The Fascinating World of Dance Floors: Exploring the Different Types of Dance Floors

When going out, we often give most of our attention to the music before anything else. Yet there are many other factors that can influence, if not shape, the experience of a club night, including the design of the venue itself. This becomes especially clear when a club (or any venue) stands out for its architecture, interior design, or location.

Consider venues like Cocoon Club (2004–2012), Sven Väth’s nightclub that gained recognition for its striking interior design, characterized by a 100-metre “membrane wall” with real-time visual projections and 13 capsule-like micro-rooms embedded in its structure. Hoppetosse, a literal ship converted into a club, is another great example of a distinctive space. The same goes for Zur Klappe, a small Berlin venue that used to be a public bathroom and was later transformed into an intimate clubbing spot.

While the music and sound system remain at the center and can make or break the night, design elements can shape the environment further by guiding movement and creating an atmosphere that stays with you long after the last track. In other words, they can make a club memorable in ways that go beyond the purely auditive experience.

Beyond the more obvious design elements that make a club stand out, there’s another feature that often goes unnoticed until one ends up at a venue that has clearly put thought into it: the dance floor. And by that, we don’t just mean its size, the energy it holds, or how many floors a venue has (though all of those matter a lot), but rather its design—the materials it’s made from, its texture, colors, and how it can influence the way people dance on it.

As an electronic music enthusiast, I’ve danced on diverse surfaces—mostly concrete, tiles, and natural outdoor floors. But it wasn’t until I found myself moving across carpets and wooden floors that this topic really caught my attention and inspired me to look into it more closely. Let’s explore the world of dance floors together.

When it comes to raves, the dancefloor is often not the priority for independent organizers and smaller venues. That’s largely because much of rave culture is rooted in a DIY approach. If not at designated clubs, events often take place in warehouses, abandoned buildings, temporary spaces or outdoors in parks and forests—settings where the existing surface becomes the dancefloor by default.

In more established venues (whether temporary or permanent), the approach often remains minimalistic as well. Floors tend to consist of concrete, or whatever concrete-like material the building features, and sometimes tile. This is partly because clubs are frequently set up in spaces that have been repurposed into music venues. Consider the old Tresor building (a bank with a vault, from which it received its name), the new Tresor location in one of Berlin’s former power plants, and other venues that occupy former industrial infrastructure. While it’s unclear how much each venue specifically altered its original floor surface, many retain the building’s existing slab or shell.

There are other, practical reasons for this approach: such surfaces are easier to clean, durable under heavy use and often require less finishing cost than custom floors. Besides that, those immersed in rave culture typically prefer venues with a DIY or industrial look and feel, and such floors definitely contribute to it, whether consciously or not.

Finally, Wuppertal’s Open Ground has put particular thought into its floor, which is made of asphalt. The club is known for its strong focus on high fidelity and pristine audio quality. In an article by The Ransom Note, managing director Markus Riedel explains: “The walls are all lined with 40cm of insulation – compacted polyester filled with a mineral wool that can soak up reflections across the entire audible frequency range. The floors are all mastic asphalt that is practical and sonically neutralising. The ceilings have been raised to allow the sound to breathe. This involved slicing through thousands of cubic metres of concrete shell.” While this level of detail may not be immediately visible to the audience, it plays a crucial role in shaping the venue’s outstanding sound quality.

While concrete, stone, and tile floors are the most common, some venues take a different approach. For instance, one of the dancefloors at Prague’s nightclub Ankali features an ambient wooden floor, which creates a distinct dancing experience. It stands out precisely because it differs from the other floors in the venue and, paired with the music and interior design, shapes the atmosphere in its own, unique way.

Another example is Robert Johnson in Offenbach, whose founder and resident DJ Ata Macias describes the venue as a club that’s “like an art space: white walls, a wooden dance floor, fewer lights so the focus stays on the sound system.”

A wooden floor serves multiple purposes. On one hand, it can support longer dancing by offering less friction and resistance than harder surfaces. On the other hand, it can absorb sound more gently and reduce the harsh reflections that certain other materials can amplify.

A good example is the Precious Hall in Sapporo, Japan. As DJ Daniel Wang recalls in a Groove feature, the club is fully clad with wood, from the walls and speakers to the dance floor. This venue, the author explains, stood out to them especially the audio quality, which was taken into consideration to the highest degree. And finally, there’s the aesthetic: wood contributes to the ambiance and interior, giving the space a natural and distinctive feel. In the case of Precious Hall, the author’s writings show how lasting the impression was.

But wooden floors also have downsides. Depending on the type of finish (whether it’s sealed, treated with resin, or left more natural), they can be more difficult to clean after a busy night. They’re also more sensitive to moisture, spills, and wear, and they often require more maintenance over time than concrete or tile floors. In some cases, they may even need periodic refinishing to stay in good condition.

Despite the upkeep, some venues still opt for wood because of how it can shape the atmosphere and physical experience of the dancefloor in a way other materials don’t.

The next type of dance floor that deserves a spot on our list is the illuminated dance floor.

As per Wikipedia, these floors date back to the 1920s (one of the first being at the Via Lago Café in Chicago) and were popularised in disco culture by the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. The film’s director, John Badham, has cited inspiration from a floor he saw at a private supper club in Birmingham, Alabama, which is why illuminated floors are also called disco dance floors.

Early versions consisted of translucent, colorful glass panels lit from below by bulbs. Today, many are made from square cells of toughened or acrylic glass, lit with RGB LEDs and controlled by computer, either via USB or wirelessly.

According to TOP DANCE, a company specializing in illuminated floors, there are two main categories: LED and non‑LED. As they explain, “LED dance floors use light-emitting diodes to create dynamic effects that can sync with music, change colors, or display patterns.”

Among these, multi-colour floors with individual colorful tiles are the most recognizable, followed by floors that feature an infinity mirror effect. Some incorporate pressure or motion sensors, changing colors or triggering effects when stepped on, and pixel-based LED floors can even display custom visuals for immersive experiences.

These versatile floors can leave a lasting impression in nightclubs, but they come with downsides: higher electricity use, greater upfront costs, and ongoing maintenance. Given that venues worldwide are facing financial challenges and are increasingly struggling to remain sustainable, investing in such floors is not always feasible or reasonable. This is especially true for temporary venues.

Their suitability also depends on the type of events a club hosts and visitor preferences, but in many settings, they can create a truly memorable experience.

Although rather uncommon and not the most practical, carpeted dance floors can create a unique experience. I’ve personally encountered only two: one with outdoor carpets for summer events, and one with an indoor carpet in front of the DJ booth.

These types of floors can be quite difficult to dance on, are hard to keep clean, and can easily get damaged, which makes them somewhat impractical. At the same time, when placed well, they can be visually stunning and create a unique, memorable atmosphere.

Most importantly, as DJ Daniel Wang notes in regards to acoustics: “provided you manage to dance on it, a carpeted floor is probably the best option of all."

In the context of outdoor raves and parties, the experience is defined by the environment itself, with the existing natural terrain becoming the dancefloor.

Natural floors, like forest soil, meadow grass, or beach sand, perfectly encapsulate the DIY, transient, and communal ethos of free parties. The ground is accepted as-is, emphasizing the setting, immersive atmosphere, and accessibility.

A great example is the 90s Goa trance scene in India, where parties on beaches established a unique, organic environment. These parties remain popular today, fostering a powerful connection between the music, the dance, and the vast, open space.