You’ve been to O Bar and you’ve hit Che’lu. It’s a weekday and you’re looking for a new place to go where you can have fun (unadulterated or otherwise) with fellow members of the LGBT community – where do you go?
Paint the town red at Nectar, the first and only LGBTQ luxury nightclub in the Philippines.
My friends haunt Nectar, and they’ve always asked me to come along. Being my ~*boring*~ self, though, I’d always call for a rain check, because their invites always came on a weekday.
When I got an invite from local wallet brand Kiepsky to attend their re-launch on May 3rd (which was also incidentally my birthday), I decided to give Nectar a shot.
A Welcoming Place for LGBTs
Thursday nights at Nectar are reserved for “Girl Nation.” Contrary to what its name suggests, “Girl Nation” isn’t exclusive for girls. It’s meant to celebrate women of all forms, but everyone is welcome.
TR, who has seen the LGBT clubbing scene evolve firsthand, says this is a far cry from the strictly exclusive clubbing situation some 10 years ago. “Before, as in exclusive lang talaga yung events. No boys allowed talaga, kahit bakla, bawal,” she shares. “Ngayon, sa Nectar, welcome naman lahat.”
Night clubs in other parts of the world are increasingly becoming “unapologetically open and inclusive,” and it’s comforting to know that our clubs in the Philippines are keeping pace.
Talking about night cubs becoming inclusive, Nectar solves the unending debate about sex segregation in public restrooms with gender-neutral restrooms.
Not Your Ordinary Party
Nectar invites international DJs to play mostly electronic music and mainstream sounds, although they play R&B and hip-hop tunes from the early 2000s from time to time. If you’re lucky, you can even catch live performances – we were able to watch indie singer-songwriter Rizza Cabrera play a few of her original songs!
The club is home to local favorites in the LGBT community, including DJ Patty Tiu and DJ Anna Rapes. The Girl Nation 2.0 team includes resident DJ Kat DJ, with Youtuber Mauie Sanchez on the mic. Designer Kaye Morales and Nariese Giangan (of the Tangina Tibs social media fame) host the shindig.
Kat DJ is a crowd favorite
On the mic, these three are a riot
Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to a club in ages, but it could also be because I feel I’m with family, but Nectar didn’t set off my “danger radar” the way other clubs do. I felt strangely safe and at home, even in the midst of total strangers and despite having to do my touchups while someone pees in the urinal behind me.
The crowd was warm and pleasant; everyone always had something nice to say. The Nectar team also gets plus points for surprising me with sparklers and a sign.
Events, however, start at one in the morning, usually on a weekday. This is a setback for people like me whose day job starts early the next morning. Nariese, one of the hosts, explains that it hasn’t always been this way. Except they noticed that people usually start coming in at 1 AM, so they made adjustments.
So what’s brewing at Nectar?
Drag shows, live music performances, international and local DJ and celebrity-spottings, feisty pole and ledge dance performances, and so much more.
I don’t do parties. But I’d definitely give Nectar another shot.
Nectar is located at The Fort Strip, 5th Avenue Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City