It can be difficult for younger Christians to find a place to hang out with friends and socialize without compromising their values. The Cove, a pop-up nightclub in Nashville, offers a fun alternative to the city’s honkytonks and other night spots.
The venue likey has a bright future. Polls find that those under 18-35 are drinking less than in previous decades and looking for alternative activities.
The hotspot located in the heart of Music City has three nonnegotiable rules: no twerking, no drinking and no smoking. There reportedly is another unspoken rule enacted by the club: a playlist featuring all Christian music. The discotheque, founded by seven black Christian men in their 20s, first opened its doors in 2023 with the intent of building “a thriving community and a welcoming space for young Christians outside houses of worship.”
@thecovenashville The Cove is a Christian Nightclub in Nashville for young adults! We throw epic parties every month Our next event is March 16th! Make sure to save the date #christiannightclub #party #partyculture #nashville #nashvilletn ♬ original sound – salem
“We ourselves experienced a pain point of not being able to find community outside of our church, not knowing what to do to have fun without feeling bad for doing stuff that’s conflicting to our values,” CEO Eric Diggs said. “There wasn’t a space to cultivate that, so we created it ourselves.”
The Christian nightclub held its first monthly party during the holiday season this past November. Their second event was during New Year’s, and their most recent get-together was held just last month.
Kim Posala, who attended the opening night said “It’s surreal,” as those who arrived in traditional Nashville nightlife attire arrived and were given bracelets. “It’s a community and that’s what church is about.”
The young entrepreneurs used the power of social media to reach people like Posala and build a community and promote the nightclub’s events. A recent TikTok video on The Cove’s page was captioned: “We’ve officially redefined party culture for Gen Z and young millennials It all started with an idea. What if we could create a space for young adults to turn up and have fun without alcohol or substances? So we came up with the idea of starting a Christian nightclub in Nashville.”
A spokesperson for ‘The Cove’ told Fox News, “Our mission is to cultivate a welcoming space where young adults can connect, have fun and encounter God through innovative experiences and vibrant community. Recognizing the growing health-conscious movement among Gen Z and young Millennials, we offer a unique, safe and substance-free environment for young adults to enjoy themselves. This is more than a nightclub. It’s a community. It’s a movement.”
In a 2023 poll Gallup found, “The overall rate of drinking in the U.S. has been generally steady in recent decades, but that masks shifts by age, with older Americans having become more likely to drink and younger Americans less likely.”
“We ended up getting more than 10,000 followers before our first event, which was insane,” said Eric’s brother Jordan Diggs, 22, who manages the club’s social media platforms.
“Christians get a rep for being corny. And we want to show that Christians can be normal, can be cool. And they can have fun.”
Response to the club has been mostly good, though it has faced criticism from some Christians who say dancing and worship don’t mix. says Jordan faces the comments head-on, saying, “just the words Christian and nightclub is going to start a lot of conversation.”
–Dwight Widaman | MV
