The easiest way to plan a girls' night out in Rotterdam is to build the evening around one fixed point the whole group attends together. At BonTon Rotterdam on Oostplein that is a live male dance show on Friday and Saturday nights, lasting an hour and a half. Around it you add dinner or drinks in the city centre. Here is how to organise it, from tickets to the journey home.
Friday or Saturday?
BonTon Rotterdam is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 19:00 to 01:00, with an early and a late show each night. On Friday the early show starts at 20:00 and the late show at 22:30. On Saturday they start at 19:30 and 22:00. Doors open 30 minutes before each show. Show times can change, so always check the ticket page.
Both nights work. If part of your group is travelling in from abroad or from another Dutch city, a Friday show leaves Saturday free to explore Rotterdam in daylight, while a Saturday show lets everyone sleep in the next morning. Pick the night most of your friends can make.
Building the evening around the show
Work backwards from the doors. A few examples that follow from the show times:
- Early show on Friday (20:00): doors at 19:30, so eat around 18:00 and be at the club by 19:15.
- Late show on Friday (22:30): doors at 22:00, which leaves room for a relaxed dinner and a drink beforehand.
- Early show on Saturday (19:30): doors at 19:00. Eat earlier, or afterwards.
- Late show on Saturday (22:00): doors at 21:30, show finishes at 23:30.
For dinner or drinks before or after, the city centre has plenty of options. According to Rotterdam Tourist Information, Witte de Withstraat is one of the city's most popular nightlife areas on Friday and Saturday nights.
Signature cocktails are on the menu inside the club. Plan your meal well before the doors open, so the group does not arrive in a rush and everyone finds a seat in time.
How many friends can you bring?
You can book up to 30 tickets online in one go. For a bigger group, contact the club. Tickets cannot be moved to another date or time after purchase, although you can resell them through the ticket platform. Let one person make the booking and agree up front that everyone pays straight away, so nobody gets left with a bill. Book early as well: the lap dance spots per show are limited.
What if not everyone is keen?
Ask before you book. A girls' night works best when everyone knows what they are signing up for, and here that means a show with male dancers. The reassuring part is that nobody has to do anything they do not want to. A lap dance is an extra you book, and nobody is pulled onto the stage. According to NL Times, the dancers do not push if you decline.
Everyone aged 18 and over is welcome, whatever their gender, so a group of mixed ages fits in without trouble. Everybody should bring valid photo ID.
An evening with a reason
Is your girls' night really a hen do? Read our guide to a hen party in Rotterdam. For a birthday it works the same way: a lap dance is an extra booked with your tickets, spots per show are limited and go to whoever books first. A photo moment is booked separately during your visit. Filming or taking photos yourself inside the club is not the idea.
What to wear
"Dress to impress", says BonTon itself: stylish, sexy and ready for a night out. Sportswear and beachwear do not fit, and the doorman decides if there is any doubt. Agree with your friends that everyone dresses up, so nobody feels over- or underdressed. The show uses strobe and flashing lights, which matters if you have photosensitive epilepsy.
Getting home
Oostplein has its own metro station. According to Wikipedia, lines A, B and C stop there, although line A does not run in the evenings. Plan your journey home in the 9292 planner beforehand, check the last regular connection and agree who is travelling with whom. On Friday and Saturday nights RET also runs night buses from Rotterdam Centraal, with the first departures between about 00:30 and 01:00, according to Rotterdam Style.
Book your tickets
Date settled? Check the show times and tickets to see which shows still have space, and add a lap dance for the guest of honour while you book. More practical details are on the plan a visit page.