Nice Nightlife | TravelSavvy city guide to Nice France holidays

Nice has long been noted for its lively nightlife. Pubs and bars in the old town are very popular, with many hosting live music events.

Those who enjoy drinking and dancing will head for the old town which is packed with night music venues, though the club music tends to be unadventurous Euro-pop. Nice is also noted for its many festivals, carnivals and rock concerts.

Spectacles and concerts

There are lots of festivals, carnivals, spectacles and concerts all year in Nice. Two of the biggest are The Carnival of Nice, a traditional and colourful carnival which kicks of in February with flower-decked floats and fireworks, and the Nice Jazz Festival in July at the Parc de Cimiez, and regarded as one of the best in Europe.

Palais Nikaïa is the large indoor arena for touring rock and music concerts. Just north of the airport, buses are laid on for major productions. The Nice Acropolis on Esplandade Kennedy is another top venue and the Hotel Westminster on the Promenade des Anglais has late morning concerts – details on 049 214 8686.

Nice nightclubs

Nice's stunning location is matched by a pulsating nightlife. But don't expect a cheap night out. City clubs are in the "exclusive" bracket and a fat wallet is a must at big name venues. However, there are plenty of other clubs and bars to choose from. Here is just a small selection:

The Palousa : Boasts being the biggest nightclub on the Côte d'Azur, opens Thursday to Sunday on three floors from 7pm-1am in a Latino atmosphere.
Le Grand Escurial : This club claims the biggest dance floor on the French Riviera at 16,000sq ft.
B52 : On the Descente Crotti, it has a minute dance floor but a young crowd from 11pm-4am and free entry until 1am.
La Suite: On rue Bréa, this ornate bar draws huge crowds. On Friday and Saturday nights they pull out all the stops.
The Blue Boy : The centre of the Nice gay scene is on rue Jean-Baptiste-Spinetta, with a Wednesday night floor show.
Wayne's : A popular rock club on the rue de la Prefecture has live bands on Friday and Saturday 2.30pm-1am. As many dance on the tables as the floor.

Many bars and clubs in Nice offer something a little different. Blue Whales, on the rue Mascoinat, has live music from 10pm. The wonderfully titled pub de Klomp, also on the rue Mascoinat, has 18 beers on tap, 100 bottled beers and 60 whiskies. O'Neill's Irish Pub, on rue Droite, has a welcoming ambience and live music. Le Pub Opéra , on rue Saint François de Paule, serves the arty crowd in an elegant atmosphere and an impressive wine list.

For a typical unadventurous Brit, Big Ben on rue Alberti, is a UK pub lookalike that serves English food, teas and coffees.

Nice theatre

The Théatre National de Nice is an important theatre centre with national productions. In addition, there are a dozen other theatre venues in the city. Most productions are, naturally, in French.