If you are arriving from the United States, the first thing to understand about British Columbia is that the alcohol/nudity trade-off most American states impose simply does not exist here. In many US jurisdictions a club has to choose: full nudity or a liquor licence. In BC, a venue holding a Liquor Primary licence can serve full-strength drinks and host fully nude performances in the same room. That is why Vancouver clubs advertise all-nude entertainment alongside a full bar without any of the juice-bar workarounds common south of the border.
The trade-off in BC is somewhere else: contact. Canadian clubs are generally far stricter about touching than a Florida or Nevada club would be, and that rule comes from both provincial licensing terms and criminal case law.
The rules: what BC actually allows
The binding document is the province’s Liquor Primary Licence Terms and Conditions Handbook, published by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB), last revised 18 September 2025. Its “Adult Entertainment” section covers exotic dancers, adult-oriented performers and adult-oriented activities, and sets out rules worth knowing before you walk in:
- Age and dress off-stage. Entertainers must be at least 19, and must wear clothing covering breasts and genitalia when walking through the audience before and after a performance.
- Stage only. Performances must be confined to the stage or other areas approved on the venue’s floor plan. No performing in the audience area, and no dancing on table tops.
- No contact. Performers must not touch, share food or drinks with, or pass objects to audience members. Tipping is permitted as long as there is no physical contact between entertainers and audience members.
- No sex acts, real or simulated, and no performing while intoxicated.
- Cameras in VIP rooms. Every licensed establishment offering adult entertainment must install surveillance cameras in all private show and VIP booths.
- Sightlines and signage. Performances must not be visible from outside the service area, and a sign at the entrance must notify patrons that adult entertainment is offered. Minors are not permitted while it is occurring.
On top of licensing, two Supreme Court of Canada cases shape what a private dance can be. In R. v. Tremblay (1993), dancers performed nude for a single client in a private room with a stated no-contact rule; the Court held those acts were not indecent and entered acquittals. In R. v. Mara (1997), a Toronto tavern hosted table and lap dancing involving sexual contact between dancer and patron; the Court held that conduct was indecent under the Criminal Code. The practical takeaway: nudity itself is not the problem — sexual contact is.
In Vancouver, a third layer applies. The City’s Licence By-law No. 4450 defines “Adult Services” as a category covering exotic dancers or strippers, body-rub parlours, body-painting studios, model studios and social escorts. Body-rub parlours are licensed separately, must be 19+, must file floor plans, must keep rooms lit and cannot operate between midnight and 8 a.m. A strip club and a body-rub parlour are not the same licence and not the same business.
Vancouver
- The Penthouse Night Club — 1019 Seymour Street, Vancouver
- The Granville Strip — 1050 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L5
- The Number 5 Orange — 205 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2S7
- Brandis Show Lounge — 5th floor, 595 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6C 1A4
Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
- Paramount Gentlemen’s Club — 652 Columbia Street, New Westminster
- Shakers Show Lounge — 10458 Whalley Blvd, Surrey
- Caddy Shack Show Lounge — 22222 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge
- Alder Inn Pub — 27214 Fraser Highway, Aldergrove, BC V4W 3P8
Vancouver Island
- Fox Showroom — 3366 Douglas St, Victoria, BC V8Z 3L3
- JJ’s Pub — 1351 Cedar St, Campbell River, BC V9W 2W6
The Interior
- Liquid Zoo — 274 Lawrence Ave, Kelowna
- Duchess On Tranquille — 377 Tranquille Rd, Kamloops, BC V2B 3G4
- On The Roxx Showlounge — 3307 32 Ave, Vernon
What to check before you go
- Confirm the venue is still trading. BC’s club count has shrunk steadily and several listings here date back years. Phone ahead or check the club’s own site or social accounts the same week you plan to visit.
- Ask what a private dance includes — and expect a no-contact answer. LCRB terms prohibit contact between performer and patron, and VIP booths at licensed venues are required to be camera-monitored. Any venue promising otherwise is promising something it is not licensed to deliver.
- Bring ID and cash. The 19+ minimum is a licence condition, not a courtesy, and door staff are required to check. Tipping is permitted, but it has to happen without physical contact.