Aqua Nightclub

About this place Aqua Nightclub

Aqua Nightclub at 711 Duval is the closest Key West comes to a proper nightclub in the metropolitan sense — a multi-level venue with a main dance floor, a bar area, an outdoor section with pool access, drag shows, live entertainment, and the capacity to hold the crowds that Duval Street attracts in season. The programming is varied throughout the week: drag nights, themed parties, cabaret performances, DJ nights with dance floor emphasis. The crowd is broad in the way that Duval Street's position as the gay Main Street of the Florida Keys demands — it includes Key West regulars, cruise ship passengers, visitors from Miami and other Florida cities, and international tourists. The outdoor pool bar gives Aqua a feature that distinguishes it from the interior-only bars further up the street; in Key West's year-round heat, the ability to combine a swim with a drink and a show is a meaningful advantage. Aqua is particularly strong on Pride weekend in June and during Fantasy Fest in October, when the island's expanded crowd fills the venue to its considerable capacity.