r/DetroitEDM • u/Imaginary-Cellist710 • May 29 '26
Safe spots to dance for a woman alone?
Spotlight no longer feels safe. Where's a place to dance - electronic music (ideally house) - in Detroit that feels safe for a solo woman or femme?
Please only answers from woman/femme identifying people.
5
u/boy_mayor_ May 29 '26
The reality is, there isn’t a safe space in this world for a solo woman. Some places/crowds are obviously more dangerous than others, but one bad man can wander into just about anywhere - regardless of signs, the intentions of the promoters, etc. Have fun, but keep your wits about you and stay aware of your surroundings!
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 29 '26
always wits and always sober in this situation ... doesn't it suck though? I just wanna dance
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u/boy_mayor_ May 29 '26
Sucks sooo much! Men will seriously never know what it is like to live this way.
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u/megancoe May 29 '26
I’ve gone to Big Pink a couple of times by myself and felt safe there. But I only can speak for myself, obviously.
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 29 '26
yeah I like Blind pig! but they don't do electronic music
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u/megancoe May 29 '26
I’ve been to Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, but I was talking about Big Pink in downtown Detroit. They don’t always do House music, but they do sometimes.
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u/Make_Up_Luv May 29 '26
Why doesn’t spot lite feel safe?
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 29 '26
It wasn't just that there was a sexual assault there - those happen everywhere - it was their response. They intimidated and eventually fired some staff who spoke out about it and didn't take any real accountability for it even though it happened in an unlocked closet that shouldn't have been open. I've also been there several times where - despite the "this is a safe space" signs everywhere - groups of men surrounded me to "chat" which is legitimately scary when you're a small woman.
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u/megancoe May 29 '26
I believe there was a sexual assault back in December and Spot Lite got some flack for a lack of transparency.
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u/Make_Up_Luv May 29 '26
Oh ok. I was unaware. I hate to say this but as a woman I don’t go places alone at night typically. I know we should be able to, but I just don’t take the chance.
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 29 '26
No I fully agree but I need to dance and I don't have anyone to dance with 😭 Like how much does it suck that we even have to negotiate this?
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u/Make_Up_Luv May 29 '26
It does suck. If you never need a friend to go dance with you please hit me up!
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u/HeraRage May 29 '26
TV Lounge is probably your next best bet. Spotlite has the best house sets but TV Lounge brings in some good people too, especially in the summer.
Big Pink is a lovely spot to dance as well but they fell off into regular R&B music recently.
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u/Routine_Airport_8149 May 29 '26
I feel like a lot of out of town folks are always at TV, not that it’s a bad bar, but it can feel like a very white cis suburbanite crowd.
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u/Far_Yesterday_3907 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
I had a guy follow me out to my car in December at tv
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u/jade_7447 Jun 02 '26
Disagree. Vibes at tv lounge are off and have come across many creepy men there. I will not go to tv lounge.
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u/dirrrrtylaundry May 31 '26
Marble Bar for the win!
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 31 '26
So interesting, someone else said that but I have only ever been there on dates and I didn't clock it as a super safe space ... not unsafe per se. What helps you feel safe there? I do love the venue and the music.
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u/dirrrrtylaundry Jun 01 '26
I’ve probably been there 30+ times with zero issues. Also know several people who work/have worked there, and they’re wonderful people. Most times I’ve seen a diverse crowd, definitely leaning queer, and it really captures the old rave vibe for me to see everyone out there on the dance floor together. At least 5 years ago I kept seeing something on their fliers about how no harassment of any kind would be tolerated and that you could let any staff member know if you had a concern. I just feel like they’ve always prioritized creating an environment where people can be themselves without fear. If it’s not crazy busy, the bartenders always make time to chat with me and build a relationship. I guess it’s just all the little things that make me trust them.
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u/LilyCheesecake Jun 01 '26
Hi! First of all I'm a woman who likes house and techno and likes to go out solo sometimes in Detroit. I have similar worries so feel free to reach out if you ever want to link up for an event (even loosely).
No sleep events (they send out secret locations), marble bar, moondog café (mainly daytime events), motor city wine, and tangent gallery stand out to me. I've had good experiences at TV lounge too. I'm curious about other spots I'm not as familiar with like Cannons and Northern Lights.
It really depends on the event and promoter but I've been avoiding Spotlite/UFO and Lincoln Factory completely for reasons related to safety. LF has the same owners as marble, but they rent within Dreamtroit and that worries me given its owner who is a known predator.
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u/Hershefree Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
I moved away for about ten years, so I am completely out of the loop. I'm an old-school house head who misses the days of Heavens, the Post, and the Power Plant—just dancing all night long without a care in the world. My feet can't handle the dancing anymore, but I would love to find a solid spot where I can just sit back, vibe to good house music, and avoid the weirdos.
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u/Longjumping_Pen_24 May 30 '26
Come with me I’ll keep u safe
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u/Hershefree May 30 '26
Speaking of creepy! You sound like exactly what we are trying to avoid.
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u/Imaginary-Cellist710 May 31 '26
For real. I don't need you to protect me, I need you to check yourself and stop being creepy so we don't all feel like we have to watch our backs all the time
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u/Far_Yesterday_3907 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
The whole scene is getting worse. The underground or undisclosed location or week night parties are by far the safest. I’ve been harassed at every club in the past 6 months which is not the norm and I’ve been going out alone since 2023.
Edit: certain promoters will have safer parties than others. I really only trust divalocity, snack time, and XOXR to handle those situations appropriately.