19th March 2026
A nightclub located in the centre of Vilnius, “Chaos Lounge”, discriminated against an Indian citizen by refusing him entry on the grounds of nationality, race and origin. This was established by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson after investigating the complaint.
According to the complaint, a group of four friends decided to visit the nightclub. The group included a person of Indian nationality, as well as Ukrainian and Lithuanian nationals. After being refused entry by a security guard, the men decided to try entering the club again — this time without their Indian friend. The three of them were then allowed inside.
The complainant believed that such behaviour demonstrated that the nightclub refused him entry solely because of his origin and race. He also indicated that his friends could testify about the incident. According to the complainant, he attempted to ask why he was not allowed inside, but received no explanation.
When the Ombudsperson’s Office contacted representatives of “Chaos Lounge”, they denied that the decision was based on race or nationality. However, they did not provide any specific reasons, stating only that the decision had been made by the security staff based on their “professional assessment”. The representatives also noted that the nightclub was highly occupied at the time and therefore stricter entry control was applied.
According to Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson Birutė Sabatauskaitė, the nightclub failed to explain why the individual was refused entry, as no objective reasons were provided, such as concerns related to safety or public order.
“The fact that the complainant was not admitted when accompanied by his friends, while those same friends were later allowed to enter without him, raises questions about differential treatment of persons in comparable circumstances,” commented Sabatauskaitė.
Taking into account the complainant’s statements and witness testimonies, the investigation concluded that the nightclub violated the Law on Equal Opportunities, which requires equal access to services regardless of race, nationality or origin.
The company operating “Chaos Lounge” was issued a warning. It was also recommended to adopt internal rules ensuring non-discriminatory service provision and to organise training on the practical application of equal opportunities and non-discrimination principles.
Two years ago, following a complaint by foreign nationals, the Ombudsperson’s Office also found racial discrimination in another Vilnius nightclub, “Rumor Lounge”.