The Ultimate Travel Guide for a Brat Girl Summer

It’s a Brat summer. Charli XCX has made sure of that. The album, its bonus track rerelease, and the Lorde feature remix have taken over Instagram feeds, TikTok feeds, dance floors, Pinterest mood boards, and group chats while climbing the charts—and now it can take over all of your summer plans too. If you are a therapized club rat, or aspire to be one, the steps to having an ultimate Brat summer are pretty simple:

But if you don’t want to do all this introspective partying on the same old dancefloors you’re used to, you need to get moving, get out. Through a close and careful listening of Brat, several hundred Slack and text messages, and perusal of Charli’s tagged locations, we’ve assembled the ultimate Brat Summer Travel Guide. This list is based on references, history, and a bit of lore. Whether you’re staying stateside or venturing internationally, we’ve got a list of cities where you can seek out your own brat-cation, brat-venture, brat-xperience.

International cities for a Brat vacation

A true Brat would mostly likely be found in a club bathroom, but the location of said bathroom can make all the difference on your bad girl/mean girl/party girl status and spiritual journey. Here are the international cities where you can go “Spring breakers.”

Barcelona

After a killer set at Primavera Sound Barcelona this year, it would be remiss of us not to mention one of the coolest European cities. Even if you aren’t there during festival season, there’s a reason this is where Charli kicked off her 2024 tour with a headline performance and a Party Girl DJ set. After you head to Apolo, Magic, Opium or Bling Bling (or all of them) late into the early hours of the morning, you can recuperate on the city’s beaches and cure any next day hang-xiety with tapas and Gaudi architecture.

Berlin

Berlin is home to the world’s most high-status nightclubs including the infamous Berghain. In 2018, Charli said if she had a cult, it would be “like Berghain, but forever.” So clearly, this club-centric city must be on any true angel/Brat’s bucket list. For a complete guide to Berlin, Thrillist has you covered—from clubs and food to some less bratty but still incredible cultural sites.

Budapest

In the track “365,” Charli says we’re walking through an imaginary “superclub” moving through a bunch of different rooms, clubs, and cubicles. It’s a fantastical idea, for sure. But it doesn’t have to be entirely imaginary in Budapest. The city is home to the (admittedly touristy) ruins bars, built in the semi-destroyed shells of old buildings. One such club, Szimpla Kert, is home to a bunch of different rooms, all designed differently, with different types of music playing in different spaces. It may not be the exact vision Charli has for 365, but it’s a pretty great place to start. To get your full fill of these bars, Thrillist has a guide to all the ruins bars in Budapest.

Capri

Thanks to the oft-slimy Daily Mail, we know that Charli spent at least some of June 2022 in a “skimpy bikini” in Capri, Italy. The experience was clearly memorable, because the southern Italian city made it onto Brat in “Everything is romantic.” In the first verse she croons “Capri in the distance/In a place that can make you change.” Clearly, this is a Brat destination. Make sure to pack your skimpy bikini and sunscreen (to avoid leathery skin).

London

Charli recorded some of Brat at studios in London, and the city is also where she got her start by performing at illegal underground clubs. It is undeniably a root of her music, especially on a club album like Brat. While the nightlife scene in London has changed dramatically in the last decade, there’s still a vibrant DIY scene and established clubs where you can channel some of your brattiest behavior. Here’s our very own guide to nightlife in the city.

Mexico City

One of the most recent Party Girl tour stops on the Brat tour, Mexico City was also where Charli recorded some of Brat. Considered one of the coolest cities in North America, it is definitely worth your own Brat-esque trip. The massive, very green city is bursting with restaurants, clubs, bars, and other delights where you can gracefully balance messy emotions and messy nights out.

Paris

There’s nothing more chic than Paris, even in the year when the famed city is hosting the Olympics. For proof, look no further than Charli sitting front row at the 2024 Couture Week, decked out in all-black Balenciaga. Plus, what can be brattier than yelling out “talk to me in French” from “Talk talk” in the club, and someone happily obliging? Here’s the Thrillist guide to Paris, with all the expected tips and more hidden delights. 

US cities for a Brat vacation

Brooklyn

The location of her February 2024 Boiler Room set, Bushwick is where people who believe they would be best friends with Charli XCX reside. The Brooklyn neighborhood is filled with Angels who’ve definitely perfected the Brat lifestyle—and honestly you might just run into the pop star when you are there. As one tweet put it,“Charli XCX is the Michael Jackson of Bushwick.” Live out your Brat fantasies and visit some iconic Charli landmarks, while traipsing through the warehouse clubs and outdoor drinking spots. Make your way over to The Lot Radio, where she performed a surprise set in May, for a non-stop lineup of live DJ sets all summer long. 

Las Vegas

For day one Charli fans, you might remember when she spent two days in Vegas with VICE. It brought out Charli’s sleepless, wild spirit—and while Vegas has changed and so has Charli, there’s still plenty of all-nighters and club bathrooms to be found on the Vegas strip, and beyond it. Find a sexy pool party or gamble at the airport—just make sure to put up your hands and dance.

Los Angeles

Charli recorded some of Brat in studios in Hollywood, and at one point, half the internet believed that the Brat Erewhon smoothie was real. The city is home to the kind of fast, celebrity lifestyle that can help fill out the lore for any true party girl, and is certainly the setting for some of that need to “work it out on the remix.” It’s also where Charli herself lives for most of the year when she’s not jetting off to gigs. Here’s the Thrillist guide on how to spend wholesome days and sinful nights in LA.

Manhattan

You might be like, but New York is already on this list? But listen, Manhattan and Brooklyn are different, especially for Brats. Because while Charli might party in Brooklyn, she’s staying in the East Village in Manhattan. Specifically, she’s staying at The Bowery Hotel, which has been infamous for hosting rock stars for the last several decades. Charli is also regularly spotted coming and going from East Village haunts—which makes sense given the neighborhood’s rich history with alt scenes. Here’s our guide to the East Village’s most essential restaurants.

Miami

Another recording location for Brat, and one of the nightlife capitals of the US, this is where you can reach peak “Spring breakers” behavior. Stay out and party at one of the mega clubs, lay out on the beach, be real nice, be a hater. You can do it all in Miami. Plus, Charli debuted a pretty unforgettable latex bikini in Miami back in 2021, when she performed for Miami Pride. Here’s Thrillist’s guide to daytime fun and nighttime mischief in Miami.

Looking for more travel inspiration?

If you’re ready for an adventure but not sure where you’d like to go or what to do, we’re on it. The best new hotels opening up around the world. The most exciting places to travel without a passport. The world’s best beaches, as ranked by travel influencers. It’s all here along with all the travel news you need to stay informed and inspired.

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