Keeping salsa venues in Auckland ALIVE! - perhaps even improve them...

By Latinissimo : 11th June 2007

Auckland - population 1.3 million! By far the biggest and most metropolitan city in New Zealand. We should also have by far the best latin dance scene in the country. In the 2 years I have been in Auckland, I have seen Salsa venues come up and go down... However one of the main reasons salsa venues don't last is because the bar does not make enough sales to keep the night going.

I have noticed the following within the Auckland salsa dance scenen:

I certainly take breaks from going out from time to time to not loose interest. (I also work with this 24-7.... so I guess a break would be humane if you do it during the day as well... ;-)

As far as I know these are the following venues to go Salsa/Latin dancing at present:

None of the venues mentioned above - with the exception of Kingslander - have a door charge.

Why...??? Well in order to keep the band playing, someone has to pay them. After all it is their "bread and butter". If the management is not getting it from the bar, then the $5 at the door was a must and in this case it was necessary. Luckily, they still survive, but for how long....? I mean every other venue is free...

I have travelled quite extensively around the world and realized that Auckland is one of the few cities in the world where every (with the exception of Kingslander) Latin venue is free of charge. We must be pretty lucky? Or are we...? This could also mean that the venues are making just enough to cover the night and possibly a small profit. But not enough to risk anything new. So, have we stagnated...?

Europe - Average door charge to a salsa venue is between $10-$25, most likely it will be DJ only...

Check out this place in London (this is just ONE example) -

Before you think, "-We don't have venues like that in Auckland..."
There are! I have researched and seen them myself. But are you ready to pay??? Would you want to have a salsa venue like this in Auckland?



Sway, 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2 5BX
Every Tuesday
7pm - 3am
Entry: free b4 9pm, £5 b4 11pm, then £7 after. For Guestlist: Call



7:30pm - 8:30pm Beginner, Improver, Intermediate
8:30pm - 9:30pm Advance Salsa and Rueda Level 1&2
Classes £7 for 1 hour or £9 for 2 hours

USA - Average door charge US$5-$...??, this really depends on the venue. Some are spectacular venues, so yes, they can charge quite a lot!

Australia - $5-$25, social, DJ, band, no band - most venues will have a door charge.

Bottom line, most venues around the world WILL have a door charge and as result they have fantastic venues and the owners/management/sponsors feel comfortable investing in Latin nights!

The least we can do is to simply buy a drink at the bar when we're out. How much does a drink cost? $3, $4, $5...?? Softdrink, juice, beer, rum & coke, it's got to start with something...

I encourage you all to please buy a drink next time you go out to dance. Support the venues and organizers who try their very best to keep the salsa dance scene alive in Auckland. Without these enthusiastic people, venue after venue could disappear and we will no longer be able to go out and dance. Also the reputation of Latin nights will be that they are not worth having because the venue does not make any business out of it.

If we all "chip" in, we can make a huge difference to the Auckland salsa scene!

For instance, better venues, "classier" venues - I guess it's like the saying goes - "You get what you pay for..."


Final word from Latinissimo:

I take my hat off to the former (ex) DJ's at Diablo (shame they are no longer playing there) who always played something new and kept up with, not the latest, but the BEST in salsa/mambo music.
These guys dance themselves and know what music us salsa dancers want to dance to. Remember, the latest salsa music is not always the best...

Happy dancing! :-)

Latinissimo Dance Co.