The idea

One room, properly run

PowerupDash started from a simple frustration: too many nights out end up split between a bar that is too quiet and a floor where you cannot get a drink. We wanted both in one room, done without compromise — a counter where a bartender will take the time to build you something good, twenty steps from a dance floor with a sound system that earns its space.

So the layout came first. The bar runs the length of the room so there is always a stretch of it that is not three deep. The DJ booth sits at the end of the floor rather than tucked away, because a DJ who can see the crowd plays better. The booths are raised along one side so the people who booked them can actually see the night they paid for. And there is a quieter lounge off to the side, because every group has someone who needs ten minutes away from the speakers.

The casino floor came from the same thinking. Plenty of people want a game at some point in the evening and do not want to leave the building to find one, so we put it through a doorway off the side lounge rather than down a corridor: gaming machines open from doors, dealer-run blackjack through the weekend, roulette on the big nights and a poker room with its own door. Close enough that a group can split up and find each other again, far enough that the tables are not sitting under the speaker stacks.

The rest is service. A double-staffed bar on weekends. A host on every VIP table. A door team who keep the queue moving and know the difference between a group out for a birthday and a group that is going to be a problem. A kitchen that stays open late, because a night that ends with loaded fries at 1am is a better night.

The main bar counter at PowerupDash with a backlit bottle shelf and stools along the rail

The main bar, before doors

Inside the venue

How the room is laid out

The main barFull length of the room, backlit bottle shelf, stools along the rail. Cocktails, shots, taps, glass pours and the zero-alcohol list.
The dance floorOpen and central with the DJ booth at one end, sprung flooring and the lighting rig overhead.
VIP boothsRaised along one side, looking down over the floor. Bottle service and a dedicated host for every booking.
The side loungeLow seating, a pool table and enough distance from the speaker stacks to hold a conversation.
The casino floorThrough the doorway past the lounge: gaming machines every night, dealer-run blackjack and weekend roulette, with a service bar of its own.
The poker roomBehind its own door with its own service. Scheduled midweek sessions, and bookable privately for a group.
Karaoke roomPrivate, with its own screen, sound and service button. Takes up to ten and books out quickly on weekends.
Bar kitchenOpen from doors until well past midnight on Friday and Saturday, serving to the bar and to booths.

The casino floor is open to guests aged 20+ with photo ID, with no membership and no door charge. What it runs and when is set out on the casino page; how we run it — limits, breaks, staff training and where to get help — is on our responsible gambling page.

The quieter side lounge at PowerupDash with low seating, a pool table and warm lamp light

The side lounge and pool table

A bartender at PowerupDash pouring a cocktail into a chilled glass

Measured, fresh, garnished that evening

The team

The people behind the bar

Our bartenders are hospitality people first. They know the classics, they can build anything on our list in the middle of a packed Saturday, and they would rather ask you what you usually drink than hand you a menu and walk off.

Our DJs are residents, not a rotating roster of strangers. They have played this floor long enough to know when it needs a throwback and when it needs a build, and they run the room live rather than pressing play on a prepared set. Guest DJs come through on Saturdays and themed nights alongside them.

The events team handle private hire from the first message to the last round — one person responsible for your night, who will tell you honestly if a cheaper package would do the job just as well.

And the door team set the tone before you are even inside. They ID everyone, every night, keep the queue moving, and look after people who have had a big one. Entry is 20+ and that is not negotiable.

Where we are

Hamilton and Waikato

Hamilton has turned into a proper night-out city and Waikato comes in for it. Groups travel in for birthdays and hens weekends, work teams book booths for end-of-quarter drinks, and plenty of regulars treat Saturday here as a standing arrangement.

We are easy to get to. There is street parking around the venue and public parking a short walk away, though plenty of our guests rideshare or taxi in — the drop-off point is directly outside the entrance, which matters at 2am in winter.

If you are putting a night together for people travelling in, send us the details. We will tell you what is on, hold a table, and point your group at the nearest taxi rank when it is time to call it.

Find us and get in touch What is on

VenuePowerupDash
Operated byPowerupDash, registered in New Zealand
Address54 London Street, Lyttelton, New Zealand, 8082
Phone+64 22 689 1237
Email[email protected]
Entry20+, photo ID required
Casino floorMachines nightly, blackjack Thu–Sun, roulette Fri & Sat, poker room midweek
Dress codeSmart casual
ServingHamilton, Waikato and visitors across New Zealand