work-life balance and life satisfaction if they always have a ‘fun budget’ planned, even a small one.”

In New Orleans, the average cost of a drink will only set travelers back $10, and most local beers run around just $4, according to the study. And when travelers need a bite to eat, they're looking at just over $6 for a half-share of an appetizer.

The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, came in second on the list with 28.7 bars per 100,000 residents, a closing time of 2 a.m., and the second-highest safety score of the cities on the list (second only to Salt Lake City). There, drinks will also set bar patrons back $10 each, on average.

In third place was the party town of Las Vegas, which has just over 35 bars per 100,000 residents that are open for 24 hours. However, the average cost of a drink in Sin City is $12, the highest of all the cities surveyed, and a half-share of an appetizer will cost travelers around $5.80.

Columbus, Ohio, and Raleigh, North Carolina, rounded out the top five on the list.

To come up with its findings, the gaming company compared a number of factors in each city, including safety, the total number of bars per 100,000 people, the bars’ closing time, the average drink cost, the cost of half an appetizer, and the quality of music and other entertainment there.

This is the full list of the best cities in the United States for nightlife, according to Gambulls.

  1. New Orleans, Louisiana
  2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  3. Las Vegas, Nevada
  4. Columbus, Ohio
  5. Raleigh, North Carolina
  6. Portland, Oregon
  7. Denver, Colorado
  8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  9. Salt Lake City, Utah
  10. Orlando, Florida
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