Strip Clubs in London: Prices, Rules and What to Expect
A London strip club means entry on the door, bar prices for drinks and a charge for each private dance, usually £20 to £50 a song. The no-touching rule is a council licence condition, and clubs have lost their licences for breaking it.
A strip club in London means paying to get in, buying drinks at bar prices and paying separately for each private dance. Soho holds most of them, with others in Shoreditch, the City and Mayfair. Prices are rarely published and vary a lot between venues, so the one habit worth keeping is to ask what something costs before it happens.
What an evening usually costs
| Item | Usual price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free to about £25 | Often free early in the week; Mayfair venues charge more |
| Drinks | Bar prices and above | Ask at the door whether there is a minimum spend |
| A private dance | About £20 to £50 | Usually per song, sometimes per 15 minutes. Rarely advertised |
| VIP table or package | From a few hundred pounds | Priced by the table, not by the dance |
| Stage tips | £1 to £2 coins | Customary rather than required |
These are the ranges quoted by club listings and venue guides, not fixed prices, and most clubs do not publish a per-dance rate at all. Agree the amount before a dance begins and settle each one as it ends rather than running a tab: surprise bills are the most common complaint about London clubs.
The house rules
- No touching. This is a licence condition, not club preference. Councils require that there be no deliberate physical contact between dancer and customer beyond handing over money or a token.
- No photographs. Phones stay in pockets, and most clubs will remove you for using one.
- Dancers approach you. Saying no thank you is perfectly normal and nobody minds.
- Cash is easiest. Card payments often carry a surcharge, and cash keeps the running total clear.
- Doormen have the final word. Arriving drunk, or in a large loud group, is the usual reason for being turned away.
Is it legal, and how strict is it really?
Yes, it is legal. Clubs are licensed as sexual entertainment venues under Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2009. Each council writes its own standard conditions and reviews the licence every year, which is why rules differ a little between Westminster, Tower Hamlets and the rest.
The no-contact rule is enforced seriously. London clubs have lost their licences, or been refused renewal, after councils and police found dancers touching customers. Nothing beyond dancing is on offer, and asking for more is the quickest way to be shown the door.
Strip club or escort?
They answer different wants. A club is a night out with friends: noise, company and no privacy, with the cost creeping up dance by dance. An escort is private company for an agreed time at a price agreed in advance, with no entry fee, no minimum spend and no per-song charge. An hour with an escort often costs less than a long night of dances, which surprises people.
If you want conversation and privacy rather than a show, see our London escorts, or read how to book an escort. For the rest of the evening, our guides to the best bars in London and London’s clubs cover where to go first.
From the concierge: licences, opening times, prices and house rules change faster than any guide can keep up, so confirm everything with the venue on the night.
Where to next
Questions
Entry runs from free to about £25, more at Mayfair venues. A private dance is usually £20 to £50, charged per song, and VIP tables start at a few hundred pounds. Most clubs do not publish prices, so ask before anything begins.
No. Councils licence these venues on condition that there is no deliberate contact between dancer and customer beyond handing over money or a token, and the rule is enforced by the staff.
Yes. They are licensed as sexual entertainment venues under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2009, with conditions set by the local council and reviewed each year.
It can lose its licence. Several London clubs have been shut or refused renewal after councils and police found dancers in contact with customers.
Often, yes. An hour with an escort at an agreed price can cost less than a night of entry, drinks and dance-by-dance charges, and it is private.