Denmark’s strip club scene is small and concentrated. Our directory currently lists venues in three cities: Copenhagen, Aarhus and Aalborg. Copenhagen holds the large majority, with single-venue or two-venue scenes in the two big Jutland cities. This page sets out where those clubs are and what Danish law says about nude performance in licensed bars, so you know what you are walking into.
How Danish law regulates striptease bars
In Denmark, striptease is not governed by a dedicated “strip club” licence. It falls under the rules on public performance in licensed premises in the Restaurant and Alcohol Licensing Act (restaurationsloven). The Danish police state that a restaurateur who wants to stage performances involving nudity — or other acts that could endanger the audience — in a venue open to the public that serves strong alcoholic drinks must hold a permit from the police.
The key points the police set out:
- The rules apply to venues serving drinks above 2.8% alcohol. Closed private parties are outside the legislation.
- Striptease, nude dancing and topless serving all count as public performance and need the permit. Live music and dance competitions do not.
- The room must be suitable, and windows must be screened so passers-by cannot see the performance from outside.
- Police will normally require the performer to keep a distance from the audience for the whole evening, and not move among guests while performing.
- For striptease and nude dance, so-called “live shows” — two or more performers interacting by undressing, washing, soaping or caressing each other — are not permitted. Police will as a rule also require genitals to be covered.
- Police may require the venue to use door staff, which the police note is typically relevant for striptease and other nude performance.
The stated purpose of section 26 of the Act is public order: that a citizen visiting a publicly accessible venue is not unwittingly exposed to offensive or dangerous performance. Separately, the alcohol licence itself is granted by the municipal licensing board (bevillingsnævnet); in Copenhagen that board is chaired by the mayor and includes a police representative appointed by the police commissioner.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen has by far the deepest listing on the site and has its own dedicated city guide, so this is the short version. Eight venues are listed: Bada Bing Copenhagen and ANGELS CLUB in the city centre, MIRAGE COPENHAGEN and 7th HEAVEN near Nørreport, and Waterloo Nightclub, LA DOLCE VITA, KAKADU and Maxim Bar in and around Vesterbro, close to Central Station.
That Vesterbro cluster sits in an area with a documented history. Istedgade — a one-kilometre street running from Copenhagen Central Station to Enghaveparken — became known for inns and prostitution, and after Denmark’s 1969 liberalisation of pornography it was a street where a large share of shops sold adult magazines and sex articles. Urban renewal from the 1990s onwards changed it considerably, and the street today is a mix of hotels, shops, cafés, bars, restaurants and remaining sex shops. It is no longer a single-purpose red light strip, and the character shifts noticeably as you walk west from the station.
Aarhus
Two venues are listed in Aarhus, both a short walk from each other in the city centre near the river. Lounge8000 sits on Mindebrogade and describes pole shows, private rooms and private dances. LA BELLE NIGHTCLUB is on Mindegade, roughly a block away.
Aalborg
One venue is listed: Paradise Girls, on Jomfru Ane Gade, Aalborg’s main nightlife street.
What to check before you go
- Confirm the venue is still trading and the hours are current. Several listings carry old website links, and at least one club’s own site no longer responds, so hours and any entry charge are worth verifying locally first.
- Agree prices before ordering anything. Ask what a private dance costs, what a bottle costs and whether there is a separate entry or table charge — before you order, not after. Get the answer in numbers.
- Know what is and is not legally on offer. Under the police rules above, performers must keep a distance, genitals will normally be covered, and multi-performer “live shows” are not permitted. Any venue promising otherwise is promising something the permit does not allow.