Can Spring Break revive Cabo San Lucas’ flagging nightlife scene?

It’s casual to day the infinitesimal Cabo San Lucas arrived arsenic a nightlife destination. On April 16, 1990, Van Halen, past 1 of the biggest stone bands successful the world, performed live astatine the nine they had jointly opened, Cabo Wabo Cantina, with MTV promoting the lawsuit connected U.S. tv by moving a contention successful which 10 fortunate winners got flown successful for the Grand Opening, and showing highlights from the festivities.

Meanwhile, a twelvemonth earlier this high-profile premiere, 2 different iconic nightlife spots opened: El Squid Roe and The Giggling Marlin. For the adjacent 30-plus years, until Giggling Marlin was shuttered (at slightest until further notice) by a occurrence connected June 15, 2024, these 3 were the titans of the section nightlife scene. But galore much large bars and clubs joined the amusive implicit the years. Some are gone present — RIP Love Shack and Cabo Lounge — but galore much are inactive up and long-running.

There was a clip not truthful agelong agone erstwhile Cabo San Lucas’ nightlife was an planetary attraction. (Hotel Tesoro Los Cabos)

Because here’s the thing: Cabo San Lucas is the lone spot locally that stays unfastened late. You tin find large bars successful San José del Cabo, the East Cape, oregon Todos Santos, but by 11 p.m., you’ll beryllium astatine your location oregon hotel. Cabo San Lucas was wherever the area’s party-hearty estimation was earned and defined, and implicit the decades it has birthed galore a memorable communicative involving section characters and late-night taco stops.

However, implicit the past 2 years, the enactment has yet shown indications of winding down.

The steep diminution successful Cabo’ San Lucas nightlife successful caller years

Business owners successful Cabo San Lucas noticed a antagonistic inclination successful nightlife income successful 2023, but successful 2024, full-fledged panic acceptable in, arsenic income plunged by much than 50%. Many reasons for this freefall person been given, astir of which autumn nether the class of “urban image” problems. 

Cabo San Lucas is presently suffering from an representation problem. (My Cabo Excursions)

“Right present the play has fallen again and we bash not spot immoderate progress,” lamented the coordinator of the non-profit Grupo Madrugadores de Cabo San Lucas, Seth Vázquez Cuevas, successful precocious 2024, per Tribuna de Mexico. “People are acrophobic to spell downtown for galore reasons: determination is nary infrastructure, the postulation is horrible, determination is nary electricity, and determination are sewer spills each the time.”

This constituent of presumption is simply a popularly held 1 and reflects a bittersweet governmental reality. Because San José del Cabo is the spot of section government, its downtown has received an astonishing makeover successful caller years portion Cabo San Lucas’ downtown has been allowed to atrophy; aesthetically and successful presumption of severely needed infrastructure and services. 

Support from galore fronts could assistance rectify what is progressively a problematic concern and it’s what section concern leaders, who are the ones often liable for section improvements, are calling for. 

“The astir important constituent and fig 1 nonsubjective is the remodeling of Downtown Cabo San Lucas, with everything that this implies,” noted Gustave Laborde, caput of the Los Cabos Business Association. “We cognize that this is going to beryllium a large effort. But we privation to afloat impact each the associations, the College of Architects, the Hotel Association, Fiturca, the Coordinating Council of Los Cabos, and chiefly each the businessmen of El Centro who request to beryllium agreed and negociate to enactment connected a communal beforehand that is the remodeling of El Centro.”

Multilevel El Squid Roe remains 1 of the titans of the Cabo San Lucas nightlife scene. (El Squid Roe)

Can Spring Break revive flagging nightlife fortunes?

Whether that assistance comes, determination is simply a rainbow connected the contiguous skyline successful the signifier of Spring Break. Los Cabos is 1 of the astir fashionable planetary destinations for U.S. and Canadian assemblage students during the yearly Spring abrogation break. For example, successful 2024, implicit 45,000 students flocked to Los Cabos for Spring Break, and contempt the unspeakable twelvemonth for Cabo San Lucas nightlife overall, section bars and clubs were packed during March. 

This twelvemonth is expected to beryllium adjacent better, with reservations for 50,000 Spring Breakers already confirmed. This summation is notable, not lone successful airy of CSL’s flagging fortunes but besides due to the fact that Spring Break numbers are expected to beryllium somewhat down successful different fashionable Mexican destinations similar Cancún and Puerto Vallarta. Cancún, which successful the past has drawn 100,000 oregon much Spring Breakers, is expecting only 35,000 this year.

Much of the 40 cardinal dollars expected to beryllium injected into the Los Cabos system volition spell to the hotels charging implicit $500 per nighttime connected average, but nightlife and section restaurants are besides expected to reap large benefits.  

Cabo San Lucas, already projecting a flimsy uptick (15%–20%) crossed the nightlife assemblage successful 2025, could bash adjacent amended courtesy of a beardown Spring Break season. With this successful mind, beautification efforts are already being ramped up for the students’ accomplishment during March.

Cabo inactive rocks astatine Cabo Wabo Cantina. (Cabo Wabo Cantina)

What are the underlying causes of Cabo’s steep nightlife decline?

“Urban image” problems, the colloquial mentation for the diminution of nightlife income successful Cabo San Lucas, are undoubtedly liable for immoderate of the steep dip experienced. But determination whitethorn beryllium different reason, too, 1 rooted successful a demographic reality: Gen Z doesn’t portion arsenic overmuch arsenic erstwhile generations. For instance, they portion 20% less, connected average, than their contiguous predecessors, Millennials.

That’s a precise important number, and it links Cabo San Lucas to a larger inclination that is present evident crossed the U.S., wherever bar sales are besides down.

As the Director of the National Institute connected Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, George F. Koob, pointed retired successful a caller statement, via Time: “It is becoming wide that for immoderate reasons, today’s younger generations are conscionable little funny successful intoxicant and are much apt than older generations to spot it arsenic risky for their wellness and to enactment successful periods of abstinence similar Dry January.”

So adjacent if Cabo San Lucas tin execute the downtown makeover each of america who unrecorded present privation to see, there’s nary warrant it’ll beryllium a speedy hole for country bars and clubs. So successful summation to hoping for a banner Spring Break, I conjecture we locals volition conscionable person to portion much to prop up the system successful the meantime. Cheers!

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas section adept for the USA Today question website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos question guidebook and a contributor to galore websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related contented and manner features focused connected food, vino and golf.