NOVA SD is a dance club, so the headliner usually stands behind a DJ booth, not a drum kit. Insomniac, the company Pasquale Rotella started in 1993 and the one behind Electric Daisy Carnival, took over the building and opened NOVA in February 2022. The same footprint was Omnia, a Hakkasan Group club that closed in 2020, and before that it was Stingaree.
The club
There are three spaces, each with its own bar. The main room has the dance floor under a big LED screen, the balcony level sits above it, and the rooftop terrace has skyline views and its own DJ. Bottle service tables are available. Lineups run through house, bass, dubstep and big room EDM, so NOVA nights land on our dance page.
Before you go
- Every event is 21 and up, and everyone needs valid ID.
- The club enforces a dress code. Leave the flip flops and tank tops at home.
- This is a late night room. Doors open well after dinner, and your ticket has the time.
- The Gaslamp Quarter Trolley station, on the Green Line, is a few blocks south at Fifth Avenue and L Street.
- Petco Park is a couple of blocks east, so Padres nights and stadium concerts pack these streets.
House of Blues is up at the north end of the Gaslamp, and downtown lists every room nearby.