16 Best Labor Day Weekend Parties in Phoenix

So, how was your summer? Hope you got in tons of carefree fun at festivals, pool parties, and elsewhere over last couple of months because the summertime season is winding down and wrapping up.

If it wasn’t as memorable as you’d hoper, however, don’t fret. You’ve got a few opportunities left to live it up, get down, and party hard before summer’s officially done. And all of ‘em will happen during Labor Day weekend.

As is the norm for the holiday, three days and three nights of DJs, dancing, drinks and decadence await at all the usual hotspots around Metro Phoenix – and especially in Scottsdale. Some heavy hitters from the dance music world will be here to join in the fun (including such artists and acts as Hardwell, Odesza and Erick Morillo) and everyone’s going to send the summer out in style.

Here's a look at the best places to celebrate during LDW 2016.

Bar Smith
Sean Watson won’t be the only one in the mix during the Labor Day edition of Big Fun Fridays. House music maven Sydney Blu and local standout Michelle Sparks will be special guests that evening and will perform underneath the stars from the rooftop lounge.  Meanwhile, the DJs of DOPE! will be spinning hip-hop and working the wheels of steel downstairs. Doors are at 9 p.m. with a $10 cover.

The Pressroom
EDM producers Sub Focus and Alvin Risk will help kick off the holiday weekend on Friday, September 2, when they tag team the Pressroom’s sound system with a cannonade of drum 'n' bass, electro, and house. Doors open at 9 p.m. General admission is $20, VIP access is $40, and posh table packages are $125-$250.

Maya Day & Nightclub
The indoor nightclub at Maya will host U.K. trance and house producer Gareth Emery on Friday, September 2. Doors are at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15. The following day, a special DJ set by indietronica/chillwave duo Odesza will cap off an afternoon of EDM at Maya’s Labor Day weekend pool party on Saturday, September 3. Fellow dance music artist Sweater Beats, Photay, and Dactly will also perform. Gates open at noon. General admission is $70 and VIP access, which includes express entry and exclusive viewing areas, is $125.

Talking Stick Resort
The pool area at Talking Stick is guaranteed to be busy with bodies in motion during Labor Day weekend, especially during either of the back-to-back parties featuring a pair of blockbuster DJs. Things get going on Saturday, September 3, when electro-house kingpin Hardwell make his first Valley appearance in two years. We’re willing to bet that he’ll spin up many of his hits, including “How We Do,” "Dare You,” and (of course) “Spaceman.” Erick Morillo gets his turn behind the decks on Sunday, September 4, during what will be an equally high-energy poolside party. Gates open at 11 a.m. and admission is $30 for both events.

Monarch Theatre
Electronic dance music will bump from the sound system at the Monarch for two nights straight during Labor Day weekend as back-to-back parties are planned for the venue. First up, EDM artists Lookas and Botnek will provide a one-two punch of trap and electro-house on Saturday, September 3, when they co-headline a high-energy affair. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $35 for VIP. The following evening on Sunday, September 4, will feature the return of the Space Yacht party with performances by Rickyxsan, Night owls, YDG and Sean Watson. Admission is $15-$40. Doors open at 9 p.m. each night and both events are open to those 18 and over.

W Scottsdale
Festivities of the posh variety will take over the W for three straight days. In addition to its usual brand of high-end cocktails and high-style amenities, different DJs will fill the air with dance music at various points throughout the weekend. Scottsdale club scene veterans Knick and Knack and DJ Circle will be in command during the hotel’s day party on Saturday, September 3, which kicks off at noon. Canadian-born house producer Shaun Frank, who has collaborated with DVBBS and remixed such stars as Kiesza, Steve Aoki and Duke Dumont, is scheduled to perform on Saturday, September 3. Tickets are $20 each day and various room and amenity packages are available.

Club Red
Debauchery and decadence will reign supreme in both rooms of the venue during Festishball 2016, a lusty and libertine affair on Saturday, September 3, which will bring together members from the Valley’s disparate kink communities and its various dance music scenes. In addition of a bevy of live fetish performances taking place throughout Club Red, the inaugural event of the Arizona Festish Society will feature industrial and EDM-oriented artists providing the soundtrack to the bacchanal. The lineup includes L.A.-based industrial band 3Teeth, dubstep fiends Sluggo and Nerd Rage (also known as Bass Cadets), darkwave disco duo The Audio Virus, HÄXAN resident Tristan/Iseult, and local selector DJ Sharktopus. The ball begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

Linger Longer Lounge
So your high school homecoming dance was a total letdown, huh? Bummer. If you need a do-over, however, DJ Roya and DJ Funkfinger of Tongue Tied will offer such an opportunity over Labor Day weekend. The latest edition of the monthly dance night features a homecoming theme with all the trappings of that awkward teenage ritual, complete with corsages, crowns, a photo booth, slow dancing, and maybe some spiked punch to boot. Think of it as your chance to rewrite history and finally become the homecoming king or queen. The party starts at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

Valley Bar
Hi-Dreams DJ Collective will transform the underground bar and music venue into the infamous Studio 54 on Sunday, September 4, for an evening of disco thrills. Lighting the match on this disco inferno will be DJ Melo, Kim E. Fresh and DJ Stoneypie, all of whom will help wind the clock back to the ‘70s for the groovy affair. Period specific clothing and costumes are encouraged. Turn the beat around starting at 8 p.m. Admission is free.

Crescent Ballroom
While most folks will be heading to bed during the waning hours of Labor Day, the DJs of Motown on Mondays will be holding it down with soul, funk, and R&B remixes at the Crescent. Resident selector Tricky T will be there keeping the turntables warm along with a special guests and a few dozen fly folks ready to dance. The Motown magic starts at 10:30 p.m. and there’s no cover.