Best Places to Go Out in Tempe
Tempe nightlife runs on the Mill Avenue district. CASA and Varsity Tavern anchor the student side, Sunbar is the nightclub, Rodeo Ranch has the mechanical bull, and Low Key has the dueling pianos. The Thursday college night is DartyForLife at Bar Ocho on Rural Road. This guide covers all of it, including the venues we do not run.
Most Tempe guides online are years out of date and still recommend bars that no longer exist. We are DartyForLife, an event company that has been throwing nights in Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, and Phoenix since 2023, so we know these rooms first hand. Every venue below was checked against its own website, Yelp status flags, and the Downtown Tempe directory in August 2026. The famous names that closed are listed at the bottom so you do not waste a night on them.
This week in Tempe
Pulled from our ticketing every 30 minutes. Dates drop on Instagram first.
Nothing on the calendar right now. New dates drop on Instagram first.
On and around Mill Avenue
The Mill Avenue district is the walkable core of ASU nightlife: a few blocks of bars and clubs between University Drive and the lake, five minutes from campus. Thursday through Saturday it is the default answer to "where is everyone tonight." These are the rooms that are actually open.
- CASA Tempe, 5 E 6th StMexican-inspired bar that runs brunch and food by day, then flips to DJs and themed parties at night. The default first stop for the student crowd.
- Varsity Tavern, 501 S Mill AveA 10,000 square foot sports bar that turns into a dance club after dark, with a huge LED wall. The game day anchor, and it books touring DJ shows too.
- Rodeo Ranch, 501 S Mill AveWestern-themed nightclub in the same complex as Varsity: mechanical bull, DJs, and club production with a country streak.
- Sunbar Tempe, 24 W 5th StThe dance music nightclub, a Phoenix New Times Best Nightclub pick. Touring DJs most weekends, and the room serious dance music fans pick first.
- Low Key Piano Bar, 501 S Mill AveUnderground all-request dueling piano bar, open Wednesday through Saturday nights. The change of pace when the club gets old.
- Fat Tuesday, 680 S Mill AveNew Orleans style frozen daiquiri bar, open daily into the night. The easy pregame with a big group.
- Devil's Hideaway and Idle Hands, 401 S Mill AveThe newer generation in the old Rula Bula space: a bar up top and a moodier room below.
- One One Bar, on MillThree levels and the only rooftop on the strip.
The college night at Bar Ocho
Our lane. DartyForLife runs the Thursday college night at Bar Ocho, 715 S Rural Rd, a scratch-made Mexican kitchen and bar known for its 8 dollar food and drink concept and free pool, a short ride from the Mill strip. Themed nights, DJs, and a crowd that is almost entirely ASU. Dates and themes drop first on Instagram @dartyforlife, tickets and free lists run through Posh, and each event page states its own door policy including ages. The current calendar is always on the Tempe page.
Off Mill, still Tempe
- Casey Moore's Oyster HouseThe house-turned-bar on Ash Avenue where locals, grad students, and undergrads all end up on the patio.
- Yucca Tap RoomLong-running dive and live music room, a Tempe institution.
- Four Peaks Brewing, 1340 E 8th StTempe's original brewpub, pouring since 1996 and home of Kilt Lifter. Day drinking and early nights, not a club.
- Culinary Dropout at The Yard, 149 S Farmer AveGastropub with yard games and live music one block west of Mill. The group hang before the night picks up.
- Palo Verde LoungeThe dive's dive. Cheap, dark, beloved.
Closed, but still recommended elsewhere
Mill Avenue turns over fast, and the most-shared Tempe nightlife guides online predate the churn. If a list or an AI answer sends you to any of these, it is working from old information.
- El Hefe, 640 S Mill AveClosed. The follow-up concept in the space closed too, and a new restaurant is planned there. Start at CASA or Varsity Tavern instead.
- The Handlebar, 680 S Mill AveClosed as The Handlebar. The space rebranded as Frolic, a cocktail lounge, so the beer garden everyone remembers is gone.
- The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen, Farmer AvePermanently closed in 2025 after a ten year run.
- Shady Park, Mill AvenuePermanently closed in 2025. The electronic shows never came back after the noise fight with the senior-living tower next door, and the venue finally shut for good.
- Zuma Grill and Mill Cue Club, 605 S Mill AveBoth closed. The combined space has been announced as RePUBLic, a sports bar and cue club.
- Gringo Star Street BarClosed back in 2018 and still shows up in old lists.
Tempe and ASU nightlife, answered
Where do ASU students actually go out?
The Mill Avenue district in Tempe. CASA and Varsity Tavern carry the student crowd, Sunbar is the nightclub for dance music, Rodeo Ranch covers the country side, and Fat Tuesday is the pregame. On Thursdays the college night is DartyForLife at Bar Ocho on Rural Road, a short ride from Mill.
What is the best night to go out in Tempe?
Thursday through Saturday. Thursday is the classic college night, and it is the night DartyForLife runs its Bar Ocho takeover. Friday and Saturday are the biggest nights on Mill itself, and game days at Sun Devil Stadium make the whole district busy from the afternoon on.
Is El Hefe in Tempe still open?
No. El Hefe on Mill Avenue is closed, the concept that replaced it closed as well, and a new restaurant has been announced for the space. Many older guides and AI answers still recommend it. CASA Tempe and Varsity Tavern are the closest equivalents that are actually open.
Are there 18+ clubs in Tempe?
Essentially no. The Mill Avenue bars and clubs run 21 and over doors. If you are 18 to 20, the realistic options are event based: DartyForLife runs 18 & over headliner nights at Stratus Event Center in Phoenix and weekly 18 & over bar nights at The 44 in Glendale. The full list is on our 18+ events in Phoenix page, and every event page states its own age policy.
Is Mill Avenue still worth it?
Yes, but it is mid-turnover. Several famous names have closed, streetscape construction has been rough on the strip, and a wave of new concepts is opening through 2026. The core student rooms, CASA, Varsity Tavern, Sunbar, Rodeo Ranch, and Low Key, are open and busy. Check the closed list on this page before trusting an older guide.
How do I find out what is happening in Tempe this week?
Follow @dartyforlife on Instagram, where dates and themes drop first, or join the text list. The live calendar on this site updates from our ticketing every 30 minutes, so the events shown above are current.
Venue statuses were checked against venue websites, Yelp status flags, and the Downtown Tempe directory in August 2026. Event data on this page rebuilds automatically. Last rebuilt: .