When do people actually party? We analyzed around 2,000 parties in Switzerland and Germany
When going out, the question of "when" usually comes first, even before "where". First the time, then the place. So we did the math. There are currently around 2,000 parties listed on Partynado in Switzerland and Germany, a good 1,200 in Switzerland and just under 860 in Germany. We sorted them by day of the week and start time, and a few things actually surprised us.
Friday or Saturday? Not even close.
That the weekend is the busiest surprises no one. What's more interesting is how unevenly Friday and Saturday split the pie. You might expect a rough tie, but Saturday pulls clearly ahead: 891 parties compared to 619 on Friday, which is almost 45 percent more. Saturday alone accounts for 43 percent of all parties, Friday for 30.
And the rest of the week? Monday to Wednesday combined make up just over ten percent. Thursday is more exciting: with 214 parties, it is clearly the third biggest night, well ahead of Sunday (115) and Wednesday (106). If you don't want to wait until Friday, you head out on Thursday.
10 PM, but feels like 11 PM
Honestly, I would have guessed 11 PM here. Back home in Freiburg, it always felt like things only got started at eleven; 10 PM seemed surprisingly early to me. The data sees it closer than my gut feeling: 10 PM and 11 PM are almost tied, 333 parties against 314, with 10 PM just barely in the lead. That is the moment when most clubs open.
Interestingly, there is a first wave before that, roughly between 6 PM and 9 PM. These are bar events, festivals, and open airs that start earlier. And at the very other end: over 300 parties only start at 2 AM. The after-hour crowd is smaller, but with over 300 entries, it's anything but a marginal phenomenon.
All numbers here come from the roughly 2,000 parties currently listed on Partynado. If you want to know what's going on in your city tonight, it's best to check directly on partynado.com
If you are interested in further numbers or analyses, feel free to get in touch with us :)
And then there is the Day Rave
One format breaks the mold completely. The median start time for a Day Rave is 4 PM, about five hours before the classic club night. Dancing in daylight, and being home when others are just heading out.
Just a few years ago, this was a niche thing; partying during the day was the exception. Today, the Day Rave is the second most common party type on Partynado after the club night, more frequent than festivals and open airs combined. And it has a very clear pattern: most take place on Saturdays, and almost all in midsummer. Of the roughly 200 Day Raves, more than eight out of ten fall in July and August. The Day Rave is primarily a summer story.
What this means for "tonight"
So if someone asks you what's going on tonight, the honest answer is usually: it depends on the day of the week. On Saturday, you have your pick from 10 PM onwards, plus maybe a Day Rave in the afternoon during the summer. On Tuesday, you'll have to look a little harder.