Rhino Room's Emo Baddie Night mixes pop-punk, pop and a $100 best-dressed prize

Emo Baddie Night lands at Rhino Room on Pirie Street this month, promising five hours of emo, pop-punk and nostalgic pop for anyone still nursing a soft spot for eyeliner and studded belts. Doors open 10pm Saturday the 15th August and the DJs keep going until 3am Sunday, which is a solid stretch for a themed club night built around a very specific aesthetic.

The set list, as far as the notes go, splits into three named blocks: Bimbocore Beats, Horny Metal and Girly Pop Hits. Expect Ashnikko sitting alongside Sleeping with Sirens, Charli XCX next to Avril Lavigne, and Paramore trading off with Evanescence. It is a deliberately messy genre blend, which seems to be the point. This isn't a purist's emo night, it's a night for anyone who grew up with Hot Topic gift cards and a Myspace playlist.

The dress code is glitter, which is unambiguous enough. Best-dressed patrons walk away with a $100 bar tab, and there are additional giveaways scattered through the night including plushies and free glitter emo makeovers for those who want the full transformation before hitting the dance floor. On the drinks list, the themed cocktails lean hard into the bit: 365 Party Girl Pop, Scene Queen Shooter and Hook Me Up Hooch all sound like they were named by someone who has watched a lot of early-2000s music videos.

This is an 18+ event and photo ID is required at the door. Companion cards are welcome on presentation. Anyone chasing a spot on the team should note that the event is recruiting across a wide range of roles, DJs, designers, photographers, content creators, influencers, videographers, video and photo editors, door staff, event hosts and full-time event managers among them. Interested applicants are asked to inbox the event page directly rather than go through a formal application process.

Tickets are sold exclusively through Eventbrite and there are no refunds, so it's worth being certain before locking in a spot. For a scene that thrives on nostalgia and a bit of chaos, Rhino Room seems like a fitting home for it, small enough to feel like a proper night out rather than a stadium-sized tribute act. If the mix of Paramore and Evanescence under strobe lights sounds like your kind of Saturday, this one is squarely aimed at you.

Whether Emo Baddie Night becomes a regular fixture on the Adelaide calendar remains to be seen, but for one night at least, the city's emo revivalists have somewhere to go.